MRM Profile: Playing to a Crowd in Times Square

In the MRM Profile, we speak with Chef Wenford Patrick Simpson of B.B. King Blues Club & Grill about the challenges of operating the culinary side of an entertainment venue in New York City and his own personal journey.

Over the years, Chef Simpson has traveled to schools inspiring students with the story of his remarkable journey from being poor boy sleeping on cold floors to being a chef. The feedback from eager Jamaican students wanting to follow in his footsteps but lacking the resources inspired the "Cook Up With Chef Patrick" star to open a culinary school in his hometown where students can enroll fresh out of high school. Simpson's Culinary Arts Development Center will operate as a partial non-profit institution, requiring only a minimal registration fee to cover operational costs. Not only will the school provide essential culinary training, but Chef Simpson plans to build out a job program with the local hotels he previously worked at early on in his career.