Chef Donnie Wicker, known as Chef Wic, fondly remembers the first time he fell in love with the art of cooking. Like many others, it began in his childhood kitchen, where he watched his grandfather whip up dish after dish in his North Carolina home. That awe of witnessing simple things like grease turn into a rich gravy sparked his interest and a desire to craft his own culinary journey.
Wicker now owns Trend Urban Cafe in Stone Mountain, Georgia, a fast-casual restaurant focused on clean eating, community, and cultural blending. He’s also the owner of Guac Taco Studio and SmashD Burgers, two concepts that sit alongside the Trend Urban brand. It’s an achievement 30 years in the making, a product of working his way up in the hustle and bustle of fine dining establishments and earning the title of restaurateur while in North Carolina.
When he moved to DeKalb County, he noticed the food scene, compared to Atlanta, was lacking. Just down the street, the area is popular with restaurant chains and fast-food spots, but Wicker knew he wanted to bring something different to the community.
“I thought the community would enjoy different concepts,” Wicker said. “The area didn’t have anything to correlate to eating healthier, so I put my own twist on fine dining and casual dining elements into fast casual, where we’re making things fresh and committed to providing a healthier choice around this area.”…