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Clark Wolf Company was formed in 1986 to provide consulting services to food, restaurant and hospitality businesses and to organizations requiring the services of such businesses.
In the late 1970’s Wolf had a chance meeting that led to a lasting friendship with the legendary James Beard. He then opened the San Francisco branch of the Oakville Grocery and retooled the iconic original Napa Valley store.
In 1982, he was brought to Manhattan by Barbara Kafka to open and run Star Spangled Foods. One year later, Wolf began traveling, lecturing, consulting to specialty food retail stores and doing some ancillary restaurant consulting. After being recommended to The Santo Group by John Mariani, Wolf and Joe Santo created Arizona 206. They then collaborated on the re-do of The Sign of the Dove (earning three stars in the NY Times), Yellowfingers and Arizona Café.
In 1986 Wolf formed Clark Wolf Company. In 1989 he began consulting to Jonathan Tisch and Loews Hotels, with whom he has worked on eighteen hotels. In 1994, he opened his own restaurant, The Markham, in New York City. After a successful two year run, Wolf sold his part of The Markham to refocus on Clark Wolf Company.
Since 1999, Clark Wolf Company has maintained offices in New York City and Sonoma County.
Clark Wolf has more than thirty years of experience in the food industry and is founder and President of Clark Wolf Company.
Wolf is a member of Linkedin’s Influentials, is a columnist for forbes.com, and has been contributing editor to COOK'S Magazine. He has written a book American Cheeses, for Simon & Schuster, about his long history with American artisan cheesemaking and Co-Edited 101 Classic Cookbooks: 501 Classic Recipes for Rizzoli.
In addition to appearing on CBS Sunday Morning, he has appeared on CNN, the TV Food Network, and as a regular contributor on CNBC's The Real Story. Wolf has been the creator and host of two broadcast television series, The Food Show with Clark Wolf and The Big Dish. He is currently the host of the weekly radio program At the Table with Clark Wolf.
Traveling extensively, he lectures and gives seminars to chefs' associations, food professionals, cooking students and industry groups from California to Paris on food trends, specialty foods, restaurants, marketing, and restaurant real estate and finance.
Wolf created of a successful line of tableware that is utilized in hotels and restaurants around the country and sold in select retail environments, including Crate & Barrel.
In 2009, Wolf was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the James Beard Foundation.
Clark Wolf has solid contacts and credibility in many sectors of the industry and, most critically, with opinion leaders, top trade and special interest groups in California and across the country. Specifically – leading producers, suppliers, chefs and restaurateurs, retailers, caterers, designers, architects, journalists and other industry leaders are among our close circle of colleagues.
As Founding Chair of the Advisory Committee to New York University’s Department of Nutrition, Food Studies and Public Health, which founded the country's first food studies program in 1996, and now Special Advisor to NYU Fales Library’s Food Studies Collection and host of the NYU Critical Topics in Food Series, Clark Wolf maintains a comprehensive overview of the various markets and developments in information, education and applied practices on numerous related topics.
We have also been very active with other critical groups, including the NASFT (National Association for the Specialty Food Trade), IH&MA (The International Hotel & Motel Association), the NYRA (New York Restaurant Association), the NRA (National Restaurant Association) and others.
Over the years Clark has spoken to numerous business groups and chaired and organized many symposia as well as full-blown international conferences. He is also a judge for the annual Good Food Awards and a Tourism Super Ambassador for Sonoma County.
Scott Mitchell, Partner
Scott Mitchell has extensive experience at the core development of creative and trend-based small businesses.
With Clark Wolf Company for over fifteen years, Mitchell oversees strategic planning, proposal development, and business operations, marketing and web development. In addition he acts as the company’s Treasurer.
On behalf of Clark Wolf Company, he also manages pro bono and community outreach projects like The Sonoma County Food & Farming Project and The Russian River Food & Winefest.
Mitchell co-created and produced two television series with Clark Wolf, The Food Show with Clark Wolf and The Big Dish. He is the Producer of Wolf's weekly radio show, At the Table with Wolf and Smothers.
Stephen Zagor, Senior Financial Analyst
Stephen Zagor has over twenty-five years of experience in various aspects of the hospitality industry and has extensive financial experience in the planning, development and management of a wide variety of leisure time industry projects with particular emphasis on the multiple aspects of the food service industry.
Zagor’s background includes diversified experience in food and beverage operations and hotels. He developed and owned a multi-concept restaurant/retail/club group, was the General Manager of a $10 million restaurant and has owned and operated an award-winning limited service restaurant and retail marketplace.
Zagor has a Masters Degree from the Cornell School of Hotel Administration and was the Director of Hospitality Consulting for ten years for Laventhol and Horwath and later for Coopers and Lybrand. He is also The Director of Management Programs at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City and he is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the College of Food Sciences and Management at New York University, teaching courses in Restaurant Entrepreneurship, Restaurant Marketing, Beverage Management, Food and Beverage Cost Controls, and Hospitality Operational Problems.
He has performed numerous operational/market analyses and strategic financial position studies for a variety of operations from small and large independent restaurants to chain operations and large complexes. Mr. Zagor’s varied experience allows him to combine theoretical know how with practical knowledge and solutions. His clients are public corporations and private companies and include developers, bankers, lawyers, owners, landlords, operators, entrepreneurs, managers and dreamers.
Rachel Hannon, Financial Analysis
Rachel Hannon has served as a Financial Profitability Analyst at the law firm Orrick, Herrington & Suttcliffe LLP in San Francisco, CA. Prior to joining Orrick, Ms. Hannon was a Financial Analyst at Harris Williams & Co. in Richmond, VA.
Ms. Hannon received her undergraduate degree magna cum laude from Washington and Lee University. She received her master's degree with distinction in Nutrition, Food Studies & Public Health from New York University.
Megan P. Raphael, Associate
Megan P. Raphael is a hospitality veteran with almost nine years of experience in the management, operation, and marketing of successful dining venues and chefs. Ms. Raphael earned her Culinary Management Diploma and Grand Cru Certificate in Wine Studies from the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City, as well as completed New York University’s Restaurant Operations Accelerated Certificate Program. Prior to that, she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and International Studies from the University of Miami in Florida.
Ms. Raphael has worked with some of the country’s top food personalities such as Chefs Norman Van Aken, John Fraiser, and Tyler Florence, as well as many of New York City’s preeminent restaurants including Sistina, Caravaggio, SushiSamba, Dovetail, and Il Mulino. She has also served as President/Owner of MPR Communications, LLC leading restaurant clients in strategic planning for product launches, menu development, and inventory management She specializes in hospitality operations, FOH management, customer service, guest satisfaction, brand strategy, and media relations.
Adrien Henriet, Associate
Adrien Henriet graduated in 2014 from the French Grande Ecole Sciences Po Paris with a Master Degree in Public Affairs. He also holds a dual degree in Law and Philosophy from La Sorbonne.
Since baking his first cake at 4, Adrien has been interning, staging and working for restaurants and food companies while studying. His previous stints include the development of Pierre K. Catering (a Paris-based catering company) business development and marketing for caviar brands Petrossian (in NY) and Kaviari (in Paris), as well as culinary event-planning with Starchefs (in NY).
Tosca Giamatti, Marketing & Public Relations
Tosca Giamatti holds a Bachelors degree in English and a Masters in Food Studies from New York University. She has worked with the firm since 2004, spending seven years as the Assistant to Clark Wolf, Tabletop Coordinator and Events Liaison.
Giamatti grew up at her parent’s 100-year old inn on the coast of Maine. Her broad range of restaurant, specialty food and hospitality experience includes stints at Food Arts Magazine, Dean & Deluca, The Soho Grand Hotel, Murray’s Cheese Shop and Night Sky Restaurant Group.
She now works with Clark Wolf Company in Marketing and Public Relations.
Caroline McDaniel, Menu & Recipe Development
As a trained chef, Caroline McDaniel’s main focus includes menu & recipe development, specialty food retail and food service development. Caroline earned her degree in Sociology from Smith College, in Northampton, MA, and then spent a year in Paris completing the Grand Diplome course at LaVarenne Ecole de Cuisine, where she ranked first in her class.
Returning to the States, she worked in restaurants such as The Quilted Giraffe and Yellowfingers in New York City, managed top-quality retail food operations such as Patisserie Les Friandises in New York City and Foster’s Market in Durham, North Carolina. Caroline spent the latter part of the eighties back in Northampton, as chef/proprietor of her own restaurant, which she later sold.
As an Associate at Clark Wolf Company, Ms. McDaniel’s purview was menu and programming development, as well as design review.
She is now an independent consultant who works with Clark Wolf Company on a variety of projects.
Scott Mitchell
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Stephen Zagor
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Rachel Hannons
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Megan P. Raphael
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Adrien Henriet
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Tosca Giamatti
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Caroline McDaniel
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Starting in 1996, Clark Wolf has served as Chair of the Advisory Committee to New York University’s Department of Nutrition & Food Studies and helped to formulate the country’s first full Food Studies program with the scientist and educator Dr. Marion Nestle. Wolf is now Special Advisor to NYU Fales Library’s Food Studies Collection and host of the NYU Critical Topics in Food Series After founding the New York chapter of the American Institute of Wine & Food, he served on its National Board and mounted six international conferences. Wolf was also one of the founders of the American Cheese Society.
Other pro bono work includes: Board Chair of Worth Our Weight, a culinary apprentice program based in Sonoma County; founder of the Sonoma County Food & Farming Project, a video series highlighting small scale farming and food businesses; founding the California Artisan Cheese Guild; consulting to annual fundraising event for Thirteen/WNET for sixteen years, creating the Sunday Night Supper for God’s Love We Deliver and serving on the Executive Committee of Aid & Comfort benefits in San Francisco and Boston.