Chris Struck

Chris Struck credits his upbringing in a large, hybrid French-Deeply Southern U.S. family in the coastal city of Destin, Florida as what incited his passion for food and beverage at an early age.

He began cooking professionally within Chef Tim Creehan’s fine dining restaurant group at the age of 14 and supplemented his formal restaurant apprenticeship with self-study trips to Europe, working in both kitchens and vineyards to gain greater knowledge of regional cuisines and wines.

After completing his undergraduate degrees in Culinary Arts & Food Service Management at Johnson & Wales University, Struck gained certifications from the Wine & Spirits Education Trust, the Society of Wine Educators, the Court of Master Sommeliers Americas, and the Deutsche Wein und Sommelierschule in Koblenz, Germany. Struck holds an Executive MBA in Food Marketing from Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia.

Restaurant experience has included opening 8 restaurants in both front and back of house capacities, most recently as an assistant sommelier at Racines NY and Danny Meyer’s flagship Union Square Cafe, where he worked as a sommelier for more than four years.

He is currently Beverage Director for ilili restaurant in New York City. In addition to working as a full-time sommelier and consultant, Struck has taught beverage and marketing classes as an Adjunct Lecturer in the Hospitality Management Department of the College of Technology at the City University of New York (CUNY) since 2018.

Follow his beverage and food adventures via Instagram @chris_struck