Telly Justice and Camille Lindsley
HAGS | New York
February 2023
Despite the claim she comes from a line of bad home cooks, Telly Justice has managed to rise above and create an impressive culinary resume. Originally from the Philadelphia area, Justice moved to Columbia, SC where she worked at a local café making sandwiches and coffee. In 2008, she relocated to Atlanta and began volunteering at a community food program. It was there she started to feel connected to food as a profession and as a catalyst for community building. She worked in kitchens from Philadelphia to New York City before eventually returning to Atlanta as the opening sous chef for Kimball House, where she would meet future business and life partner, Camille Lindsley.
Atlanta native Camille Lindsley began her career at Kimball House as maître d' and quickly caught the wine bug. Without a mentor to lean on, Lindsley taught herself everything she could about managing the front of house, and in 2019, passed her sommelier certification exam. In that same year, Justice and Lindsley moved to New York City: Justice to Contra under Chef Jeremiah Stone, and Lindsley to Aldo Sohm Wine Bar.
The duo had long talked about opening a restaurant together—an expertly designed space with queerness in mind. In 2020, Justice and Lindsley did just that. The couple created HAGS to be accessible and inviting to all. From establishing a vibrant, playful color palette throughout the restaurant, to installing a fun house mirror and tools for harm reduction in the bathroom, HAGS is a community space to its core. Justice and Lindsley strive to make HAGS a welcoming destination for not only their customers, but also for their team, creating the work environment they always wanted for themselves.
