PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Friends, family and community members gathered at the Chapel of Saint Joseph’s University Friday to memorialize a beloved local chef and entrepreneur who passed away unexpectedly last week.
Charisse McGill, 42, was a rising star in the Philadelphia food scene.
“Everybody knew her as the French toast BAE,” said McGill’s friend Francis Brown.
She died Monday, Jan. 15, of natural causes. But her impact on Philadelphia and the surrounding area will be remembered forever.
Known for her famous French toast bites, McGill was the first Black woman to own and operate a food truck at Spruce Street Harbor, and the first Black woman to create a beer in the state.
Her French toast bites were presented through Lokal Artisan Foods, which she founded.
“That girl with the French toast seasoning, that girl with the French toast bites, that girl with the bacon on a stick, that girl with the French toast coffee, that girl with the French toast beer. Charisse was that girl, period,” Brown said.
Friend and business partner Kenisha McGirt described McGill as a powerhouse of a businesswoman.
“What did she not do? She taught young people at Ben Franklin High School. Charisse has touched so many spaces,” McGirt said.
She says McGill’s sudden passing has been difficult to grasp.
“The family is grieving, the city is grieving, the company is grieving. We are all just in complete and utter shock in regards to this.”
McGill was also executive director of the Farmers Market Coalition. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Charisse McGill Legacy Empowerment Fund, organized by the coalition.
The fund aims to “carry forward her vision to level the playing field by providing financial support to cover essential expenses, including market vendor fees and booth equipment for BIPOC and/or LGBTQIA-led new farmers market vendors,” the donation page read.