Twenty in their 20s: Braden Messinger, Shawn Cao and Riley Aaron Dunaway
Braden Messinger, 25
Chef de cuisine, Rocca Pizzeria
Instagram: @BradensLifeofFood
• Youngest-ever head chef at Go Eats Concepts, Rocca’s parent company
• Leads a team of 22 managers, line cooks and dishwashers
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What you wanted to be when you grew up
“A rockstar.”
It’s Friday night. Where y’at?
“Seeing a show at Chelsea’s Live or kicking back at home with my son.”
Life hack
“An early morning routine. Make a great breakfast, hit the gym, listen to music and meditate. You will crush your day.”
Your secret for making new friends
“Meeting people who compliment my T-shirts usually sparks cool conversations.”
What more people should know about BR
“How great of a food destination it really is.”
Office or WFH?
“The kitchen is my office, with all the gizmos and gadgets I could desire.”
Goal before turning 30
“To become an executive chef and potentially open a concept of my own.”
Your superpower
“Being authentic and honest, admitting when I’m wrong or that I don’t know—and using it as an opportunity to learn and grow.”
How fitting is your sun sign?
“I’m a Libra, the scale. I definitely focus on the balance of things in general, so I’d say it’s fitting.”
Go-to workday lunch
“Find me sitting on a milk crate outside the back of the restaurant enjoying a meatball sandwich or a classic chicken cutlet.”
Culture fix
“MJ Lenderman’s and Zach Top’s newest records are on repeat.”
What’s in your picnic basket
“I like to stop at Trader Joe’s for some fruit, cheese, prosciutto and sparkling water.”
Advice for your 18-year-old self
“Don’t forget to stop and smell the roses.”
Shawn Cao, 27
Co-owner, Oni
Instagram: @Oni_225
• Half of the duo behind Oni, BR’s first onigiri and Asian street food pop-up
• Provides meals for community fridges
• Placed in the Home Builders Association of Greater Baton Rouge Gumbo Cookoff in 2023 and 2024
What you wanted to be when you grew up
“I honestly wanted to be a chef, and look at where we are now.”
Office or WFH?
“Office.”
Go-to workday lunch
“The fried rice plate with the salt and pepper wings or panko butterflied shrimp from Village Grocery Deli & Seafood.”
What more people should know about BR
“The local food pop-up scene is more than just food trucks. We have an array of options every night at local businesses, and they’re worth checking out.”
It’s Friday night. Where y’at?
“Working a pop-up at Pelican to Mars, The Radio Bar or even in New Orleans.”
Goal before turning 30
“Hopefully open a brick-and-mortar in my home city, Baton Rouge.”
Your superpower
“Cooking.”
Your secret for making new friends
“With food! Preferably family-style meals and good conversation.”
Life hack
“Canva and CapCut. Starting a new business means marketing.”
What’s in your picnic basket
“More pop-ups.”
Advice for your 18-year-old self
“Pursue your true passion, and the rest will come to you naturally.”
Riley Aaron Dunaway, 27
Co-owner, Oni
Instagram: @RunawayDiley and @Oni_225
• Half of the duo behind Oni, Baton Rouge’s first onigiri and Asian street food pop-up
• Provides meals for community fridges
When you grew up, you wanted to be…
“Multiple things: veterinarian, astronaut and dentist.”
Your superpower
“Being able to befriend anyone.”
Go-to workday lunch
“Love me an Okki Tokki bowl.”
Culture fix
“Severance, Invincible, Boruto and Cobra Kai.”
Life hack
“Do good deeds, and they will be returned to you.”
Office or WFH?
“I like a mix of both.”
It’s Friday night in Baton Rouge. Where y’at?
“Dinner and drinks with friends and family at local restaurant. Or working an Oni pop-up!”
What’s in your picnic basket
“Probably a charcuterie tray, chicken salad, fresh fruit, cucumber and tomato salad, and a bottle of wine.”
What more people should know about the Capital Region
“How much the food scene has come along in the past couple years.”
Goal before turning 30
“Buy a house or property.”
Advice for your 18-year-old self
“Follow your interests, and stick with it—everything will fall in place. Also: Start investing as soon as possible.”
This article was originally published in the May 2025 issue of 225 Magazine.
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