James Beard nominated chef to open Lao restaurant in Oklahoma City.

Chef Jeff Chancheleune announced last week he soon would open a new restaurant in a familiar space, but he’s doing it an unfamiliar way.

When he opens Ma Der Lao Kitchen in the late summer/early fall, he’ll do it outside the umbrella of 84 Hospitality, where he’s flourished, and go it alone.

“It’s time,” he said. “This is something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time.”

Born and raised in an Oklahoma City home supported by a chef, Chancheleune tried a different route for himself, but fate had a different plan.

After college, he gave graphic design a whirl, but the call of the kitchen was too strong. That’s great news for the Oklahoma City-area diningscape, where Chancheleune, as a member of 84 Hospitality Group, has helped launch some of the city’s most revered dining concepts.