Joe Falcone Named 2025 Eurest Chef of the Year

Chef Joe Falcone has never sought the spotlight, but this year, it found him after he was selected as Eurest’s 2025 Chef of the Year.

Over his 23-year career with the company, Chef Joe has earned a reputation for leading by example in trade, skill and service. He’s a teacher and culinary master, known for working with integrity and unwavering attention to detail.

As Vice President of Culinary, Chef Joe oversees culinary strategy and development across Eurest’s Eastern Division. The division’s outstanding performance, advancing priorities like waste reduction, sustainable sourcing, program innovation, and large-scale execution, is widely seen as a direct reflection of Joe’s leadership.

When he first learned he had been named Chef of the Year, his first thought was not about himself.

“My chefs, the regional chefs, the chefs in the field – this recognition reflects on them,” he says. “If this brings positive attention to the work they’re doing, then that is what matters most.”

His passion for food started early. Summers on a farm in upstate Pennsylvania with his family left a lasting impression. Tomatoes were canned in the basement, green beans were picked on the porch, and everyone had a role in preparing food.

“It made me understand what good food is about,” he says. “That’s where it started for me, even if I didn’t quite know it yet.”

Chef Joe got his start cooking in restaurants after high school, honing his craft through on-the-job experience. He joined Eurest in the early 2000s as an executive chef at a large financial institution that would later become one of the company’s first Centers for Excellence.

He embraced training and development opportunities along the way, including attending The Culinary Academy, a multi-weekend program that brought Eurest chefs together from across the country. Those experiences shaped how he leads today.

“When I first started at Eurest – never having any formal culinary education – traveling across the country and seeing other Eurest divisions helped me see that I’m part of a much bigger company and there’s so much we can do,” shares Joe.

Chef Joe makes it a point to spend time with his chefs and get to know their strengths and ways they want to grow.  He credits the leaders around him for setting the standard.

“I look up to the people in our company who make excellence their number one priority,” he says, pointing to Eurest Chief Culinary Officer Chris Ivens-Brown as a longtime influence.

“Chef Joe has always represented what it means to be a true culinary leader,” says Chef Chris Ivens-Brown. “He’s humble, consistent, and fully invested in the success of others. He brings out the best in his teams and never loses sight of what matters most: serving great food with integrity.”

Chef Joe is a loyal Philadelphia sports fan. He and his family hold season tickets for both the Philadelphia Eagles and the Union. He roots for his teams the same way he shows up for his chefs, with loyalty and pride.

“I really love what I do,” says Chef Joe.

That mindset, grounded in humility and driven by purpose, is what makes Chef Joe Falcone Eurest’s 2025 Chef of the Year.