The Golden State Warriors and Chase Center have announced the appointment Culinary Director Mark Jeffers, putting him in charge of the upcoming arena’s food and beverage program. The announcement was made in partnership with Bon Appétit Management Company and Levy.
Chase Center also announced that only-in-the-Bay-Area La Corneta Taqueria and Tin Pot Creamery will be joining the Taste Makers at Chase Center program, a program launched over two years ago that directly benefits Bay Area businesses with opportunities to take part in the culinary experience at Chase Center.
Jeffers (pictured above) will oversee all of Chase Center’s internal food and beverage programs, from concessions to premium event, game-day, suite, theater box and other VIP catering. He will lead a team of a half-dozen Bon Appétit executive chefs and executive sous chefs and an army of 200 culinary staff members who will be cooking from scratch at 36 concession stands (each with its own micro-kitchen), eight full kitchens, and three action areas in the club areas. Chase Center estimates that the six Tony G’s pizza outlets will require 1,200 pounds of from-scratch pizza dough for a single game day.
“With Mark’s experience and culinary expertise, we know he will ensure a premium dining experience for all of our guests at Chase Center,” said Warriors President and Chief Operating Officer Rick Welts. “Our entire food & beverage program will be first class and also include a diverse selection of local providers as part of our commitment to highlight the incredible food the Bay Area has to offer.”
Jeffers joins Chase Center from The Ritz-Carlton at Lake Tahoe, where he was executive chef and food & beverage director in charge of the resort’s four restaurants, banquet catering, and the Lake Club. Trained at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, Mark started his professional career at The Ritz-Carlton in Orlando, FL, where he oversaw the property’s five distinct restaurants and reconceptualized its signature restaurant, Highball & Harvest. Jeffers moved to California in 2014, working for The Ritz-Carlton in Half Moon Bay, then Tahoe.
“We’re trying something revolutionary at Chase Center — serving fresh, from-scratch local favorites and dishes representing the best of the Bay Area that can be successfully served at scale as well as in an intimate premium environment. I’m confident that Culinary Director Mark Jeffers can uphold our standards while pulling off this monumental task,” said Fedele Bauccio, CEO and cofounder of Bon Appétit Management Company.
Joining the Taste Makers at Chase Center program are two new Bay Area food companies:
La Corneta Taqueria: Joel Campos opened the doors of La Corneta Taqueria in 1995 in San Francisco’s Glen Park neighborhood, before expanding to a second location in the Mission and then to the Peninsula. The taqueria’s Mission-style burritos, tacos piled high with grilled meats, and fully loaded quesadillas have a cult following.
Tin Pot Creamery: Tin Pot Creamery’s French-style ice cream is celebrated for its innovative take on classic flavors using locally sourced ingredients, organic dairy, and handcrafted mix-ins and baked goods. Cofounder and pastry chef, Becky Sunseri, grew up with a passion for ice cream and celebrates the best of the Bay Area, creating flavors such as Rich Chocolate with Dark TCHO Chocolate Shards and Verve Latte.
La Corneta and Tin Pot Creamery join the previously announced Taste Maker partners Bakesale Betty of Oakland, San Francisco’s Tacolicious, Hot Dog Bills Burger Dog, Big Nate’s BBQ (for late NBA Hall-of-Famer Nate Thurmond), La Cocina, Old Skool Café, Sarap Shop, Live Sushi and Dumpling Time from the Omakase Restaurant Group, Chef BOUG (Bayview Chef Tiffany Carter), Earl’s Brittle, Yvonne’s Southern Sweets, Sugar and Spun; Berkeley’s CC Made: Five Dot Ranch in Marin and Sam’s Chowder House of Half Moon Bay.
Image courtesy Golden State Warriors.
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