With a grandiose bar at the center of a softly lit space, social chatter fueled by lavish cocktails and the melodies of a live band, Studio Lounge on Lawrence Street can be described as sort of a modern-day jazz club.
“Do you know what you’re having?”
A server appears, and tonight, your group decides on the crab cake and two orders of jerk chicken egg rolls with a mango chutney sauce — the chef’s specialty. Impressed with the presentation and flavor of the dishes, you ask to compliment the chef.
Chef Kayjona Rogers greets the table with a youthful spirit matched only by her beaming smile. It’s a persona that contrasts with the maturity of her cooking; at just 27 years old, Rogers has only been a professional chef for five years. In early 2025, her natural skillset and networking landed her the position of executive chef of Studio Lounge.
“This has happened really fast,” Rogers said. “I’m bringing that new spark in here; I think everyone is excited to see where it’s going to go.”
Studio Lounge has cycled through three executive chefs since its opening in November 2022. Owner Chris Fantuzzo said the restaurant struggled to find a solid kitchen crew before hiring Rogers.
“She is such a leader, and the way she commands the kitchen is something that we haven’t had there yet,” Fantuzzo said, adding that her “young, creative and vibrant” energy fit perfectly to the mold of the team he was working to create.
Since Rogers took the helm, Studio Lounge has increased kitchen revenue by 200 percent.
“Her level of dedication to serving the best food (possible) is my favorite thing about her, she won’t let a dish walk unless it’s perfect,” he said. “The feel and vibe of the place is just different.”
Rogers traces her love for cooking back to moments in the kitchen as a little girl, cooking with her Jamaican grandfather. Culture has a big influence on her dishes, but it wasn’t until Rogers was faced with some legal trouble that her passion was truly ignited.
A criminal class possession of marijuana was lowered to disorderly conduct, but she still faced difficulties finding work. Eventually, Rogers got accepted to the Foodlink Career Fellowship, a local culinary training program prepares people for middle-skills careers with a living wage in the food industry.
It was there she really honed the skills once instilled by her grandfather.
“I had Easy-Bake Ovens and cookbooks and stuff growing up, but that program motivated me,” Rogers said.
At the end of the fellowship those in the program could choose to work in a restaurant or at Wegmans, and Rogers chose to complete her apprenticeship at Black & Blue Steak and Crab in Pittsford.
“I really liked the environment, but I wanted something of my own,” she said.
That desire for independence jumpstarted Taste of Kay, a catering business that “soared fast.” As Taste of Kay was booked for multiple events, from private dinners to large parties, Rogers’s reputation as a great cook was building.
“My favorite dish is my Rasta Pasta,” Rogers said. The Jamaican-inspired dish is usually made with chicken (or another protein) and colored bell peppers mixed in a creamy, spicy sauce. Rogers debuted her own “Rasta Pasta” sauce with Craft Cannery, a production facility in Bergen, Genesee County, last August.
“When I’m chopping things up, when I’m thinking of different ingredients and recipes it’s a stress relief for me,” Rogers said. “I feel very grateful and honored to have that gift.”
Rogers aspires to open her own restaurant one day, with a broader goal of owning multiple restaurants nationwide; she said an appearance on Food Network would also be a dream come true.
But for now, Rogers marvels at how far she’s come.
“I don’t regret anything,” she said. “I’m happy everything happened the way it did. It didn’t make sense at first, but I’m a walking testimony.” studiobarlounge.com
Racquel Stephen is a reporter for WXXI/CITY. She can be reached at rstephen@wxxi.org.
This article appears in Dec 1-31, 2024.
