CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — April 13, 2026 — For the first time, Morning Pointe Senior Living’s Top Chef Challenge has brought live regional culinary competition to the spotlight, and now the excitement is heading to the Chattanooga area for the grand finale.
After a high-energy Regional Round in Lexington, Kentucky, Kevin Horner, Food Service Director at Morning Pointe of Lexington Assisted Living, has been named the Bluegrass Region winner and will advance to the final competition set for May 12 in Ooltewah, Tennessee.
The Lexington event marked a milestone moment for the organization as one of the first live regional cook-offs in the multi-state competition, giving attendees a front-row seat to the creativity and skill behind senior living dining.
Horner earned the top spot with his take on shrimp and grits, competing against standout dishes including a Kentucky Hot Brown by Lauren VanHooser of Morning Pointe of Richmond Assisted Living and fried chicken by Chris Stratton of Morning Pointe of Danville Assisted Living.
Now, all eyes turn to the Chattanooga area, where finalists from across the Southeast will gather to compete for the 2026 Top Chef Challenge title.
The Morning Pointe Senior Living Top Chef Challenge is a multi-round competition designed to highlight the creativity, heart, and dedication of its dining teams. What begins in individual communities, where residents vote on their favorite dishes, builds to regional live cook-offs and ultimately the finals.
“This competition really showcases the pride our Food Service Directors take in what they do every day,” said Justin Leiter, Director of Dining Operations for Morning Pointe Senior Living. “It’s about great food, but it’s also about creating meals that our residents truly enjoy and look forward to.”
The upcoming finale in Ooltewah will bring that same energy to the Chattanooga market, offering a chance for the local community to experience the talent behind Morning Pointe’s dining program firsthand.
More details about the final event will be announced soon.
To learn more about the dining experience at Morning Pointe Senior Living and the culinary teams behind it, visit: https://bit.ly/morningpointedining
About Morning Pointe Senior Living
Founded in 1997 by healthcare entrepreneurs Greg A. Vital and J. Franklin Farrow, Morning Pointe Senior Living operates assisted living and Alzheimer’s memory care communities in five southeastern states, including AL, GA, IN, KY & TN. For more information, visit morningpointe.com.
The philanthropic arm of Morning Pointe Senior Living is the Morning Pointe Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to provide clinical scholarships and caregiver support.
