Gerard Craft

The Path

The foundation came at Salt Lake Community College’s Culinary Institute, where the basic rules of the trade set the terms for the rest of Gerard Craft’s work. From there, the kitchens changed, but the standard did not. He worked as cook at Bistro Toujours in Park City, Utah, then as cook at Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles, California, before staging at Ryland Inn in Whitehouse, New Jersey. Each step added another layer of kitchen discipline, pace, and finish. In 2005, Craft became chef at Niche in St. Louis, Missouri, a step that moved his experience into a more defined role. The position connected his training and early kitchen work to a room where his method could be applied with greater control. The progression from cook to chef, and later to broader leadership, shows a career built in sequence rather than in shortcuts. Today, Gerard Craft is Executive Chef and CEO of Niche Food Group, carrying the habits of those earlier kitchens into a wider remit. The line from culinary school to serious dining rooms to executive responsibility is visible in the structure of that career.

The Work Today

Executive Chef and CEO is a dual role that keeps menu direction and business oversight close together. Gerard Craft founded Niche Food Group in St. Louis, Missouri, and also founded None of the Above in St. Louis, Missouri, extending that remit beyond a single kitchen. The founder titles sit alongside the operating title, linking restaurant identity with the organization around it. That arrangement places the work beyond the pass. Gerard Craft’s name is attached to the food, but also to the framework that supports it, which is where the scale of the role becomes clear.

Career - Executive Chef and CEO — Niche Food Group, St. Louis, Missouri - cook — Bistro Toujours, Park City, Utah - cook — Chateau Marmont, Los Angeles, California - staged — Ryland Inn, Whitehouse, New Jersey - chef — Niche, St. Louis, Missouri (from 2005) Education: Salt Lake Community College’s Culinary Institute

Acclaim

Gerard Craft’s honors include James Beard Award, Best Chef: Midwest (2015) and Food & Wine Best New Chef (2008). Taken together, those awards mark recognition at two different points in the career: early notice for the work, and later confirmation of its staying power.

FAQ What is Gerard Craft's current role? As of 2026, Gerard Craft is Executive Chef and CEO. Where did Gerard Craft train or study? Gerard Craft trained at Salt Lake Community College’s Culinary Institute. What recognition has Gerard Craft received? James Beard Award, Best Chef: Midwest (2015).