Other
Nick Vollono
Michelin three-star chef
- Discipline
- Other
i. Biography
Nick Vollono’s work sits in the line of high-end kitchens where timing, consistency, and command of service matter as much as the plate. At JouJou SF in San Francisco, a post he took in 2026, that experience now reads as the current form of a career built through repeated responsibility. He was also Executive Sous Chef at Atelier Crenn in San Francisco from 2019 to 2021, one of the clearest markers in a run that moved steadily from station-level work toward leadership.
The Climb
Training at University of California, Santa Cruz gave Nick Vollono the first formal base for a career defined by movement through demanding kitchens. The trajectory that followed was not abrupt; it was cumulative, with each role adding more control over service, team rhythm, and the mechanics behind a fine-dining room. He was Head Chef at Restaurant 1833 (2017), a title that placed him in charge early, before moving to The Alinea Group in Chicago, IL as commis at The Alinea Group in Chicago, IL (2017–2018) and AM Manager at The Alinea Group (2018). Taken together, those steps show a chef building fluency across execution and management in an operation known for precision and pressure. From there, he advanced to Sous Chef at Quince Restaurant in San Francisco, CA (2018–2019), continuing a path through the upper tier of contemporary fine dining. In San Francisco, CA, his next chapter at Atelier Crenn moved in clear stages: Sous Chef at Atelier Crenn in San Francisco, CA (2019–2021), Executive Sous Chef at Atelier Crenn in San Francisco, CA (2021–2022), and Head Chef at Atelier Crenn in San Francisco, CA (2022–2024). The sequence matters. It tracks a chef growing into broader responsibility without changing houses, moving from execution to oversight to full command inside the same kitchen system. After that extended run, he became Head Chef at SPRUCE RESTAURANT (BACCHUS MANAGEMENT GROUP) in San Francisco, CA (2024–2025). Since 2026, he has been chef at JouJou SF, where that accumulated experience now sits at the center of the role. The throughline is clear: repeated promotions across exacting kitchens, with each position demanding more discipline and more authority.
Today
Since 2026, he has been chef at JouJou SF. That role reflects the shape of the career behind it: a long sequence of kitchens where consistency, timing, and leadership were required, not optional.
Recognition
Atelier Crenn marks the sustained test of advancement, where Nick Vollono moved through several levels of responsibility; JouJou SF marks the present point in that arc, where the accumulated experience is now his to direct.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Nick
What is Nick Vollono's current role?
As of 2026, Nick Vollono is Chef.
Where did Nick Vollono train or study?
Nick Vollono trained at University of California, Santa Cruz.
