Our Story - NY BBQ Guys Complete About Page

OUR STORY

Marketing VP & Executive Chef • Fire-Forged Culinary Brand

We take the ordinary and turn it into extraordinary

The Journey Begins Below

The Beginning

I didn't grow up with a silver spoon or a trust fund. I started in the back of a pizzeria — 16 years old, broke, and elbow-deep in dishes. But even then, I knew I wanted more.

I watched the line cooks and felt the heat. The rhythm. The fire. That kitchen was my first classroom, teaching me that excellence isn't given — it's earned.

As a classically trained chef who earned every skill through professional experience, I learned that shortcuts don't exist in real kitchens. I earned my stripes the old-school way: sweating in hot kitchens, going to culinary school, and moving to New York City with nothing but a chef's coat and some grit.

I packed up and moved to New York at 20, working my way up to Executive Chef at a high-end Italian restaurant that did everything from scratch.

"That kitchen was my first classroom. Every burn, every rush, every lesson learned the hard way."
Kitchen Origins

The Climb

I rose through the ranks in NYC kitchens, learning the hard lessons, and sharpening not just my knives — but my skills, my taste, and my fire. My executive chef experience taught me what it means to work for every skill you earn.

When a restaurant purchase fell through, I pivoted into promotional marketing — a career that has now spanned over 25 years. Today, I'm a Regional Sales Manager and Vice President of Promotional Marketing, managing national accounts and building brands with the same obsession I brought to the kitchen.

This unique combination of executive chef experience and professional marketing expertise allows me to build businesses, not just content. The lessons from those kitchens never left me — the attention to detail, the commitment to quality, the understanding that tools matter when the stakes are high.

Professional Journey

Fire Changed Everything

"Out here, it's not about stainless steel or Michelin stars. It's about wood, steel, heat, and heart. But it wasn't until I stepped outside the kitchen — and into the smoke — that I found what I was really chasing."

The Obsession

What started as a love for live-fire cooking has become a full-blown obsession. NY BBQ Guys isn't just a brand — it's a way of life built on professional culinary expertise and proven business strategy.

From custom-built grills to precision knives, every product we create is something I personally select and use in the pit. This line is made for chefs, BBQ professionals, fire lovers — and for anyone who wants to take the ordinary and turn it into extraordinary.

"I don't just sell these tools — I use them. And if it doesn't earn a spot in my BBQ kit, it won't make it into yours."
BBQ Obsession

I Eat My Cooking

Every technique, every tool, every lesson comes straight from my journey — dishwasher to executive chef to marketing VP to BBQ entrepreneur.

Professional Selection

I personally select, test, and stand behind every item we offer — whether it's a knife built to dominate brisket or a leather apron tough enough to handle real heat.

Fire-Tested

Each piece is forged by skilled artisans using premium materials, then put through the fire in my own pit before it ever reaches yours.

Earned Success

No celebrity endorsements. No shortcuts. Just years of burns, lessons learned the hard way, and obsession with turning the ordinary into extraordinary.

This isn't mass-market BBQ. This is NY BBQ — raw, real, and ready to fire up.

I AM WHAT YOU GET.