Woolery "Woody" Back

Coming Up

Training at Johnson & Wales University gave Woolery "Woody" Back a formal base to work from: technique, timing, and the discipline to move through kitchens without noise. That foundation carried into Restaurant Eugene, where he served as Executive Sous Chef until 2013, then into Table & Main in Roswell, GA, where he took on the role of Head Chef from 2013. The throughline is not reinvention but accumulation—each position adding responsibility to a practice already shaped by precision and a clear respect for familiar food handled well. Today, Woolery is Executive Chef of Table & Main and Executive Chef and partner of Coalition Food & Beverage since 2017. Those roles point to continuity as much as advancement. The work stays close to the flavors and traditions that have defined his cooking from the start, with leadership built on consistency rather than noise.

Where They Are Now

At Table & Main, the menu is guided by friendships with farmers, a keen interest in responsible sourcing, and a simple, seasonal, Southern point of view. That structure keeps the cooking legible. Ingredients are allowed to read clearly, and the plates carry the comfort of regional food without losing discipline or restraint. That same approach carries through the broader kitchen identity around Woolery Back: Southern food, sourced with care, cooked with restraint, and presented without separating it from the traditions that shaped it. The effect is practical rather than theatrical. The food holds its ground because the method does.

Signature

Fried chicken is among Woolery Back's signature dishes. In his hands, it functions as a measure of style: direct, familiar, and dependent on execution rather than embellishment. It is the kind of dish that exposes whether a kitchen understands timing, control, and the value of keeping a classic clean.

In Their Words “He really opened my eyes to the fact that it’s not just fried chicken.”

Honors

The progression from Johnson & Wales University to Restaurant Eugene, then Table & Main and Coalition Food & Beverage, maps a career built on steady promotion and retained focus. The work that defines Woolery Back is not a single title or one-off recognition; it is the repeated application of the same standards across roles. Southern cuisine, especially fried chicken, and the sourcing relationships behind the menu are what anchor that recognition. The acknowledgment follows the practice.