Chef elevates corporate cafeteria to celebrity-chef standards

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Chef Kyle Williams has taken a corporate cafeteria and elevated it to celebrity-chef standards, but with wellness in mind.

Williams is the executive chef for Good Food Good Futures, which operates the Live Blue Kitchen and Café at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City. When Williams took the helm in May 2014, he designed a the new menu with options under 550 calories, such as Baked Falafel Shawarma With Baba Ghanoush and Cilantro Raita.

The dish is packed with vegetable protein, fiber, antioxidants and great taste. Meanwhile, The company subsidizes healthier options for employees: the falafel is $5.25, while a traditional personal pepperoni pizza is $6.75.

Williams, 31, is a 2002 Raytown South High School graduate. He earned a bachelor’s degree in applied science in culinary nutrition from Johnson & Wales University, in Providence, R.I. He also brings more than 16 years of restaurant experience, which includes working with celebrity chefs Todd English, David Burke and Daniel Boulud.

Williams’ team serves up breakfasts, snacks, lunches and the occasional take-home dinners. About half of the company’s 800 employees visit the cafe in a given day. Other Kansas City companies eager to invest in health and wellness frequently ask to tour the Live Blue Kitchen and Café when rethinking their menus.