Johnny Zone
Howlin' Ray's | Los Angeles
June 2017
When Johnny Zone was 16, he ate a burger that was so good that it became the catalyst for his career. Spurred by the burger, Zone went to work at a string of restaurants instead of attending college. He helped open Gordon Ramsay’s Th e London, where he spent three years and worked his way up to chef de partie. Zone simultaneously worked at Nobu West Hollywood as head fi sh butcher. In 2009, he joined Th omas Keller’s opening team for Bouchon Beverly Hills.
In 2014, while running the kitchen of Hollywood’s La Poubelle, Zone fl ew to Nashville to stage with Sean Brock at Husk. During the visit, he was introduced to the local hot fried chicken and fell feverishly in love, eating at every hot chicken joint in town.
In June 2015, he and his wife Amanda Chapman opened the fi rst exclusively Nashville hot chicken food truck on the West Coast, serving hot-as-hell, all natural, hormone- and antibiotic-free chicken. The couple announced the final stop of their truck in November 2015 and opened Howlin’ Ray’s first brick and mortar in Chinatown’s Far East Plaza. Th e same year, Zone earned a spot on Zagat’s “30 Under 30” list. Soon, due to demand (Zone sells around 500 sandwiches a day), Howlin’ Ray’s will double its size to accommodate the crowds and spread the gospel of spice.
