Damien Etfekhar

Damien Etfekhar traveled all over the world, exploring a variety of cuisines. His passion for food was ignited by his Persian grandmother who expertly cooked both Persian and French cuisines. In high school, he worked at his friend’s parents' Thai restaurants; starting his career in the foodservice industry as a busser and dishwasher. From there, his passion for food soared as he continued to work both front and back-of-the-house positions in a variety of great restaurants in the area (Campagnola and Tapas Barcelona to name a few). He then earned his culinary degree from Kendall College where he interned at the famed Le Titi de Paris in Arlington Heights. From there he went to work in upscale restaurant kitchens, honing his culinary technique and learning the ropes of kitchen management. After starting a family, he made the move to the corporate chef world working for companies like The Pampered Chef, Kraft Heinz (f.k.a Kraft Food Group) and Harvest Food Group in culinary marketing, R&D and product development positions. In his spare time, Damien enjoys spending time with his three sons, playing guitar in an original heavy metal band and practicing Muay Thai.