There were no giant “under new ownership” banners hoisted outside the Alinea Group restaurants after Nick Kokonas announced he sold his ownership stake earlier this month. A server at Next Restaurant laughs at the suggestion.
The Alinea Group is arguably Chicago’s most decorated restaurant group and includes Michelin-starred Next, three-Michelin-starred Alinea, a cocktail lounge called the Aviary, and Roister.
Jason Weingarten, 47, who Chicago restaurant followers know from Oliver’s, an LA supper club restaurant in South Loop that opened earlier this year, and Entree, a meal-kit delivery service that debuted in 2022, is the new CEO and co-owner. Kokonas, who co-founded the group in 2005, remains a passive investor, one who’s available in an advisory role. Weingarten compares partnering with chef Grant Achatz — the chef who helped make molecular gastronomy a household term — with “getting to partner with Michael Jordan back in the heyday.”
“Chef Achatz and his team — they are the best in the world; you don’t mess with success,” Weingarten says. “I absolutely have zero plans or intentions to change anything that has worked so brilliantly for 19 years, and we’re incredibly excited and thrilled and honored to celebrate the 20th anniversary next year.” He declined to share the financial details of the transaction.
Weingarten says he’s always loved the world of restaurants even before working with them, adding that in the past when he threw events, some called him “a hospitality CEO who also sold software.” Weingarten is a longtime fan of the restaurant group. He founded Yello, a recruitment platform, and threw a party in 2016 at the Aviary to celebrate a company milestone, the first such buyout for the fancy Fulton Market cocktail lounge. Weingarten says Kokonas has never been stingy with support, and earlier this year asked if he was interested in taking his place at Alinea Group. The two connected as Weingarten’s software background linked him with Tock — the reservation platform Kokonas co-founded to curb no-shows at Alinea. Weingarten also turned to Alinea Group restaurants when he wanted to entertain clients.
A native of suburban Skokie who grew up in Highland Park, Weingarten attended Miami University in Ohio where he studied marketing. He resides in River North, between Lincoln Park High School and Whitney Young High School where his two kids attend.
Achatz credits Weingarten with bringing a fresh perspective to the business: “He has the ability to recognize gaps, help mentor the teams, and identify and seek out growth opportunities in and outside of TAG and use his business acumen to help us grow,” the chef says.
Weingarten repeatedly mentions how no other restaurant company can offer Alinea Group’s “magical dining experiences.” He sees opportunities to bring that magic around the world, partnering with hotels and other entities. A variety of groups have already approached them, even Chicago’s infamous hot dog stand Wieners Circle has teased a collaboration. Achatz posted a photo of a corn dog, as part of the chef’s creative process — the collaboration, which should be available next year, hasn’t been finalized. Teaming up with Mr. Beef, the Italian beef stand that inspired Season 1 of The Bear, is another possibility, Weingarten says.
The Alinea Group has tried to expand outside of Chicago in the past with a New York location of the Aviary at the Mandarin Oriental. Weingarten complimented the hotel and didn’t rule out partnering with it in the future. However, any future partnership would mean to ensure that “we’re completely aligned on what the goals are and that the incentives are properly set for both parties.”
“I think there’s room for a number of opportunities for fun and unique and magical dining experiences in a collaborative way,” Weingarten adds. “You know, it doesn’t have to be just the typical classics.”
Of course, anyone thinking of taking a managing stake in the group would need to earn the trust of its most famous chef. “The Alinea Group is something I have been working relentlessly on for over 20 years now, it is woven into the fabric of who I am so tightly it’s impossible to separate,” Achatz says. The chef adds: “I felt it was crucial to partner with someone that would engage in positive discussions about significant decisions as we roadmap TAG’s growth plan over the next 10 years.”
While Michelin stars and mentions on the World’s Best Restaurants list have already bolstered his profile, Weingarten sees “unlimited potential” in Achatz, and would like to see the chef more widely recognized nationally: “In my opinion, there are big opportunities for him, specifically, that we’re excited to go out and go out and get,” Weingarten says.
Achatz has appeared on Netflix’s Chef’s Table. Last week, Achatz posted a photo next to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos inside Alinea’s kitchen. He’s served wrestler and actor John Cena, and, like him, Achatz appeared in the latest season of The Bear. The group already has exposure, but it would appear Weingarten has plans to fine-tune.
“This team has focused on building the world’s best restaurant and achieving that, and now we’re trying to build the world’s best restaurant group,” Weingarten says.
