Food

How Gavin Kaysen defines his role as chef-CEO as he expands his restaurant company in new directions

The award-winning chef has not only positioned Minneapolis as a dining destination, but he has also published a cookbook, initiated a mentorship program and more.

Award-winning chef Gavin Kaysen has been instrumental in turning Minneapolis into a dining destination, moving back to his hometown after advancing his career in Daniel Boulud’s New York City restaurants.

Eight years ago, he opened Spoon and Stable and has since added two restaurants - Demi, Mara - and Socca Cafe, along with several locations of Bellecour, a French-inspired bakery and cafe. Just last month, he self-published his first cookbook, At Home, plus he hosts a Synergy Series of dinners with guest chefs and initiated a mentorship program.

At Home book cover
At Home book cover

Although Kaysen no longer cooks at service, he leads menu R&D at all of his restaurants and considers himself a chef-CEO. Listen as he describes this expanded role, how At Home evolved to become a very personal project and why geography no longer plays a part in the recognition and success of a restaurant.

Subscribe to Menu Feed on Apple Podcasts.

Subscribe on Spotify.

Members help make our journalism possible. Become a Restaurant Business member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.

Multimedia

Exclusive Content

Leadership

Meet the restaurant fixer who now owns Etta

Tech entrepreneur Johann Moonesinghe suddenly finds himself leading a growing group of restaurants. His secret? He doesn't expect to make a profit.

Financing

Looking for the next Chipotle? These 3 chains are already there

The Bottom Line: Wingstop, Raising Cane’s and Jersey Mike’s have broken free from the pack of well-established growth chains. Here’s why this trio stands out.

Financing

For Starbucks, 2 years of change hasn't yielded promised results

The Bottom Line: The coffee shop giant’s sales struggles worsened earlier this year, despite a flurry of efforts to improve operations and employee satisfaction.

Trending

More from our partners