Black Chef Now Homeless After Losing His Popular Los Angeles Restaurant

Appearing on television wasn’t enough to save this Los Angeles restaurant.

People reported a chef featured on Fox’s 24 Hours To Hell & Back is now homeless after losing his restaurant in 2019. Clive Jackson appeared on the popular show featuring master chef, Gordon Ramsay, to save his restaurant, The Brownstone Bistro. During the show’s first season, Jackson admitted to having trouble attracting customers to his Caribbean-style business.

In classic Ramsay style, he helped Jackson with new furniture and a revamped menu. Even his employees came together as a team to assist in keeping the restaurant afloat.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough. The Bistro closed its doors for good and Jackson found himself couch-surfing in friends homes. Shortly after, L.A.’s Skid Row became his new home. “When I met him, he was bright eyed, energetic, and hopeful about finding work,” friend Lizzy Calhoun said. “The shelter system & SROs were terrifying experiences for such a trusting gentle man. And it’s next to impossible to find work when you don’t have access to stable housing.”

Calhoun is the organizer of Food Not Bombs DTLA, a group that serves vegan meals and distributes supplies to those in need on Skid Row. During the rain storms, Jackson’s makeshift tent was destroyed, leaving him cold and shivering. Thankfully, Calhoun found Jackson and, after making several calls, was able to find a hotel that agreed to house him – for $92 a night.

Calhoun set up a GoFundMe to assist the former entrepreneur in getting back on his feet. According to the campaign, the Jamaica native battled through a divorce and the murder of his son, Clive Jackson, Jr. Donating to the fund will potentially turn things around for him. With a goal of $50,000, so far over $44,000 has been raised. “This is a life or death situation for many with temperatures dipping into the 30s,” Calhoun wrote. “But Clive is safe & warm tonight.”