Chef de Cuisine, Lure, Atlanta
At the ripe old age of 27, Olivier Reedholm has already amassed an incredibly impressive resume. That’s because he got a head start.
Like many chefs, Olivier’s early influences came from family. His Montreal-born mother baked custom cakes from their home and made “lots of home-cooked French meals – meals made with love,” as he puts it. Starting at age 15 as a busser at a diner in his Texas hometown, his eye was always on the energy in the kitchen. When the first culinary arts program was introduced at his high school during his junior year, he went all in, even changing his plans for college. That program, says Olivier, “helped drive me, and I feel passionate about it because we learned the legitimate skills to be a chef. It gave me such a boost.”
By the time Olivier got out of culinary school, his after-school and weekend restaurant experience helped him land his first job as a sous chef. By 2019, he was serving an apprenticeship at the Michelin Star restaurant Under in eco-friendly Norway, nurturing his interest in sustainability. Once back in Texas, his culinary skills expanded with an added interest in wood-fire grilling, first at legendary steakhouse Jeffrey’s in Austin, then at Hestia, known for its 20-foot hearth. By 2023, he was culinary operations manager at The Grey in Savannah. “I knew that I always wanted to work in the best restaurants in the world,” he says.
Besides mastering a broad array of local and international cuisines, Olivier has a special affinity for launching new restaurants and has already been on the front line for 10 openings. “That’s probably my favorite thing to do,” he says. “It’s really an opportunity to put your stamp on something.” That’s exactly what happened when he was named chef de cuisine for the relaunch of Lure in Midtown Atlanta last year. “Being part of a big refresh allowed me to spread my wings and cook a variety of cuisines – a global approach.”
At Lure, Olivier has also put his interest in sustainability to work. “Old traditions are important to me,” he says, “like preserving and fermenting: trying to avoid waste and still make delicious things.” His efforts even extend to saving oyster shells, which are collected from the restaurant by Shell to Shore and taken to Sapelo Island to help repopulate the oyster ecosystems naturally.
Mark Jeffers, VP of Culinary at Fifth Group Restaurants, said in his nomination of Olivier for Rising Star, “His desire to create and passion for food are only matched by the quality of his character. He is someone who only wants the best for those around him.” Oliver reiterates, “It’s not just cooking. It’s also about how we treat each other.”
Read More About the Other 2025 Rising Stars
Thank you to our presenting sponsor, Performance Foodservice, and table sponsors, Society Insurance and Savannah Distributing, for making this event possible:
Presenting Sponsor
Table Sponsors
Savannah Distributing and Society Insurance
