Nick Kokonas is an
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
restaurant executive and author.
Early life and education
Born and raised in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
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, Kokonas graduated from
Colgate University
Colgate University is a private liberal arts college in Hamilton, New York. The college was founded in 1819 as the Baptist Education Society of the State of New York and operated under that name until 1823, when it was renamed Hamilton Theologi ...
with a degree in
philosophy
Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...
.
Career
Prior to meeting
Grant Achatz
Grant Achatz ( ) (born April 25, 1974) is an American chef and restaurateur often recognized for his contributions to molecular gastronomy or progressive cuisine. His Chicago restaurant Alinea has won numerous accolades and Achatz himself has w ...
and forming their business partnership, Kokonas was the owner of a
derivatives trading
In finance, a derivative is a contract that ''derives'' its value from the performance of an underlying entity. This underlying entity can be an asset, index, or interest rate, and is often simply called the "underlying". Derivatives can be u ...
firm for 10 years, and was an investor and entrepreneur.
[Grant Achatz and Nick Kokonas](_blank)
''Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
'', Chris Borelli,
Kokonas's restaurants
Next
Next may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Film
* ''Next'' (1990 film), an animated short about William Shakespeare
* ''Next'' (2007 film), a sci-fi film starring Nicolas Cage
* '' Next: A Primer on Urban Painting'', a 2005 documentary film
Lit ...
,
Alinea Alinea may refer to:
* Alinea (restaurant) in Chicago
* In several languages : an indenting or a pilcrow
The pilcrow, ΒΆ, is a handwritten or typographical character used to identify a paragraph. It is also called the paragraph ma ...
, and The Aviary served as a testing and development ground for his proprietary ticketing system called Tock.
Kokonas's system allows for dynamic pricing for restaurant tickets/reservations. Some of the earliest adopters include,
Thomas Keller
Thomas Aloysius Keller (born October 14, 1955) is an American chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author. He and his landmark Napa Valley restaurant, The French Laundry in Yountville, California, have won multiple awards from the James Beard Foun ...
's
The French Laundry
The French Laundry is a three-Michelin star French and Californian cuisine restaurant located in Yountville, California, in the Napa Valley. Sally Schmitt opened The French Laundry in 1978 and designed her menus around local, seasonal ingredie ...
and
Per Se
Per se may refer to:
* '' per se'', a Latin phrase meaning "by itself" or "in itself".
* Illegal ''per se'', the legal usage in criminal and antitrust law
* Negligence ''per se'', legal use in tort law
* Per Se (restaurant), a New York City restaur ...
and Daniel Patterson's
Coi.
Personal life
Kokonas and his wife, Dagmara, have two sons.
[The Take-Away: Nick Kokonas on Roister, Alinea and Tock](_blank)
Crain's Chicago Business
''Crain's Chicago Business'' is a weekly business newspaper in Chicago, IL. It is owned by Detroit-based Crain Communications, a privately held publishing company with more than 30 magazines, including ''Advertising Age'', ''Modern Healthcare'' ...
, Christina Le Beau, July 7, 2016
Published works
*Grant Achatz and Nick Kokonas, ''Life, on the Line: A Chef's Story of Chasing Greatness, Facing Death, and Redefining the Way We Eat'' March 6, 2012
References
Living people
People from Chicago
Colgate University alumni
American restaurateurs
Year of birth missing (living people)
{{Chicago-stub