If The Real Housewives of Atlanta newbie Kelli Ferrell could be summed up in three words, they would be fierce, fashion and food! The mother and Atlanta-based restaurateur is one of three new baddies joining the infamous reality show cast. Kelli, self-proclaimed Barbie Brit Eady and Angela Oakley, wife of former NBA star Charles Oakley will join Porsha Williams, Shamea Morton Mwangi, Drew Sidora and friends of the show, Kenya Moore and Cynthia Bailey, on Season 16 of the popular franchise. After back-to-back disappointing seasons, RHOA executives gave in to fans' demands for a reboot and new blood. Kelli believes the newbie cast, along with the couple of OGs, is prepared to deliver big time on March 9th and says she looks forward to the fans seeing an all-new RHOA.
Kelli grew up in Baltimore, MD, the oldest of three girls. She recalls watching her mother and grandmother in the kitchen and enjoying being their sous' chef while she was a little girl. It wasn't long before Kelli was cooking for her sisters while her mother was at work. "My go-to dish when cooking was fried chicken and rice," she laughs. "It wasn't until years later that I started getting good with some of the heavier sides, like macaroni and cheese. I would make tuna casserole, spaghetti and pretty soon I started experimenting and getting better and better. In our home, growing up, we had Sunday dinner together every week, so food represented family and love for me. It became my passion early on." Now, she's ready to put it all on display on the Bravo series.
Kelli Is the Owner of Nana's Chicken & Waffles A Breakfast Spot Outside Atlanta
Kelli enjoyed cooking, but her eyes were set on fashion as a career choice. She went to college and earned a degree in fashion merchandising and then went to work in a high-end Atlanta boutique named Taste that was owned by Theresa Caldwell. Theresa happened to have a famous son named Bow Wow, and her boutique was frequented by the nouveau riche and famous. Kelli got a taste of hob-knobbing with the elite and affluent and decided she was never going back to anything less. She married entrepreneur Chuvalo Ferrell in 2011 and the couple quickly became one of the Who's Who in Atlanta's social scene.
Kelli and Chuvalo had three children together, a beautiful baby boy named Chance and twin daughters Chasiti and Chelsi, making a picture perfect family with her oldest daughter, Chloe. Although the couple recently divorced, Kelli credits her marriage with re-directing back to her first love of food. "My husband at the time and I did a vision board one year, and we put a restaurant on the vision board. A little while later we found a commercial building that would be perfect for a breakfast space. We did a lot of research on Google and YouTube University, then added a lot of hard work, sweat and grind and opened the first Nana's Chicken and Waffles in Conyers, GA, Decemeber 26, 2016," she says.
The restaurant was named in honor of the Sunday brunches she recalls spending with her Nana who today is "85 years young" and very proud of her hard-working granddaughter. "I realized that I have a passion for food and for people. Owning a restaurant is not just about making good food, it's so important to understand the business and to make sure customer service is the first priority. From the back of the house to the kitchen to the servers and hosts, it's important that guests leave Nana's Chicken and Waffles with an experience that makes them feel like they just spent time at home with family," Kelli says. In addition to the restaurant, Kelli created a line of products for people that may not be able to make it to Nana's Chicken & Waffles. Her products include cajun grits, a waffle mix, 24 karat gold maple syrup mix and a mix for mimosas.
Watching Kelli juggle motherhood with running a restaurant, managing a fresh divorce from her ex-husand and maintaining her fierce should make her a fan favorite in her debut season. She admits interviewing with RHOA producers twice before making the cut for season 16. "The third time was the charm," she laughs. "But I think this season it was an easier transition than it would've been in the past. Coming on the show with two other new girls and a couple of OGs made it a lot easier because it's a different RHOA."
Kelli Believes the 'RHOA' Reboot Will Be Successful
Fans of the show may not be as easy to win over as Kelli assumes. After losing staple faces on the series like Kandi Burruss, Sheree Whitfield and fashion vixen Marlo Hampton could prove awkward for loyal fans of the peach squad. Kelli denies watching the drama that played out over the last few seasons, but is excited to be a part of a new chapter for RHOA. "I think people are going to see me being fierce, fabulous and fun but there is also another side they'll see as well. They'll see I'm not always glitz and glamour, I'm a hardworker, sometimes it's crops and socks. They'll see my journey as a single mom trying to do my best to take care of my children. To be honest I'm still finding my way. I hope that seeing me go through this helps other women and even men dealing with similar situations. If I only have one season, but I can inspire someone not to give up, I'll be more than happy," she says.
