Okàn’s Executive Chef, Bernard Bennett is recognized as a 2023 Semifinalist for Emerging Chef by the James Beard Foundation. Chef Bernard Bennett helped formulate the concept for Okàn from his passion for learning how history and culture have shaped how we eat and where our food really comes from. The new restaurant will express the heart and soul of underrepresented cuisine by following the culinary journey of West African-rooted cooking.

As a non-profit organization, the James Beard Foundation’s mission is to celebrate, support, and elevate the people who are paving a better future for America’s food culture and a community where all can thrive. Considered to be among the nation’s most prestigious honors, the James Beard Awards recognize exceptional culinary and food industry talent as well as a demonstrated commitment to racial and gender equity, community, and sustainability. Executive Chef Bernard Bennett has been named one of twenty semifinalists in the Emerging Chef category by the James Beard Foundation. 

Okàn’s menu will showcase how ingredients originated, changed through the course of forced migration, and now celebrate an elevated pairing of cultures. The restaurant is set to open in the Spring of 2023 at The Bridge Collective in Bluffton, South Carolina.