Chef Christopher B. Willis is an award-winning culinary professional with over 31 years of experience in the restaurant and hospitality industry. His career has taken him from humble beginnings on a farm in Darlington, Maryland—where he started washing dishes at age 13—to Executive Chef positions across the East Coast and international consulting roles.
Chef Willis has trained under and worked alongside industry greats including Harold Balink (TRU), Norman Hart C.E.C., C.C.E., Scott Schmucker (former private chef to U2 and the Pittsburgh Steelers), Roberto Donna (Galileo), and Peter Smith (PS7 and Vidalia, D.C.). By age 20, he had already earned his first Executive Chef role, and his reputation quickly grew through leadership roles in acclaimed restaurants, private clubs, and hospitality groups.
During his time as Tom Clancy’s personal chef, Chef Willis served elite clientele nationwide and was honored with a Maryland State Agricultural Medal for his work in a Rockfish culinary competition. As Executive Chef at POSH Restaurant and Supper Club in Washington, D.C., he crafted dishes for high-profile guests including Denzel Washington, Robert De Niro, Forest Whitaker, Patti LaBelle, and Smokey Robinson. Under his leadership, POSH received numerous accolades including Best of Washington, #1 Hot Spot Restaurant, and Top 5 in Vibrant Bars on OpenTable.
Chef Willis has played a pivotal role in launching and overseeing restaurant concepts under RLJ (Robert L. Johnson, founder of BET), with successful ventures in the U.S. and Liberia, Africa—including POSH at the Kendeja Resort and Villas. He also led the culinary vision for multiple high-end properties including the Whiteface Lodge (Lake Placid, NY), Marriott Pompano Beach, and Hilton Garden Inns in Pittsburgh and D.C.
A passionate educator and mentor, Chef Willis became the Culinary Instructor at North Point High School in 2016. Under his guidance, the program achieved ACF accreditation, and students now graduate ServSafe and OSHA certified. He developed a real-world, skills-based curriculum and actively helps place students into hospitality roles locally and abroad. He also helped design the Charles County Public Schools ProStart Food Truck and serves as its manager and mentor
Chef Willis is the founder and owner of Whatchu Cookin Willis LLC, a catering and consulting company launched in 2016. He has built and operated four food trucks, sold multiple mobile food concepts, and recently launched an onsite smoking/catering trailer. His entrepreneurial ventures support both public events and culinary education.
Notably, Chef Willis has appeared at the James Beard House, earned 1st place in the 2008 “Chefs on Bikes” Pork Cook-Off, and annually teaches seminars at the Culinary School of the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. Most recently, he trained in Barcelona, Spain under Albert Adrià , mastering advanced culinary techniques including Texturas and molecular gastronomy.
Chef Willis continues to blend tradition with innovation—elevating comfort food, mentoring future chefs, and leading culinary projects that serve both local communities and global audiences.
