RHOA Star Kelli Ferrell Learned To Cook From His Mother And Grandma
Kelli Ferrell, a celebrity chef and restauranteur, is a new addition to Season 16 of The Real Housewives of Atlanta (RHOA), which premiered on Sunday, March 9, on Bravo.
As a child, her mother and grandmother inspired her to cook, and in 2019, she published a cookbook, Kooking with Kelli: Kollection of Family Recipes from Nana’s Chicken-N-Waffles.
Highlights
- Kelli Ferrell’s parents inspired her cooking, and she opened Nana’s Chicken-N-Waffles in McDonough, Georgia, in 2016.
- She married Chuvalo Ferrell on August 20, 2011, but their marriage ended with no hope for reconciliation in 2022.
- She is the new addition to The Real Housewives of Atlanta (RHOA), where she looks forward to flourishing, building her empire, and getting to know the ladies better.
Kelli brings her vibrant personality and culinary expertise to the RHOA, promising to spice up the drama-filled series. She interviewed twice with the producers of RHOA before she made it on the show for Season 16.
In 2016, she opened Nana’s Chicken-N-Waffles in McDonough, Georgia, and wrote a cookbook about the restaurant’s family recipes.
Likewise, she is a culinary partner and ambassador for Meals on Wheels Atlanta and has partnered with Elks Aidmore. She also supports the OI Foundation.
Her work has been featured on Good Morning America, Live with Kelly and Mark, the Hallmark Channel, and the OWN Network.
She looks forward to flourishing, building her empire, and getting to know the ladies better in RHOA season 16.
RHOA Star Kelli Ferrell Watched Her Parents Cook
40-year-old Kelli Ferrell was born in Baltimore, Maryland. She is the oldest of three girls; her birth sign is Pisces.
She was passionate about food and fashion. Later, she moved to Atlanta to pursue a degree in fashion merchandising and design.
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Kelli keeps her personal life, including details about her family, relatively private.
Growing up in the Baltimore suburbs, she learned to cook from her mother and grandmother. They used to enjoy being the sous chef.
Afterward, she began cooking for her sisters while her mother worked.
My go-to dish when cooking was fried chicken and rice.
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.
She designed her eatery to feel like an intimate home. Her restaurant, Nana’s Chicken-N-Waffles, is named after her grandmother, who made the best fried chicken. Her grandma is 85-year-old as of 2025.
She plans to open a second location in Sandy Springs, Georgia, in early 2025.
Kelli Ferrell Was Married To Entrepreneur Chuvalo Ferrell
Kelli and Chuvalo Ferrell married on August 20, 2011, and became prominent in Atlanta’s social scene. They were married for 11 years before calling it quits in 2022.
The married couple has three children: Chance, Chasiti, and Chelsi. Her eldest daughter, Chloe, is from her previous relationship.
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Their divorce lasted over 2 years and 8 months, with no hope for reconciliation.
Kelli asked for sole custody and child support, but Chuvalo demanded joint physical and legal custody of their children. He also stated they were self-supporting, so neither should get spousal support.
However, they reached a temporary custody agreement in 2023. They shared joint legal custody of their daughters, and Chuvalo had to pay her a monthly child support check.
She credits her marriage with redirecting her 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, December 26, 2016.
Additional Information
- After opening a family-inspired restaurant, Kelli Ferrell appeared on several shows to discuss her cookbook, food, and career.
- She is a fresh addition to RHOA, along with Brit Eady and Angea Oakley, and she joins cast members Porsha Williams and Drew Sidora.
- Her net worth is estimated at $1 million as of 2025.
