"People Are Going to See Me Being Fierce": Kelli Ferrell on What to Expect in 'RHOA' Season 16

Kelli grew up in Baltimore, MD, the oldest of three girls. She recalls watching her mother and grandmother in the kitchen and enjoying being their sous' chef while she was a little girl. It wasn't long before Kelli was cooking for her sisters while her mother was at work. "My go-to dish when cooking was fried chicken and rice," she laughs. "It wasn't until years later that I started getting good with some of the heavier sides, like macaroni and cheese. I would make tuna casserole, spaghetti and pretty soon I started experimenting and getting better and better. In our home, growing up, we had Sunday dinner together every week, so food represented family and love for me. It became my passion early on." Now, she's ready to put it all on display on the Bravo series.

Kelli Is the Owner of Nana's Chicken & Waffles A Breakfast Spot Outside Atlanta

Kelli enjoyed cooking, but her eyes were set on fashion as a career choice. She went to college and earned a degree in fashion merchandising and then went to work in a high-end Atlanta boutique named Taste that was owned by Theresa Caldwell. Theresa happened to have a famous son named Bow Wow, and her boutique was frequented by the nouveau riche and famous. Kelli got a taste of hob-knobbing with the elite and affluent and decided she was never going back to anything less. She married entrepreneur Chuvalo Ferrell in 2011 and the couple quickly became one of the Who's Who in Atlanta's social scene.

The restaurant was named in honor of the Sunday brunches she recalls spending with her Nana who today is "85 years young" and very proud of her hard-working granddaughter. "I realized that I have a passion for food and for people. Owning a restaurant is not just about making good food, it's so important to understand the business and to make sure customer service is the first priority. From the back of the house to the kitchen to the servers and hosts, it's important that guests leave Nana's Chicken and Waffles with an experience that makes them feel like they just spent time at home with family," Kelli says. In addition to the restaurant, Kelli created a line of products for people that may not be able to make it to Nana's Chicken & Waffles. Her products include cajun grits, a waffle mix, 24 karat gold maple syrup mix and a mix for mimosas.

Kelli Believes the 'RHOA' Reboot Will Be Successful