Meet The Restaurant Project
A team of amazing creatives — photographers, videographers and strategists who value collaboration and love food.
Eliesa Johnson | Photographer & Founder
Over the years, Eliesa and her team have had the pleasure of photographing restaurants for various publications, including Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, Delta Sky Magazine and even the 2016 - 2022 James Beard Awards. She has received recognition at PDN's Taste Awards as one of the best Editorial Food Photographers in the world.
After working with so many wonderful restaurant owners during editorial shoots, the idea for The Restaurant Project started brewing — an easier way for restaurants to tell their stories and connect with their customers by creating gorgeous content for websites, marketing materials, social media and beyond.
Find Eliesa here:
@eliesajohnson | eliesajohnson.com
Melissa Hesse | Photographer
Melissa is a photographer, bringing the best energy to her photo shoots. Melissa joined Eliesa Johnson Photography in 2013, and has grown into an invaluable colleague and collaborator since. In addition to helping build The Restaurant Project from the ground up, she is the studio manager and lead wedding photographer for Rivets and Roses. Her work in the food industry has been featured by Eater, James Beard, and Andrew Zimmern.
Find Melissa here:
@melnhesse
Annie D'Souza | Strategist
Annie is a creative generalist (writer, editor, website-maker, content strategist, etc.) and builder of digital worlds. Among other adventures along the way, her experience includes community management at Yelp, editorial direction at Pillsbury and launching a regional travel and culture project called The Midwestival. She leads the team at Minna Studio—the founding strategy partners for The Restaurant Project.
Find Annie here:
@anniedsouz | minnastudio.com
Kiera Faye & Josh Voelker | Videographers
For Kiera and Josh of Faye & Voelker, film production and videography isn’t just a job—it’s a calling. Both storytellers at heart, they bring clarity of vision and purposeful storytelling to every project. They have over two decades of film production experience and joined The Restaurant Project in 2022.
Find Faye & Voelker here:
@fayeandvoelker | fayeandvoelker.com
Sara Montour Lewis | Photographer
Sara is a wildly talented photographer with 20 years of experience helping brands come to life. Her favorite place in the entire world is Puget Sound and if she isn't busy working behind the camera you'll inevitably find her dropping crab pots from her kayak, checking for chicken eggs in her backyard, or fully geeking out about the intersection of food, ecology, and sustainability. Sara and Eliesa became instant best friends 16 years ago and they carry that collaborative shorthand into their work at The Restaurant Project, where Sara leads our Seattle team.
Find Sara here:
@saramontourlewis | saramontourlewis.com
Press
Mpls-St. Paul Magazine | How to Tell a Story (Food Innovators Feature), 2022
Forbes | 30 Under 30: Food & Drink - Marco Zappia of Martina
2018 PDN TASTE Award Winner | “Best Editorial Food Photography”
2018 PDN TASTE Award Winner | “Best Commercial Food Photography”
2018 PDN TASTE Award Winner | “Best Personal Work Food Photography”
2017 PDN TASTE Award Winner | "Best Commercial Food Photography"
Food & Wine | "Top 40 in Trend Spotting"
Food & Wine | "Young Joni"
Food & Wine | "Jim Christansen's Elegant Chicken Liver Tart"
Food & Wine | "The Best Croissants in America"
Bon Appetit | "Ramen Around America"
Eater | "Where to Eat Inside Midtown Global Market"
