Chef Will Avelar - From Emeril's Kitchen to Mawi Tortillas

On Episode 75 of the Only Good Vibes News Network, host Leroy "Whistle Monsta" Mitchell sits down with his longtime friend, Chef Will Avelar. Will is a New Orleans native, Grace King and Delgado alum, and one of the most genuine success stories this city's food scene has produced.

Will's journey reads like it was written for the screen. He walked into his first restaurant job not even knowing what a busboy was and just figured it out. That fearlessness and hunger to learn carried him through every station in the kitchen, from dishwasher to line cook, butcher to saucier, all the way through nearly 15 years inside Emeril Lagasse's restaurant organization. He worked at Emeril's Delmonico, NOLA Restaurant, and eventually rose to Chef de Cuisine at Meril, Emeril's Warehouse District restaurant.

Then Will did what only the truly loyal and fearless do. He walked away from the top spot to bet on his family.

Together with his father Carlos and brother Fernando, Will built Mawi Tortillas, starting as a small wholesale tortilla bakery in Metairie, then pivoting during COVID to pupusas and birria tacos that went viral on Instagram. What started as a family hustle has grown into one of the most beloved Latin American restaurants in the New Orleans area. And in 2025, Mawi expanded to Ocean Springs, Mississippi.

Leroy and Will also get into the 2009 Saints Super Bowl season, the Zen card that set the tone for the whole conversation - loyalty - and why walking in the path of your own heart is the only way to truly win.

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Connect with Chef Will Avelar:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/will.avelar/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mawinola/
Mawi Tortillas - https://mawitortillas.com/

Whistle Monsta:
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/badasswhistla/#
Website - https://www.whistlemonsta.com/

Intro/Outro Music:
"Greatest Place on Earth"
Performed by: Ivan Neville, Trombone Shorty, Ben Jaffe, Charlie Gabriel, and Whistle Monsta
*Used by permission

Thank you to our sponsors:
NOLA Motorsports - https://nolamotor.com/
Scandalous Chocolates - https://www.scandalouschocolates.com/
Frenchy Live - https://www.frenchylive.com
Trenasse - https://trenasse.com/

ChefWillAvelar, MawiTortillas, NewOrleansFood, NOLA, EmerilLagasse, NOLAEats, LatinFood, NewOrleansRestaurants, GraceKing, 504, OnlyGoodVibesNewsNetwork, WhistleMonsta