The Story
Founded in 2002 by Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group, and named after the curl of blue smoke that rises out of perfectly smoked meat, Blue Smoke celebrates the diverse culinary traditions of the American South with a range of soulful barbecue classics alongside revived family recipes and new favorites from Executive Chef Jean-Paul Bourgeois. An all-American beverage menu complements the Southern cooking with a wide range of whiskeys, wines, cocktails, and craft beers from coast to coast.
The flagship Blue Smoke, with the club Jazz Standard, is located on East 27th Street in New York City, and a second location opened in 2012 in NYC's Battery Park City. Blue Smoke also has two Blue Smoke on the Road baseball concessions at Citi Field, home of the New York Mets, and the Washington Nationals ballpark. In 2013, Blue Smoke on the Road opened at Delta Terminal 4 in John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Our Team
JEAN-PAUL BOURGEOIS
Executive Chef
Jean-Paul grew up in the small town of Thibodaux, Louisiana, and received his Bachelor’s degree at John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University. In culinary school, Jean-Paul participated in an eye-opening exchange program with the Paul Bocuse Institute in Lyon, France. After completing his formal studies, he worked at Étoile restaurant at the Domaine Chandon winery in Napa before moving to San Francisco to help open EPIC Roasthouse as a sous chef under Chef Jan Birnbaum. In 2007, he moved to St. Thomas, where he served as sous chef at two local restaurants on the island. In 2009, Jean-Paul moved to New York and joined the team at Maialino. Over four years, Jean-Paul was promoted several times and ultimately assumed the role of Chef de Cuisine of Gramercy Terrace at The Gramercy Park Hotel. In 2014, Jean-Paul became Executive Chef of Blue Smoke, overseeing both locations of Blue Smoke, Jazz Standard at Blue Smoke’s Flatiron location, and Blue Smoke On The Road.
Kevin Richer
Director of Operations
Born and raised in Long Island, New York, Kevin discovered a love of food at an early age on his grandparents’ farm in the North Fork. Kevin made his first foray into the hospitality industry at age 12, helping run errands, slice bread, plate desserts, and worked the fryer station at his friend’s family-owned restaurant. After high school, Kevin attended the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) where he received an Associate’s degree in Culinary Arts and a Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management. Upon graduation, Kevin immediately began working at Union Square Hospitality Group’s critically acclaimed restaurant, Tabla. Beginning as a Server Assistant, he worked his way up to Server, Floor Manager, Service Director, Beverage Director, and Assistant General Manager over five years. In 2010, he became General Manager. After that Kevin served as the opening General Manager of Untitled restaurant at the Whitney Museum of American Art. In 2011, Kevin assumed the role of opening General Manager of North End Grill and was later promoted to Director of Operations of Blue Smoke and North End Grill in 2016.
JASON GORE
General Manager of Blue Smoke 27th Street
Upon graduating from Miami University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management, Jason leveraged his passion for food and hospitality into a job at Buffalo Wild Wings. During his time there, he progressed from busboy to bartender to manager in six years. His contributions, including the creation of a cocktail program and bartending manual, were adopted nationwide as the business grew exponentially. In 2008, Jason moved to New York and began working at Five Points restaurant in the East Village, starting as a floor manager and eventually assuming the role of beverage manager. In 2014, Jason was hired as General Manager of Blue Smoke Battery Park City. He is now the General Manager at Blue Smoke’s original Flatiron location.
Andrew Sherman
General Manager & Chef de Cuisine of Blue Smoke Battery Park City
Born and raised in Queens, New York, Andrew started cooking at a young age, learning how to make classic Italian dishes from his first-generation grandparents. With a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Psychology from Polytechnic Institute of New York University, Andrew originally pursued a career in Financial Risk Engineering before revisiting his love of cooking. After receiving his Associates Degree in Culinary Arts from the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), Andrew traveled to New Orleans for a culinary internship at John Besh’s Restaurant, August. He returned to New York in 2012 and joined Major Food Group’s flagship restaurant, Torrisi Italian Specialties, before becoming a Sous Chef at Parm. Andrew joined Union Square Hospitality Group in 2014 as a Sous Chef at Blue Smoke’s Flatiron location. He rose through the ranks and was named the Chef de Cuisine of Blue Smoke Battery Park City in 2015, and General Manager in 2017.