Chef Hari Prapaka is a James Beard Club semifinalist of Central Florida and is well-versed in the region’s food scene. And while it’s taken him some time to focus on new projects and personal endeavors since he and his wife, Jenifer, moved on from Cress in DeLand, the award-winning restaurant they opened in 2008, Orlando is about to see more of him.
Prapaka joins the team at 4Roots, a nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming the way communities grow, access and engage with food, and building a food system that is healthier, more just, and more resilient for everyone.
In his new role as Senior Culinary Director, Prapaka will help shape and oversee a growing portfolio of businesses, programming and hospitality experiences across the farm campus.
“It’s an organization that has visibly and quietly grown its mission for quite some time,” says Prapaka, who is not new to 4Roots. “I’ve been involved in a lot of ways because of (founder) John Rivers.”
This includes community icons such as Norman Van Aken, Art Smith and Kevin Fonzo, as well as Friends of the Farm and Outstanding in the Field events, educational experiences and fundraisers dating back nearly a decade.
After years of working on his own globally influenced chef’s table in DeLand, among countless other projects, when Prapaka’s other job (he was a mathematics professor at Stetson University for decades) offered him early retirement, the stars aligned, leaving him room to slide into a full-time role at 4Roots.
In part, he plans to continue growing the relationship and curating new guest experiences, including a new dinner series in the property’s beautiful “culinary barn” this fall.
“It’s an open format,” he said, noting that details are still to come, “and these will be very immersive, but not very fussy, communal events. Long tables, very seasonal, a lot of storytelling, very intentional. At least once a month, those could end up being our signature series, but there will be a lot of other programming around these, both public and private events.”
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“Hari brings an extraordinary combination of talent, intelligence, creativity and heart to 4Roots,” Rivers said in a news release. “His commitment to local agriculture, education, sustainability, and building meaningful experiences aligns perfectly with 4Roots’ mission. Beyond being an exceptional chef, Hari understands how food can foster both health and relationships, and we are incredibly excited about the vision and leadership he will bring to Farm Campus.”
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By design, the new role will connect him to all aspects of 4Roots’ culinary operations, according to the chef. So he intends to expand the image of the dish.
“Food is at the center of everything…” he says, pointing to the pillars of 4Roots’ mission, including community, health, and addressing food insecurity. “In addition to creating really great events for the general public, I want to partner with chefs and producers to connect the dots between Central Florida’s food systems and intentionally bring collaboration to the table.”
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