Welcome to the Young Chef Young Waiter and Young Mixologist USA competition. The aim of this competition is to promote hospitality as a career of choice, a profession, and a vocation. The competition is open to all young professional chefs, waiters, and mixologists from any background under the age of 28. This is your chance to showcase your skills, creativity, and passion on a grand stage.
The Young Chef Young Waiter competition was established in 1979, in the UK in partnership with UKHospitality and the Restaurant Association to promote hospitality as a career of choice, a profession, and a vocation. Today, with this new revitalised format, Young Chef Young Waiter and Young Mixologist continues to honour the next culinary and service stars globally.
In 2024, Young Chef Young Waiter and Young Mixologist USA took place at the CIA at Copia in Napa for a one-day final on the 5th August 2024. A day before the live final, a welcome day took place. The finalists gathered to receive a briefing on the competition, were organised into teams, and then enjoyed a welcome dinner.
The winning Chef, Waiter and Mixologist team from USA will compete at the World Finals against 11 other countries. The World Champions will win a share of a grand cash prize of $15,000 US Dollars.
Chefs, Waiters, and Mixologists battled it out for the title of YYY USA Winners 2024.
The winning Chef, Waiter, and Mixologist trio from each country joined for the World YYY Final competition, on Friday 22nd – Sunday 24th November 2024 in Singapore.
World Young Chef Young Waiter and Young Mixologist USA Competition:
WHY ENTER YOUNG CHEF YOUNG WAITER YOUNG MIXOLOGIST USA
The aim of YYY USA is simple: to uncover the very best young talent in our industry and help equip them with relevant skills, current knowledge and the network needed to succeed in the world of hospitality. Devised by respected professionals, the competition has a fresh modern approach that focuses on tasks and criteria that are challenging, educational and fun.
World Young Chef Young Waiter and Young Mixologist showcases all aspects of hospitality. Inspiring, empowering, and inclusive, most of all we celebrate the capabilities and diversity of our amazing industry.
Many past winners have gone on to achieve huge success in hospitality and WorldYYY proudly supports the future stars in United States kitchens and restaurants. Winners and judges have included some the industry’s great recognisable names to include – Mark Sargeant, Marcus Wareing, Simon King, John Torode, Annie and Germain Schwab, Jeremy King, Raymond Blanc OBE, Heston Blumenthal OBE, The Earl of Bradford, Lord Forte, Angela Hartnett MBE, Simon Girling and Fred Sirieix.
YOUNG CHEF YOUNG WAITER AND YOUNG MIXOLOGIST USA JUDGES
A panel of high-profile service industry veterans, including renowned restaurateur Thomas Keller; award-winning chef Adam Sobel; and Michael Brennan, president of restaurants, helped narrow down the entries to a shortlist of 12Cfinalists - 4 chefs, 4 waiters and 4 mixologists - they battled it out on the one-day live finale and awards party at the CIA at Copia in Napa. The three winners of YYY USA will take part in the World Young Chef Young Waiter Final November 2024.
Partner of MINA Group and New Italian CO
Adam Sobel is the award-winning chef and partner of MINA Group and New Italian CO. Sobel earned acclaim and success after graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. read more Chef Sobel has trained under some of the greatest Chefs in the world including Gunter Seeger, Charlie Trotter, Daniel Boulud and Guy Savoy. Adam moved to Las Vegas in 2003 to help create the James Beard Award winning restaurant Bradley Ogden at Caesars Palace, before moving on to become the chef de cuisine at Guy Savoy. In 2011, Sobel moved to Washington, DC to serve as executive chef at Chef Michael Mina’s Bourbon Steak, kickstarting a lifelong partnership with Chef Mina. At MINA Group, Sobel oversees culinary direction for the group’s 40+ restaurants across the US and Dubai, including the Michelin-starred flagship in San Francisco, MICHAEL MINA. Among many awards and television appearances, Sobel was crowned the “King of Porc” at the prestigious Grand Cochon at Aspen Food and Wine. Chef Sobel is an activist for sustainable farming, fishing and pasturing raising animals responsibly.
Propriétaire and Chief Culinary Officer
Growing up in the culinary heart of France, it is no surprise that Roland Passot made his way into some of the best kitchens in the world.
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After working as a young man in such French gastronomic institutions, such as Léon de Lyon, Roland made his way to Dallas to The French Room at the legendary Adolphus hotel in Dallas, where he was awarded the James Beard Award for Best Rising Star Chef in 1980.
In 1988 Roland moved to open his own cozy restaurant, La Folie, in the Russian Hill neighborhood of San Francisco. La Folie was an instant success, earning the coveted Michelin star, 4-stars from the San Francisco Chronicle, and a place in the Top 100 Bay Area Restaurants in 2015.
The Maîtres Cuisiniers de France inducted him in 1991 and awarded him their Lifetime Achievement award in 2015.
Executive Chef and Cheese Specialist at Kendall-Jackson Wine Estate and Gardens
Tracey Shepos Cenami grew up in an Italian family that was always cooking. Her nana and mother put considerable thought into everyday meals, treating each as a special occasion.
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This foundation inspired her to attend the Culinary Institute of America in San Francisco as well as become a cheese specialist and award-winning cookbook author. After graduation, she worked at Union Square Café in New York City, then went on to cook in some of San Francisco’s best-known and loved restaurants. When she moved to wine country, she was Executive Chef for Stark Reality restaurants, an award-winning Sonoma County restaurant group. She joined Kendall-Jackson in 2012 and is currently the Executive Chef of Jackson Family Wines.
When she’s not at K-J she regularly competes on the Food Network against some of the country’s top chefs, including Bobby Flay, Alex Guarnaschelli, and Christa Lutdke. Outside of work, Tracey enjoys running, spending time with her husband and son, and trying new things (like dancing in a hip-hop performance). Tracey is committed to supporting her community through volunteer work and is a founding board member of the Sonoma County chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier, an international organization dedicated to inspiring, advancing, and supporting women in food, beverage, and hospitality.
General Manager - The Culinary Institute of America, St. Helena, CA
Chef Busby brings an international background in culinary arts and education to the CIA. After completing his culinary studies in Canada, Adam migrated to France where he worked for several years in top-rated Michelin starred restaurants in Dijon and Paris. read more He then moved to Johannesburg SA, where he oversaw the kitchens of a five diamond hotel for three more years before returning to Canada, this time in Vancouver, BC. After several years as chef of of the highly acclaimed Bishop’s restaurant in Vancouver, Adam opened his own fine dining restaurants as chef and proprietor of Star Anise and Cascabel; both garnering public favorite and critic’s choice awards for Vancouver’s best food and service for several years. Following on the heels of his restaurant ownership experience, Adam was hired to direct the culinary programs at the Dubrulle International Culinary and Hotel Institute of Canada, where he oversaw culinary operations, faculty, and development. Adam joined The Culinary Institute of America at their California campus in July of 2000 as a faculty member, and eventually as the Director of Education where he was tasked with oversight of degree and certificate programs in culinary, baking & pastry, professional wine studies, consulting and continuing education programs. In 2011 Adam joined Avenir, a startup sous-vide and precision-temperature cooking company in the SF Bay area as VP of culinary research where he focused on developing proprietary sous-vide culinary solutions for hotel foodservice. In 2014 Adam rejoined the CIA as Director of Special Projects where he designed and developed teaching kitchens in America and Europe. Currently, Busby is the General Manager of Greystone, responsible for operational oversight and management of Greystone, the Culinary Institute of America’s degree-program campus in the heart of the Napa Valley. Chef Busby is a Certified Master Chef with the American Culinary Federation and American Master Chefs Order. https://www.americanmasterchefsorder.org/the-master-chefs/
Chef at One Market®
Mark Dommen, with over 20 years of culinary expertise, is renowned for his role at One Market® Restaurant. After training with top culinary masters, he led One Market since 2004, earning a Michelin star from 2008 to 2012 and a 3 ½ star review from San Francisco Chronicle's Michael Bauer. read more Dommen’s contemporary, seasonal American fare developed through his work in some of the world’s most distinguished restaurants. His career includes notable stints at Fleur de Lys, New York's Lespinasse and Park Avenue Café, Palladin, and Julia's Kitchen, where he received accolades such as Esquire magazine's "Best New Restaurants." Dommen's cooking philosophy revolves around blending the freshest seasonal ingredients from California with the classic French techniques he has refined over the years.
Senior Vice President of Culinary at ASM Global
Jason is a strategic hospitality leader and creative culinary innovator with over 25 years of experience in the food and beverage industry. After spending several years successfully operating fast casual restaurants, Jason sharpened his culinary skills at the Ritz Carlton.
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His creativity and passion for food and beverage propelled him into the Research and Development field, where he has spent over 15 years developing menu offerings for iconic brands such as Olive Garden, Smashburger, and Moe’s Southwest Grill. While with InterContinental Hotel Group, he was responsible for overseeing all mainstream food and beverage including developing branded concepts and bespoke food service offerings around the globe. Most recently as Vice President of Culinary Innovation with FAT Brands, Jason was responsible for the menu strategy, evolution, and renovation of sixteen restaurant brands ranging from Snacks and QSR to Fast Casual and Casual Dining.
Jason is also a certified Sommelier through the Master Court of Sommeliers, a passionate BBQ enthusiast, and an avid baker with an insatiable appetite for learning. In addition to his Culinary Arts degree, he holds his Master of Business Administration with a focus in Food Service Management, both from Johnson & Wales University. Jason strives to create a collaborative environment where his team works hand in hand with cross functional leaders across the industry. He and his wife Jessica have four children ages ten and under that keep them busy outside of work.
Partner & Operations Manager of LUNA and Wayfare Tavern
Tony Marcell is a renowned San Francisco restaurant veteran with over two decades of experience in the hospitality industry. He is widely recognized for the role he played in opening Wayfare Tavern and has been credited for much of the restaurant’s initial and ongoing success.
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A Washington native, Marcell grew up in the restaurant industry. His earliest memories include assisting his father in selling high-end meats to chefs in the Seattle area. He found beauty in the aroma and ingredients these chefs worked with and enjoyed the high energy intensity of the culinary teams he met. He recognized the creativity involved in curating a beautiful, delicious meal and eventually found pleasure and “an exhilarating and rewarding feeling” from learning to create them himself.
Throughout Marcell’s childhood, his mother and father worked in restaurants. His mother was a talented chef who took her skill home and taught Marcell professional cooking techniques in the home kitchen. Experiencing superior family meals and fabulous dinner parties, coupled with those early outings in various kitchens with his father, sparked Marcell’s passion for the industry.
In high school, Marcell began his own career in the restaurant business working at Triples, a downtown Seattle hotspot owned by Restaurants Unlimited, a food and beverage firm that operated 35 restaurants in six states. He stayed with the company through college, working his way through school by bartending and waiting tables.
After graduating from Washington State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing, Marcell continued his career with Restaurants Unlimited for another two years, moving to Hawaii and honing his skills in the kitchen as a sous chef. In 1995, he relocated to San Francisco and took his first job with The Kimpton Hotel and Restaurant Group on their front-of-house team learning operational and managerial skills and engaging with restaurant guests.
After five years with Kimpton, Marcell accepted a position as floor manager at famed restaurateur and Michelin-starred chef Laurent Manrique’s groundbreaking restaurant, Aqua. Under the mentorship of Jean Claude Persais at Aqua, Marcell learned the “art of fine dining” and worked as general manager of the establishment within two years where he achieved a Michelin Two Star rating in 2006.
In 2007, Marcell began consulting for San Francisco design firm, Puccini Group where he opened newly designed restaurants within hotels throughout the city of San Francisco and across the US. Three years later, in 2010, he opened Wayfare Tavern with celebrity chef Tyler Florence, which is now on it’s 13th year.
Marcell opened LUNA, in the Mission in 2021 to create a modern and timeless gathering place for good “Kitchen and Cocktails” with a casual and comfortable setting that is welcoming to a diverse clientele for all occasions
In his free time, Marcell enjoys spending time with his 9 yr old daughter, Que. Swimming and playing Golf.
General Manager at The St. Regis San Francisco
Roger Huldi, a highly accomplished hospitality operations leader known for developing progressive programming and initiatives, Roger is a seasoned industry veteran with nearly 30 years of experience working with Marriott International and Starwood Hotels and Resorts.
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In 1991, Roger began his career in the Food and Beverage Department at the Sheraton Mirage Resort in Port Douglas, Australia. Since that time, Roger has excelled and demonstrated his expertise with increasing responsibility as Director of Food and Beverage at the Westin Maui Resort & Spa in Lahaina and the Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina, Director of Outlets at the Westin Maui Kaanapali and as Food and Beverage Manager at the Hilton Waikoloa Village.
During his tenure as General Manager of W San Francisco, in 20 l 5, Roger led the property to LEED Platinum Certification and introduced dynamic and now globally adapted practices. In recognition of his leadership, the American Hotel and Lodging Association named W San Francisco the 20 l 6 Hotel of the Year. W San Francisco was also one of the first hotels in the city to install rooftop beehives. Roger believes that green hospitality is about achieving the highest sustainable standards without sacrificing the guest experience.
Roger is an active board member of the San Francisco Travel Association, the California Hotel and Lodging Association's Hospitality Foundation, and the Hotel Council of San Francisco. In 2022, Roger assumed the position of General Manager at The St. Regis San Francisco. Under his leadership, the hotel has attained the highest Guest Satisfaction scores globally within the Marriott luxury brand portfolio. This year, The St. Regis San Francisco achieved the coveted Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star rating; the only Forbes Five-Star hotel in San Francisco. Less than four hundred hotels globally have earned this designation.
A thoughtful and innovative thinker, Roger fully immerses himself in the planning for all initiatives at The St. Regis San Francisco. To say that Roger is an asset to The St. Regis San Francisco would be an understatement. He is the consummate embodiment of hospitality and innovation, and the true definition of what a leader is.
Steven Lande comes from Chicago, where meals were the time to share love, quarrels, and commiseration around the dinner table with family and friends. In other words, those experiences made him a natural for food and wine.
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He began his career at Charlie Trotter’s famed Relais & Chateau restaurant in Chicago, and for six years Steven grew under Trotter’s mentorship. Next, he managed The Dining Room at The Ritz Carlton, Chicago for five years (operated by Four Seasons Hotels at the time). Where he worked alongside James Beard winner, Chef Sarah Stegner and was responsible for their Grand Award-winning wine list, as well as, serving on the North American wine buying committee for Four Seasons.
Steven headed west for San Francisco, where he was the manager/maître’ d for more than 16 years at Restaurant Gary Danko. Steven considers this his most rewarding experience as it enabled him to become part of the San Francisco community.
During the pandemic, Steven transitioned to Lasseter Family Vineyards in Sonoma to hone new skills in wine production. It was during this time that he took the next step of working for himself and launched Lande Hospitality; where he advises local restaurateurs, guides wine collectors curating their cellars and consults on high-end event planning.
Steven and his wife, Jennifer, have been living in their adopted Bay Area home for more than 20 years.
President of Restaurants for Specialty Restaurants
At the age of 14 years old, Michael started as a dishwasher and worked his way “up the ladder”, mostly in the kitchen.
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From there, he transitioned into management, but never forgot where he started.
Today, Michael is the President of Restaurants for Specialty Restaurants, a $150M a year company with restaurants throughout the United States. Four of the restaurants in the Specialty Restaurants are in the “Nation’s Restaurant News” Top 100 Independent highest volume rankings.
To this day, he does whatever it takes to get the job done...and, get it done with a great attitude. He consistently helps the teams work on anything and everything; from strategy, marketing, operations, and generally making “it” happen, to challenging the status quo.
Michael feels his positive attitude is contagious and knowledge is diverse. He is not too proud to do any job required of him and believes in giving back to the industry that has given so much to him.
Michael currently sits on two Board of Directors; Young Presidents Organization (YPO) Golden West Chapter and the California Restaurant Foundation.
Petra Polakovicova brings two decades of experience to her position as Director of Hospitality at Hamel Family Wines. Prior to taking this role, Polakovicova held numerous hospitality positions at Bay Area Restaurants and Hotels including Montage Healdsburg, Epic Steak, The Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay and San Francisco, W San Francisco and The Palace Hotel, where she began her career. read more Polakovicova has passed the Court of Master Sommeliers’ Advanced Exam. She also holds certification from Wine and Spirits Education Trust. She was listed as one of FSR Magazine’s 40 under 40 Rising Stars in 2018 and the same year was awarded The Best Sommelier of the Slovakia by Gurman Magazine.
My name is Scott Taylor, I currently am the Beverage Director of Harris' Restaurant in San Francisco. read more I moved to San Francisco in 2003 while attending the California Culinary Academy up on graduation I worked in a handful of restaurants as a chef in all aspects of the kitchen. After a few years I transferred to the front of the house where I ran programs in high end restaurants, bars and nightclubs. I have been featured in many articles from Uproxx, Forbes, Food and Wine to Tasting Panel. Judged many bar and wine competitions such as Mendocino Wine Competition and SF International Wine Competition etc...
Half russian half gypsy born in Transylvania, adopted by The States
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- in the industry for the last 14 years
- decorated competitor @ multiple mixology & flair bartending competitions
- guest show bartender @ multiple TV shows
Sommelier, Winemaker, Designer, Author and Wine Director
Iconoclastic sommelier André Hueston Mack was the first African-American to be named Best Young Sommelier in America by Chaine des Rotisseurs. He was a sommelier at Thomas Keller’s renowned The French Laundry before opening Chef Keller’s three-Michelin-starred Per Se. As one of the top professionals in the wine industry, he has worked with the likes of Amazon, Cadillac, Ebay, National Rental Car and Microsoft. Mack hosts both Bon Appétit’s “World of Wine with André Mack,” the most viewed wine show on YouTube in the world and “Through the Grapevine,” where he interviews celebrity guests while testing their wine knowledge.
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In 2007, he founded Maison Noir Wines, incorporating his trademark attitude and personal perspective on wine subculture. His wines are unique and distinctive garage wines (micro-négociant) which source the best fruit possible in the Willamette Valley region of Oregon to produce wines showing the individuality of their respective sites and terroirs. In 2022, he launched Rye & Sons, a celebration of America’s original spirit—Rye Whiskey.
A self-taught graphic designer, Mack designs all of his labels as well as a t-shirt line for Maison Noir Wines. He has authored Small Thyme Cooks, the world’s first culinary coloring and activity book which he also illustrated, and “99 Bottles: A Black Sheep’s Guide to Life-Changing Wines,” his part-memoir and part wine guide. With his wife Phoebe Damrosch, Mack founded and runs & Sons Hospitality Group in Brooklyn.
Creator of the Kagano Bar Pop-Up and Head Bird at Wildhawk SF
Christian "Suzu" Suzuki-Orellana is from the San Francisco Bay Area but grew up in Tokyo. Born into the restaurant industry-his grandparents owned and operated a small restaurant company that consisted of four restaurants, read more a cocktail bar, and a ranch that sourced all of the business' produce-Suzu traveled to Japan twice a year starting at the age of 12 to learn about hospitality, food, and management. Whether behind the bar (most notably at 15 Romolo, Tradition, Benjamin Cooper, and Wildhawk) or at cocktail competitions, he strives to take the lessons learned from his grandparents and adapt them to his everyday work, and his creations are heavily inspired by memories, flavors, and dreams of Tokyo. Suzu's career highlights include becoming a National Finalist for Bacardi Legacy (2018), Bombay Sapphire's Most Imaginative Bartender (2020), and one of Punch's Bartenders in Residence (2021); being featured on Imbibe magazine's Imbibe 75 list (2022), received the Rising Star Community Award from StarChefs, and nominated for Tales of the Cocktail Foundation's Bartender of the Year (Top 10, 2022 & 2023); and most recently, competing on Netflix's hit tv show, Drink Masters (2022).
LEAD MIXOLOGIST AND BAR MANAGER AT MORIMOTO NAPA
Josh Weed runs the bar program at Morimoto Napa while leaning into management after first joining the Morimoto restaurant group in 2016 as bar tender. read more Josh got his start behind the bar almost eighteen years ago in Santa Barbara, California after graduating from UC Santa Barbara in 2005. After graduating with a Culinary Arts degree from Le Cordon Bleu in Portland, Oregon, Josh joined the team at Masa’s, in San Francisco, where he became a chef de partie at the Michelin starred Bay Area mainstay before departing for Napa in 2012. While working in the wine industry, Josh once again returned to the shaker and jigger for the opening of The Thomas by AvroKO Hospitality Group where he was able to learn from some of the titans of the industry. Since becoming bar manager at Morimoto Napa in 2019, Josh has released seasonal cocktail menus that push the boundaries of creativity and flavor by seeking inspiration from classic culinary dishes from around the world. Shortly after launching the opening cocktail menu with the Morimoto team at the Fairmont in Taghazout Bay, in Morocco Josh left to build two new bar programs from the ground up; The Bitter Bar and, what is known locally, as The Gin Bar. While creating and managing two bar programs with strong and unique identities side by side, Josh learned to expand knowledge of spirits and flavors while delivering two separate experiences on the same block. Josh returned last month to the Morimoto team to take on new challenges. With his culinary experience and travel to nearly fifty countries around the world, Josh brings a wide breadth of knowledge and experience to his bar programs.
