When Chris Shepherd left Underbelly Hospitality last summer it came as a surprise to many in the restaurant industry but probably not to his closest friends and family. After years of opening various successful restaurants and creating a multitude of menus, the James Beard Award-winning chef decided to step away from the hospitality group that he was an integral part of to focus on his work with Southern Smoke Foundation, a non-profit he co-founded with his now-wife Lindsey Brown in 2015. This week, the pair had some big news to share.

Earlier this month, Shepherd received the Texas Restaurant Association's Community Impact Award at its 2023 Texas Restaurant Awards held at Houston's 713 Music Hall, July 9. The Community Impact award was introduced in 2022 to honor an outstanding active member of the TRA who demonstrates a legacy of uniting and empowering those in the restaurant community. Shepherd received this year's honor for his work as founding director and honorary chairman with the Southern Smoke Foundation.

In an email to the Houston Press, Shepherd said of the award, "We're so grateful for the Texas Restaurant Association. We were nominated in the best company with our friends from Cafe Momentum and Kitchen Campus. We're all doing great work for the industry. I hope this recognition will result in more F&B workers knowing we're here to provide them with crisis relief and free mental healthcare. We're here to take care of our own now and always!"

But Shepherd wasn't the only one on the team with big news.
This week, Southern Smoke Foundation announced that Brown is taking over the role of executive director at the foundation from Kathryn Lott. Brown graduated from the University of Texas at Austin then began her career in public relations including a stint as special projects coordinator for the Houston Ballet Academy. Brown followed that by taking on the role of director of marketing and public relations for the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau.

In 2016 she founded Lindsey Brown Public Relations here in Houston. The majority of her clients were people in the arts and food and beverage communities. A number of those clients will be moving to Giant Noise as Brown shutters the firm she founded, making the same giant leap her husband made to the world of philanthropy. Brown plans to work as an adviser for Giant Noise until the end of the year to ensure a smooth transition for the clients that are moving over.

As for her plans for the future at SSF, Brown told the Press, "We're really working hard to increase awareness nationwide — both for our F&B workers who can utilize our services and for potential donors who want to support the industry... And we're focused on the strategic expansion of our mental health program, working with our partners to expand our mental health services in the five states we're in now — Texas, Louisiana, California, Illinois and New York — before we expand to new states."

Part of that strategic plan is SSF's updated crisis toolkit which gives tips and resources to workers in the food and beverage industry to help be prepared for an emergency and to prevent crises in the first place.

Brown and Shepherd founded Southern Smoke Foundation originally to raise funds for their friend Antonio Gianola,  a Houston sommelier, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2014. He is currently manager and buyer at Houston Wine Merchant.
What began as a fundraiser for the Multiple Sclerosis Society grew to be the largest third party fundraiser in a five-state area, according to its website, having raised $763,000 in the first year for the Multiple Sclerosis Society.  In 2017, the foundation shifted its focus after Hurricane Harvey wreaked havoc on the Gulf Coast, causing devastating flooding to Houston homes and businesses. The food and beverage industry was disastrously affected and the folks at SSF decided it was time to "take care of our own" by creating the Emergency Relief Fund which gave financial aid to restaurant workers and F&B employees affected by disasters. That expanded to include aid for health care costs and other financial burdens while still continuing to donate funds in Gianola's name to the MS Society.

In 2020, SSF began a partnership with Mental Health America of Greater Houston and the University of Houston Department of Psychiatry to provide free mental healthcare for Texas food and beverage employees as well as their children. Southern Smoke also launched its Chicago Emergency Relief Fund the same year.

The COVID pandemic created its own set of issues with the shutting down of numerous food and beverage businesses. While Southern Smoke had to cancel its in-person festival fundraisers, it continued to raise money and provide emergency assistance to individuals in need.

In October 2022, the Southern Smoke Festival returned with a three-day event and raised more than 1.6 million dollars for its missions. Southern Smoke Festival 2023 is planned for October 13 and October 14. Unfortunately, seats for Respect the Rose October 13 are sold out but there are still tickets available for the Southern Smoke Festival event at Discovery Green October 14.

Brown also told the Press, "We're planning new events in 2024 that we're really excited about, in addition to our annual festival, both in Houston and beyond."