Acclaimed Chef Richard Blais will open his first Orlando restaurant later this year with a new tropical concept debuting at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress, located adjacent to Walt Disney World.
Blais is widely recognized as the first winner of Bravo’s Top Chef All-Stars and recently announced co-star of the new Gordon Ramsay / FOX cooking competition, Next Level Chef. He is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and trained at The French Laundry, Daniel, Chez Panisse and el Bulli.
His new Orlando restaurant will make its home in the former Hemingway’s venue within the resort and offer dinner nightly and brunch on Sundays.
Blais currently owns and operates Trail Blais, a forward-thinking culinary consulting company that has consulted on, designed, and operated popular eateries across the country. He is the James Beard Award-nominated author of Try This at Home: Recipes from My Head to Your Plate, as well as his second cookbook, So Good.
Most recently, he opened Ember & Rye at the newly renovated Park Hyatt Aviara in Carlsbad, California and took on the role of Culinary Director at the newly opened San Diego Symphony performance space, The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park.
“It’s undeniable how talented and invigorating Chef Blais is. We couldn’t be more excited to be working with him for our newest restaurant,” said Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress General Manager Paul Joseph. “This concept is something very near and dear to our hearts and to Blais’s and we can’t wait to be able to unveil it to our guests.”
“I love having fun with my concepts and menus and I’m so excited about what we’ve got in store for this restaurant at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress,” said Chef Blais. “We’re looking forward to adding a memorable and innovative offering to Orlando’s already incredible food scene.”
The Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress will host a hiring event for the new restaurant on Tuesday, Oct. 12 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the resort’s Windsong Ballroom. Positions available include management, cooks, bartenders, servers and greeters.
About Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress
The award-winning 1,500-acre Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress is located adjacent to Walt Disney World and close to Universal Orlando and SeaWorld Orlando with a host of amenities and activities, including a full-service Marilyn Monroe Spa, Jack Nicklaus designed golf and the award-winning Tennis and Racquet Club. Located along the 1,000 feet of white sandy beach of the private Lake Windsong, the free-flowing lagoon pool boasts 12 waterfalls, two whirlpools, water slide tower pavilion, children’s rock-climbing stations, interactive water jet splash zone, walking paths and expansive, wrap-around sundecks. These features complement the resort’s favorite activities, including a s’mores pit, beach volleyball, tether ball, watersports and marked jogging, walking and biking trails
