Brian Korey

Regional Chef

Brian Korey joined Bottleneck Management as a Sous Chef in 2013 as part of the opening team at Howells & Hood. Seeking the opportunity to grow with a thriving restaurant group he transferred to Old Town Pour House Oak Brook as a Sous Chef before being promoted to Executive Chef six months later. As Executive Chef of Old Town Pour House Chef Brian led the training of all incoming Managers and Chefs for the City Works brand in Kitchen operations, helped to open City Works in Pittsburgh, PA, and was awarded Bottleneck Management’s Executive Chef of the Year 2015 and 2016. In his current role of Regional Chef, he helps oversee kitchen operations and supports the culinary teams for multiple Bottleneck Management concepts.


Background

Brian grew up north of Chicago in Highland Park, Illinois. His interest in food was passed down to him from his mother, who owned and operated her own catering company for many years during his childhood. After working as a part time banquet cook while a student at the University of Iowa, Brian enrolled at Johnson & Wales University in Denver, CO for Culinary Arts. Brian’s love for the mountains and snowboarding brought him to Vail, Colorado after graduation where he held Lead Line Cook positions at both the Sonnenalp Resort of Vail in Vail, CO and Restaurant Avondale in the Westin Riverfront Resort and Spa in Beaver Creek, CO. After returning to Chicago he was the Lead Cook at IPO Restaurant in the W Hotel City Center before joining Bottleneck Management in 2013.


Outside of Work

When not working Brian can almost certainly be found discovering Chicago’s restaurants and breweries with his wife Katherine (a Bottleneck alum!) and their French bulldog Spencer.