Jonathan Pye

Vice President of Culinary at American Dining Creations

Speaker

Pye began his culinary career in 1986 as an apprentice at a historic 16th-century hotel in England. He gained valuable experience working in several esteemed restaurants across the UK before relocating to Kansas City in 1997.

In Kansas, he joined the Arcadian Event Site, a prominent catering company based in Overland Park. During his time there, he won The Pitch publication’s prestigious Iron Fork competition for two consecutive years.

Pye later returned to the northwest coast of England, where he opened Ruby’s Restaurant, focusing on fresh, locally sourced seafood. After two successful years, he returned to the United States to take on a traveling chef role with Culinaire International, leading high-end events at cultural institutions nationwide. His work earned him the title of Executive Chef of the Year at Culinaire in 2008.

He joined American Dining Creations in 2012 to further refine his craft at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri. There, he was part of a dynamic culinary team that executed over 800 events annually, including high-profile private functions. Notably, he hosted a 10-course dinner for renowned Spanish chef Ferran Adrià in the museum’s Cloister and served as the host chef for the James Beard Foundation’s Taste America event.

Pye was elevated at American Dining Creations as Corporate Chef for the West Region in 2017 where he provided culinary leadership and support across multiple accounts nationwide.

In 2023, he was promoted to Vice President of Culinary, and now leads the company’s culinary vision and strategy on a national scale.