OUR STORY
Jeff Ford, C.E.C.
Owner, J. Ford’s Black Angus.Kelly Ford
Owner, J. Ford’s Black Angus.
Jeff Ford, C.E.C.
Owner, J. Ford’s Black Angus.Jeff was encouraged at a very young age to try new things. Through his father’s work and his mothers love for good food, he was fortunate to be exposed to some very good restaurants and world class cuisine.
Jeff’s first experience with cooking was at the young age of 17 working for a catering company frying chicken in the back of a semi trailer. He has worked in the food service industry since.
While pursuing a degree in business at Indiana State, Jeff worked as a Sous Chef at Larry Bird’s MVP Club, which at that time was notable for its quality of food. While here Jeff received a letter of praise from a writer for Gourmet Magazine and in it asked for one of his recipes to include in an upcoming issue.
After graduating from ISU Jeff decided to become a chef. He was on his way to Culinary School in Poughkeepsie New York when he became ill and was diagnosed with a very rare form of Leukemia. This put those plans on hold for about 2 years while he was in and out of hospitals battling the disease. For no apparent reason after finding out his first child was on her way, Jeff started to get better.
Jeff moved his family to Louisville where he took a job as Sous Chef at Churchill Downs. He then got a job as Executive Chef at the Audubon Country Club in Louisville. One of the top Clubs in Kentucky.
For the last 12 years Jeff has been the Certified Executive Chef/Director of Restaurant operations at the Country Club of Terre Haute. He has been a Certified Executive Chef and member of the American Culinary Federation since 1997. In 2006 he competed against 11 top Country Club Chefs in the Ohio Valley Club Managers Association and took the top award.
Kelly has worked in Restaurants and catering most of her adult life with the exception of her current job at Clear Channel Outdoor as a Senior Account Executive. She started out in high school working in fast food. In college she started working at what was then Richard’s Townhouse, then worked for Marriotte Food Service in their Catering division. In between this and going to college she also coached swimming for Wabash Valley Swim Club. She recognizes parents of kid she had in the restaurant. After Graduating she moved to a full time position as a supervisor where she opened Generations Restaurant at the ISU Food Court.
After that she move to Indianapolis and worked as a Corporate Server trainer for Mountain Jack’s restaurant chain helping to open new restaurants. She was also an assistant manager when not traveling.
The corporate world called and she moved into various sales jobs ranging from Fax machines to where she has been for the last 12 years, Advertising sales. She has enjoyed working and living in Indianapolis but has always loved the restaurant environment and secretly wanted to get back into it somehow.
Jeff and Kelly were married in 2004 and opened J. Ford’s Black Angus on October 16th, 2007. So far they’ve had a ball and plan on continuing to do so for a long time…
