Q&A with Chef Nicholas Peters

Starting his culinary career as a teenager washing dishes in a small restaurant, Nicholas Peters’ journey has been fueled by passion, curiosity and a deep belief in food’s ability to connect people. Now as Director of Culinary Development, Chef Nicholas’ will channel his decades of restaurant experience to further Guckenheimer’s focus on innovation, whole-person health and waste management in the corporate dining space, while expanding mentorship and dedication to creating memorable food experiences. 

How did you get into the culinary world? 

I got my first job when I was a teenager. I started as a dishwasher at a small restaurant in New York and from there, I moved my way up through the kitchen: prep, line cook, sous. It was really apparent to me early on that working in kitchens and hospitality were what I was meant to do. 

When I was a kid, I used to take road trips through the Hudson Valley with my grandparents. One time when I was about seven, we passed by the Culinary Institute in Hyde Park and I told them, “I’m going to go there one day.” The path felt natural because it’s something that I’ve always been interested in. 

My mom’s a music teacher, my dad’s a surgeon and all my siblings are engineers. And then there’s me. But it all worked out pretty well, I think. 

What are you most passionate about in terms of your career? 

Early in my career, it was all about the manic pace — the fire, the fury, going into battle every service. But now, I’m focused on the inspiration side of things. Coaching, teaching, developing people and watching them grow into leadership roles. That’s what excites me most. 

Seeing someone have a light bulb moment, then turn around and mentor someone else the way they were mentored — that’s incredibly fulfilling. Inspiration is infectious in this industry. If you can inspire someone in your kitchen, it translates directly to the guest. One conversation behind the scenes can turn into a memorable dining experience, which turns into a story someone shares. It’s a waterfall effect. 

What culinary trends are you most excited about? 

Experience-based dining, without question. We’re seeing a big push toward interactive and curated experiences. Tableside moments, live-fire cooking, communal dining and cuisines that are typically less represented in the Western world. Food is becoming an event again instead of something quick you grab because you just have to eat something. People are getting excited about dining out being something special, and that’s powerful. 

In terms of what excites me about this role broadly is the scale. In restaurants, even if you oversee several locations, your impact can still be pretty limited. Here, we’re talking about inspiring chefs across Guckenheimer and ISS who serve thousands of people every day. Maybe one of our programs helps someone get through a tough day, or maybe they have our killer pizza and then go on to have a breakthrough in biomedical engineering. Who knows? 

Food and hospitality are about more than sustenance. It’s a universal language. If you share a meal with someone, chances are you’ll learn more about them than if you just had a straightforward conversation. Shared meals help people let their guard down, and a big part of dining is the development of human connections. 

As you step into this role, what do you hope to achieve long-term? 

I want to connect with our chefs in the field as soon as possible — sharing ideas, sparking creativity, giving them moments of inspiration. 

In restaurants, there’s no guarantee someone will walk through your door. You fight every day with some urgency. Corporate dining can sometimes feel more routine because people will be there every week. I want to bring some of that restaurant fire into our cafés. It’s not just a job — we’re chefs, let’s do this thing.   

When infectious energy is part of a team, people want to stay, talk, connect. Food builds community and that’s what this is all about.