Description

NOTE: Registration to this event is free and available to LRA restaurant members as part of their showcase registration. Non LRA restaurant members who register for this event will have to register for the showcase and pay the price of admission.

Please follow the link below to register for the LRA Showcase before registering for the session.

LRA Showcase - Louisiana Restaurant Association Showcase 2025

Moderated by Mark Romig 

Known as Louisiana’s culinary ambassador to the world, Chef John Folse has dedicated his life to celebrating and preserving our Cajun and Creole traditions. In the 1980s, he traveled the globe alongside legends like Chef Paul Prudhomme and Chef Leah Chase, sparking a worldwide fascination with the bold flavors and fresh ingredients rooted in Louisiana’s rich soil and bountiful waters. 

Chef Folse is the visionary behind beloved establishments such as Lafitte’s Landing Restaurant, Restaurant R’evolution at the Royal Sonesta Hotel, Bittersweet Plantation Dairy, and Folse Market at the New Orleans International Airport. He also founded the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University—the first four-year culinary degree program in the country—where more LRA Education Foundation scholars attend than any other post-secondary school in Louisiana. 

A prolific author, TV and radio personality, and hospitality industry leader, Chef Folse perfectly embodies the 2025 Showcase theme: “Authentically Louisiana.” During his keynote, Chef Folse will explore the evolution of Louisiana’s vibrant food culture, the critical role of culinary education, and how honoring our roots can guide our future.