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ORAL HISTORY
Jeffery Heard
Heard Dat Kitchen
Jeffery Heard, born in 1961, grew up in the Iberville Housing Project, right on the edge of the French Quarter. He worked as a dishwasher in high school and considers his big break scoring a position as a busser at Les Jardines in Canal Place in 1984.Heard is a master of banquet service. He owns it by being “100 percent.” Chef Jeff runs his own restaurant and catering operation in Central City at the Heard Dat Kitchen.
When the Pandemic hit in mid-March, Heard’s business was negatively impacted. Heard Dat Kitchen relies on the heavy tourist traffic of the Carnival season. Heard and his family began selling Grab & Go meals out of their restaurant. They also worked with the Krewe of Red Beans Feed the Frontlines program, and in June 2020, they began working with World Central Kitchen to feed communities in need throughout the New Orleans area. These community organizations allowed Heard to continue running his own business throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
