Twenty-five years of friendship, a shared kitchen, and a stack of awards later, Connie DeSousa and John Jackson are stepping onto one of the hottest stages in food television. The co-founders of Calgary-based CHAR Hospitality Group are competing on Food Network's highly anticipated new competition series Pitmasters, which premieres today.
For an industry that runs on chemistry—between partners, teams, and guests—their story is more than a TV storyline. It's a case study in how a durable partnership becomes a competitive advantage.
Meet Canada's Most Recognizable Chef Duo
Connie DeSousa and John Jackson have spent more than 25 years bringing their signature live-fire cooking, entrepreneurial spirit, and undeniable chemistry to restaurants and television alike.
Their on-screen résumé reads like a highlight reel of North American food TV. The best friends and business partners have appeared on:
- Top Chef Canada
- Top Chef Canada: All-Stars
- Top Chef USA
- Fire Masters
- Big Burger Battle
- Eat St.
- You Gotta Eat Here!
Now, as co-founders of CHAR Hospitality Group, they're taking center stage on Pitmasters.
A Partnership That Built a Restaurant Group
What truly sets Connie and John apart isn't just their culinary success—it's the partnership behind it. Since 1999, they've worked side by side as co-chefs, entrepreneurs, and genuine best friends.
That collaboration has produced award-winning restaurants including CHARCUT and charbar, both recognized among Canada's Best New Restaurants, along with multiple placements in Canada's Top 100 Restaurants.
Beyond the kitchen, the duo champions Western Canadian culture through live-fire cooking, Alberta agriculture, outdoor adventure, endurance sports, and mental health advocacy within the hospitality industry—making them compelling voices on entrepreneurship, resilience, leadership, and work-life balance.
Why Live-Fire Cooking Keeps Winning Menus
Their arrival on Pitmasters lands squarely inside one of the most durable trends in foodservice. Live-fire and open-flame cooking continue to draw guests with theater, aroma, and a premium, craft-driven story that photographs and sells.
For operators, DeSousa and Jackson model how to build an identity around a technique—smoke, char, and local sourcing—rather than chasing every fleeting menu fad. That focus is exactly what turns a concept into a recognizable brand.
Why It Matters
National food television is free brand equity that most operators can't buy outright—and DeSousa and Jackson show how to earn it. Their run on Pitmasters puts CHAR Hospitality Group in front of a continental audience, reinforcing the restaurants, the technique, and the region behind them.
Here's the practical takeaway for restaurant owners, foodservice executives, and hospitality leaders:
- A defined signature travels. Anchoring a concept to a clear culinary point of view—live-fire, Alberta agriculture, local sourcing—makes it castable, quotable, and memorable to guests and press alike.
- Partnership is operational infrastructure. A 25-year working relationship is a lesson in shared leadership, division of roles, and the trust that keeps a growing group running under pressure.
- Wellness is a retention strategy. Their mental-health advocacy in hospitality speaks to a real cost center—burnout and turnover. Championing work-life balance isn't just good PR; it protects your team and your margins.
- Earned media is a marketing channel. Competition TV, awards recognition, and a compelling founder story compound into demand you don't have to pay for on every ticket.
The signal for operators is clear: differentiate on a technique you can own, invest in the people behind it, and let a strong story do part of the selling.
Watch and Weigh In
Pitmasters premieres today on Food Network. Watch how Connie DeSousa and John Jackson translate a quarter-century of chemistry into competition heat—then think about what your own concept's "signature ingredient" really is.
For more on how operators are building durable, differentiated programs, read our take on the new economics of craft and why bold flavor and local roots keep winning on today's menu.
Will you be tuning in? Tell us in the comments which chef partnership you think best defines the future of live-fire dining.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine’s “Top 40 Under 40” for founding American Wholesale Floral. Politz is also the founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
