Bernard’s love of food began when his mother taught him to cook with vegetables grown in his grandmother’s garden. He has over 17 years in the kitchen, most of which came in the beautiful city of Chicago. His career highlights while in Chicago include participating in the South Side Chefs’ Revival, The Edna Lewis Foundation, Homecoming Benefit as well as cooking for the one and only Beyoncé. In the brief year and a half he has been in the low country, Bennett has significantly impacted the culinary scene. His pop-up dinners Okàn focused on elevated fare that displayed his ancestors’ resilience and influence. His food truck of the same name allowed diners in the area to enjoy Bennett’s Caribbean Street food. These thoughtful and intentional iterations of Okàn introduced area diners to what was to come. He landed a coveted spot on the 2023 semi-finalist list in the James Beard Awards Emerging Chef category. He recently opened Okàn Restaurant in June of 2023 at The Bridge Collective in Bluffton, South Carolina.