What is Geoffrey Zakarian's Net Worth?
Geoffrey Zakarian is an American chef, restaurateur, television personality, and author who has a net worth of $4 million. While you may have expected a bigger net worth number, keep in mind Geoffrey filed for personal bankruptcy in 2011 as a response to a class action lawsuit by his former employees. With a modern style rooted in French cuisine, Geoffrey Zakarian serves as the executive chef of several restaurants in New York City, Atlantic City, and Miami. On television, Zakarian has appeared frequently on various Food Network programs, including "Chopped," "The Next Iron Chef," and "Cooks vs. Cons."
Early Life and Education
Geoffrey Zakarian was born on July 25, 1959 in Worcester, Massachusetts to Polish-American mother Viola and Armenian-American father George, a musician. He has a brother named George and a sister named Virginia. As a teenager, Zakarian attended Burncoat High School, graduating in 1977. He went on to attend Worcester State University, from which he earned a degree in economics. After spending some time in France and deciding he wanted to become a chef, Zakarian enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America in New York, from which he earned an associate degree.
Career Beginnings
Zakarian began his culinary career as an apprentice chef under Daniel Boulud at Le Cirque. From 1982 to 1987, he rose from Pastry Sous to Chef de Cuisine under Alain Sailhac.
Executive Chef and Restaurateur
Zakarian had his first executive chef position in 1987, at the 21Club. The next year, he became the executive chef of the Midtown Manhattan restaurant 44, located at the Royalton Hotel. In the 90s, Zakarian opened the Blue Door restaurant at the Delano Hotel in South Beach, Miami, and became the executive chef of Patroon in Manhattan. Kicking off the new millennium, Zakarian worked with famed French chef Alain Passard at Arpège, a Michelin three-star restaurant in Paris.
In 2001, Zakarian opened his first restaurant, Town, located at the Chambers Hotel on the East Side of Manhattan. The restaurant closed in 2009. In 2005, at the Carlton Hotel, he opened another acclaimed restaurant called Country. Among his other restaurateur work, Zakarian opened the New York City restaurants the Lambs Club and the National; Tudor House in Miami; and Point Royal in Hollywood, Florida. He is also a consultant at the Water Club in Atlantic City.
Television Career
As a celebrity chef, Zakarian has made frequent appearances on television programs on Food Network. His most prolific involvement has been with the reality cooking game show "Chopped," on which he has served as a judge for numerous seasons beginning with the show's premiere in 2009. Zakarian has also been a judge on the spinoff series "Chopped Junior," as well as the series "Top Chef" and "Cutthroat Kitchen." Additionally, he has been a contestant on some shows, including "Iron Chef America" in 2010 and "The Next Iron Chef" in 2011. Zakarian was the winner of the latter, beating Elizabeth Falkner.
Beyond judging and competing, Zakarian has also hosted some Food Network shows. Since 2014, he has co-hosted the cooking-themed daytime talk show "The Kitchen" with fellow Food Network chefs Sunny Anderson, Jeff Mauro, and Katie Lee. Marcela Valladolid was a co-host from 2014 to 2017, and Alex Guarnaschelli joined the show in 2020. With Sunny Anderson, Zakarian co-hosted the series "Top 5 Restaurants" from 2015 to 2016. In the latter year, he began hosting the series "Cooks vs. Cons," on which judges attempt to determine if a dish was made by a professional chef or an amateur cook.
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Legal Issues
In 2011, Zakarian filed for personal bankruptcy after a class action lawsuit was filed against him by his former employees, who claimed that he violated labor laws. The suit was ultimately settled out of court. Zakarian later got into some trouble for pulling out of a planned restaurant at Donald Trump's hotel in Washington, DC after Trump made demeaning comments about immigrants. Trump sued Zakarian for lost rent and other damages; the suit was settled out of court.
Personal Life
Zakarian was previously married to Heather Karaman for about a decade. In 2005, he wed his second wife, marketing executive Margaret Williams. Together, they have two daughters named Anna and Madeline and a son named George.
In 2006, Zakarian released his first recipe book. Among his other activities, he serves as the chairman of the City Harvest Food Council, a food rescue organization committed to combating hunger in New York City. Zakarian also has a line of kitchen products and a line of food products.
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