Executive Chef

Al Nappo was reared in the Southwestern United States in Tucson, Arizona where he started in the restaurant industry as a dishwasher at age 14 at the Tack Room, one of only thirteen 5-star restaurants in the US.  Working under Chef David Benjamin Lolly gave Chef Nappo the opportunity and the start that would define his career.  As his love of the food world grew, so did his opportunities as he was accepted to the Southwestern Chapter of the American Culinary Federation’s training center in Tuscon, where he gained valuable hands-on training and instruction that he could translate to restaurants.  Through the teamwork he witnessed and the friendships he cultivated, he was able to get a great start in his culinary career—and cemented his belief that people make a restaurant a success, not any one person or a signature dish.

After his career took off, Chef Nappo worked in various kitchens in different roles for Tin Star Restaurants, Sam’s Cafés and Austin Grill restaurants, and gained additional mentoring and experience working for Mark Brazinski, the president of the Canyon Café organization and the founder of Pei Wei.  The Cheesecake Factory group soon recognized his accomplishments and talents and Chef Nappo was recruited to join the Grand Lux Café in Chicago, where he would eventually manage over 300 staff members and a team of 16 managers.  Serving over 18,000 people per week, he honed his skills on the best kitchen systems and practices, so it is no wonder he and his team were named the Cheesecake Factory’s (parent company) 2008 Restaurant of the Year award.

With 23 years of experience and a record of success in each restaurant where he’s worked, Chef Nappo is happy to be in Washington, DC at Founding Farmers.  When he’s not in the kitchen or overseeing service for hundreds of people every day, he is an avid golfer and guitar player, calling himself an aficionado of all things Rock & Roll.  You can also find him behind the poker table, but most importantly for our foodies, he is a true cheeseburger fanatic!