Chase Center Announces New Culinary Director Mark Jeffers and Taste Maker Partners
Bon Appétit at Chase Center Culinary Director Mark Jeffers
Experienced fine-dining leader will oversee all food and beverage programs, from concessions to premium catering, within Chase Center
San Francisco, CA (July 16, 2019) — The Golden State Warriors and Chase Center, the Warriors’ new 18,064-seat privately financed sports and entertainment arena in the San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood, in partnership with Bon Appétit Management Company and Levy, announced today the appointment of Culinary Director Mark Jeffers, who will lead the food and beverage program for the new state-of-the-art sports and entertainment venue. 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 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.
Joel Campos of La Corneta in the Mission
“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.
Tin Pot Creamery’s French-style ice cream
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), Tony G’s Pizza, 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.
For more information on Chase Center please visit chasecenter.com.
About Chase Center
Chase Center, an 18,064-seat sports and entertainment arena set to open in September of 2019, will anchor Thrive City, the multipurpose, privately financed complex in San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood consisting of 3.2 acres of publicly accessible plazas and open space that are part of a larger mixed-use development including two office buildings and dozens of unique restaurant and retail locations. Chase Center will play host to games featuring the six-time NBA Champion Golden State Warriors, concerts, cultural events, family shows and more, totaling nearly 200 events per year. Thrive City, the surrounding district of Chase Center, will be a community gathering space providing a slate of year-round health and wellness programming, including Get Fit clinics, yoga sessions, farmer’s markets, ice skating and much more. Media contacts: Raymond Ridder (510) 986-5384, Lisa Goodwin (510) 986-2253
About Bon Appétit Management Company
Bon Appétit Management Company is an on-site restaurant company operating 1,000-plus locations in 34 states for corporations, universities, museums, and other cultural institutions. Based in Palo Alto, CA, Bon Appétit also operates the San Francisco restaurants The Commissary, Arguello, Public House, STEM Kitchen and Garden, and Foundry & Lux. Bon Appétit chefs cook from scratch, including sauces, stocks, and soups. A recognized industry leader in environmentally and socially responsible practices, Bon Appétit has been honored by organizations including the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council, Acterra, James Beard Foundation, and many others. Media contact: Bonnie Powell, [email protected]
About Levy
Founded in 1978, Levy pioneered premium sports and entertainment dining and remains one of America’s fastest growing and most critically acclaimed restaurant companies. Named one of the 10 most innovative companies in sports by Fast Company magazine, Levy’s diverse portfolio includes award-winning restaurants, iconic sports and entertainment venues, and convention centers as well as the Grammy Awards, PGA Championship, US Open Tennis Tournament, Kentucky Derby, and NHL, MLB, NBA All-Star Games, and has been named 2015 NHL Retailer of the Year. For more, visit www.levyrestaurants.com.