A Servant’s Heart, A Chef’s Calling: Her Majesty's Kitchen Forsyth, Georgia
For as long as she can remember, caring for people has been at the center of everything Chelsia Ogletree does. It’s in her Louisiana roots, cultivated carefully by a family who prioritized community. Whether through food, support for new moms, mentorship, or community leadership, her life has been shaped by one simple belief: hospitality is caring – a sentiment that reverberates through the walls of Her Majesty's Kitchen in Forsyth. Her journey to Forsyth began hundreds of miles away.
Born and raised in New Orleans, Chelsia evacuated in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina devastated the city. She had just graduated high school and started summer school at Loyola University, preparing for her freshman fall semester. Instead, she found herself in Atlanta, moving from campus to campus trying to determine where she would continue her education. She enrolled at Georgia State as a transient student before ultimately transferring to Oglethorpe University to finish her collegiate career.
During her junior year at Oglethorpe, Chelsia began catering small events to make some money on the side. At first for doctors’ offices, then expanding into film production catering. Though she initially planned to pursue law, something inside her kept pulling her back to food. Working on film sets, feeding both crew members and stars, she discovered the deep satisfaction that came from nourishing others.
Chelsia has been cooking since childhood. With 32 first cousins, weekends at her grandmother's house were a culinary event. Her grandmother cooked, and Chelsia and her cousins became her sous chefs. They learned to prepare church buffets and serve with pride. After Katrina scattered the family, she taught herself the fine dining side — studying recipes, experimenting, and testing dishes on friends who ultimately encouraged her to pursue catering professionally.
In 2013, she took her catering company, Her Majesty's, full time.
“I like to say, ‘Georgia grew me up’,” she said. “I found my calling in college and as it turns out, it was there all along, since cooking for my family back home. I was raised by strong women who modeled community service in both big and small ways. My grandfather kept a garden near our home, growing greens and vegetables to give away to families who needed food. He shared eggs with neighbors who didn’t have breakfast. From him, I learned that impact doesn’t depend on abundance — it depends on willingness.”
At the same time, another calling was taking shape for Chelsia. Passionate about women’s health and maternal care, she became a certified doula. For six years, she supported women and their partners through pregnancy, childbirth classes, and labor and delivery. She helped educate women about their bodies and their babies, walking alongside them during some of the most sacred moments of their lives. She later founded the Middle Georgia Doula Collective, a network that connects and supports doulas and families across the region. While she no longer practices, she continues to serve as a resource, committed to bridging gaps in care for women.
Chelsia met her husband, a native of Forsyth, while working on a production set. When they married and moved back to his hometown, she quickly recognized a need for another restaurant option, one that could offer some culinary diversity. She saw an opportunity, not only to open a restaurant, but to share culture.
“From 2020 to 2024, I operated a nine-table, mom-and-pop restaurant on the square. Every week, the menu changed, each one highlighting a different culture or theme. I took Forsyth around the world, and the community embraced it,” said Chelsia. “As demand grew, so did the vision. The move into the historic mill building — a lease-to-purchase opportunity — allowed me to expand into a full restaurant, bar, bakery, and event space. The space now seats 150 comfortably. We host weddings, proms, birthdays, and celebrations of all kinds. It’s become a place where people gather, where the energy feels like family.”
Chelsia’s husband introduced her to United Bank; members of his family have been customers for years. She opened a business checking account, beginning a financial relationship that deepened as her business grew. On July 11, 2025, she closed on the historic mill building that now houses her thriving restaurant. The purchase marked a major milestone — one made smoother by the support she found at United Bank.
“Everyone I worked with throughout the loan process was encouraging and enthusiastic,” she continued. “Cole Davis has become a trusted resource for me, helping answer business questions and directing me to the right people when needed. More than that, he’s been a cheerleader for the building project from start to finish.”
Chelsia’s project qualified for an SBA 504 loan, and she worked with Cole, Will Edwards and Brady Joiner in the government guaranteed lending group. SBA loans allow for longer terms and unique provisions, giving borrowers more options and flexibility.
Chelsia’s cooking style blends Creole roots with international influences. While the menu changes monthly, favorites remain: boudin balls, seafood gumbo, lamb chops, and pasta dishes. The dessert case stays full of beignets, bread pudding, key lime cake, and heirloom family recipes passed down through generations. People drive from all corners of Georgia to experience it.
In 2024, a direct message on Instagram took Chelsia’s career as a chef in yet another direction. A casting scout for the Food Network’s ‘Chopped’ TV show discovered her through Feeding America and invited her to apply. After interviews with producers, she was selected to compete. The episode, which aired in July 2025 under the theme “Superhero Chefs,” spotlighted chefs who make a community impact.
“I approached the competition with one goal: to be myself. Represent New Orleans and Forsyth with kindness and integrity,” Chelsia said.
If you’ve watched the show, you know contestants must think quickly and perform under pressure. The mystery basket ingredients were unknown, but she trusted her instincts. She prepared barbecue mussels, a ramen-inspired dish, and finished with beignets and chocolate praline. She won.
Still in shock about her victory, she reflected on what the title truly meant. For her, being a “superhero chef” is not about trophies — it’s about caring for others. And the thread tying it all together is nurturing. To put it simply, Chelsia defines hospitality as caring for the people who walk through the doors, caring for the community, caring for colleagues, caring for the food, its presentation and its safety. Excellence, to her, is a standard that begins with a servant’s heart.
That heart shows up in quiet but powerful ways. When temperatures drop below freezing, her restaurant offers free soup. She provides opportunities for customers to donate to organizations such as J’s Hope, children’s cancer initiatives, Susan G. Komen, and Baby Quest Foundation, which supports women struggling with infertility. She freezes meals to give away to families in need and offers positions to individuals who may not have spotless records but deserve fresh starts. One employee thanks her after every shift for that opportunity.
Today, Chelsia balances motherhood — her five-year-old daughter keeps her busy — with restaurant life, community service, Fox 5 appearances, The Georgia Grown Executive Chef program, and serving on the Forsyth Main Street board. She hopes to expand again, creating more space for celebrations and large gatherings.
Her philosophy is simple: Keep enthusiasm and generosity at the center. What you give will come back to you. And for Chelsia, it always has. OS