Board Members
ANDRE GOMEZ
Board Member
Chef/Owner — Porch Light Latin Kitchen
Born and raised on the beautiful island of Puerto Rico, Andre brings his pan latin flavors and hospitality to the table every day. After finishing high school, he moved stateside to pursue his hospitality and yet-to-be-found culinary dreams. He attained bachelor degrees in hospitality administration from Lynn University and culinary management from the Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale. After meeting his wife Ashley, they moved to Smyrna as part of her job relocation. He started working at Canoe with Chris Hall and later moved on to work at Nava for the Buckhead Life Restaurant Group. His next stop was working as Executive Chef for the acclaimed Kevin Rathbun, who he looks up to as mentor. Andre was able to gain the experience that fortified his lifelong dream of being a business owner. In November 2015 he opened his "dream job": Porch Light Latin Kitchen in Smyrna.
Andre's involvement with Giving Kitchen has developed from an appreciation and need to support his industry. He believes in helping others, especially food service workers, who sometimes are not able to find the assistance they need. Inspired by Ryan and Jen Hidinger’s vision, Andre continues to find ways to spread the word about GK to bring relief to food service workers.
An honor and privilege to serve on the board of such a wonderful and unique organization. He hopes his contributions can serve the most people possible while also leaving a path the for his three children to follow as they grow older.