Emery Whalen was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, where the city’s rich culinary traditions and her grandmother’s cooking inspired a passion for both food and the preservation of the region’s indigenous culture.
Emery joined the Besh Restaurant Group in 2010 and spent the subsequent years furthering her knowledge of the restaurant industry and becoming an integral part of the BRG’s operations, serving as Director of Special Projects, Director of Communications and finally Chief Operating Officer.
In 2016, with partners Brian Landry, Octavio Mantilla and John Besh, she founded Our House Hospitality, an operations management company that runs the food & beverage operations for boutique hotels nationally. In June of 2016 OHH worked with AJ Capital Partners to revitalize and reopen the historic Pontchartrain Hotel in New Orleans; in October 2016, the group opened three outlets at the Thompson Hotel in Nashville, TN.
Forbes Magazine recognized Emery in its coveted “30 Under 30” list for 2016. Emery currently resides in New Orleans with her husband and their dog, Sugar.