Big Bon Bodega, an award-winning neighborhood eatery and community gathering place featured on Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” is pleased to announce that Executive Chef and Partner Shahin Afsharian has been named to Georgia Trend’s 40 Under 40 list for 2025, which honors the state’s “best and brightest” professionals under the age of 40. He is currently featured in the October 2025 issue of Georgia Trend, a highly respected magazine with a 40-year history of covering Georgia business, politics and economic development. 

Afsharian, a former fan-favorite contestant on “Chopped,” manages Big Bon’s Savannah and Pooler locations, where he serves international comfort food made with love. This talented chef excels at creating internationally inspired menu items handcrafted with fresh ingredients.

 “Shahin is a true leader whose kind spirit, creativity and commitment to the local community truly set him apart,” said Kay Heritage, founding partner at Big Bon Bodega. “He is incredibly deserving of this recognition and is helping to further establish Savannah as a destination for culinary excellence and world-class hospitality.”

 Always looking for ways to give back, Afsharian started a special program through Toast, a popular restaurant point-of-sale digital platform, to help Big Bon Bodega host local fundraisers for people and nonprofit organizations in need. He also organized a month-long round-up campaign to support One Love Animal Rescue after learning that the Savannah-area animal shelter was at capacity. In addition, he leads Big Bon Bodega’s efforts to feed local individuals experiencing homelessness and can often be found giving away fresh bagels in Forsyth Park and Thomas Square.

Originally from Mexico City, Afsharian grew up cooking Persian dishes with his grandmother and later studied at the Culinary Institute of Mexico. He quickly discovered that his diverse background was his secret ingredient to success. Fluent in English, Spanish, French and Farsi, he is known for his seamless blending of different cultures’ signature spices, techniques and culinary traditions into globally inspired creations.

Afsharian’s culinary career has taken him around the world. He began working at Mihoko’s 21 Grams in New York City before joining the staff at acclaimed Atlanta restaurants, including Vespucci’s Italian Restaurant and the Bistro Laurent Tourondel at the W Hotel. He later served as the Sous Chef for Joël Robuchon — the most awarded Michelin-starred chef in the world — at the Hotel Metropole in Monte Carlo, Monaco and as the Executive Chef for the British and French Embassies in Mexico City.

After serving as the Executive Chef of Havana Blue in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Sous Chef of the Ritz-Carlton in Denver, Afsharian returned to Georgia and served as the Executive Chef at Plant Riverside District and The Mansion on Forsyth Park in Savannah, Ga. Recently voted Best Chef by readers of Pooler Magazine for the second consecutive year, he continues to earn acclaim for his commitment to using fresh, high-quality, non-GMO ingredients as well as local honey and other locally sourced items.

Big Bon Bodega has captivated audiences across the country with appearances on “Good Morning America” and “Samantha Brown’s Places to Love” as well as coverage in Condė Nast Traveler and United Airlines’ Hemispheres magazine.