What Hell's Kitchen Winner Nona Sivley Is Doing Now

Nona Sivley won Season 8 of "Hell's Kitchen" before she'd even reached her 30th birthday (she was just 29 at the time). The win was a hard-fought one, too, as she had to beat a number of other promising chefs in the process. Of course, that could be said of every "Hell's Kitchen" episode, as Gordon Ramsey isn't going to waste his time with anything less than the best of the best. After Sivley's win on "Hell's Kitchen," she was hired as the head chef at Los Angeles' LA Market. At the time, she said that she felt quite enthusiastic about switching things up a little. Her stated ambition was to bring a little taste of Southern-style cooking to the area and introduce Californians to classic regional foods such as grits.

Sivley spent three years at the Los Angeles restaurant but later moved to Pork & Beans in Las Vegas. Unfortunately, this move didn't work out too well for her, as she was let go from that position under dubious circumstances. According to the restaurant's owner, she just didn't fit in there, but Sivley herself revealed in a now-deleted social media post that she felt she had been targeted for her sexual orientation (she identifies as LGBTQ).

At some point after leaving Pork & Beans, Sivley seems to have changed her last name to her maiden name Johnson, as that is what she goes by now. She also launched a catering company known as Sizzling Peach, the name likely a reference to its Georgia location. The catering later expanded into a full-service restaurant in the Atlanta suburb of Norcross. Johnson's business, too, underwent a name change as it is called The Local Peach.

Johnson's partner in the business, Brianna Murray, is also her partner in life because the two of them are married. Murray was working as a teacher when they first met in 2012, but two years later they joined forces professionally. Both women are listed as chefs on the restaurant's website. Local Peach's cuisine could best be described as southern hipster, with both avocado toast and pimento cheese sandwiches on the menu along with specialties such as a grits bowl with braised short ribs. The restaurant itself serves as somewhat of a progressive community hub as it hosts not only Pride events but also Black history celebrations and readings from local authors.

As Nona Johnson discussed with Parade, The Local Peach did eventually evolve into a specialty market featuring lots of artisan goodies. Discerning shoppers were privy to prepared foods (including in-house selections and meals procured from other local sources), baked goods, decorative items, cosmetics, honey, and more. While the parameters of shopping local often vary, all items sold in the store were sourced within 30 miles of the location, in keeping with Johnson's goal of "sustainability implementing a zero waste/less waste model and procuring from local organic farmers and vendors." 

Despite the appeal of an artisan restaurant-slash-specialty market, it appears that The Local Peach has changed courses yet again. According to a notice posted to the website, diners can only access the establishment's breakfast service on the weekends. During the week, The Local Peach offers activities like cooking classes and workshops, and the establishment also provides catering services to its customers. As such, it's not clear if the specialty market is still operating. According to the notice, the change was made because "The demand for our services has grown in numerous areas, making it necessary to make adjustments for our well-being." Increased demand is a good thing to be sure, and it's nice to know that chef Johnson continues to capitalize on the success she experienced on "Hell's Kitchen."