James Beard Chefs Expand Beyond Restaurant Walls Through New CookUnity Menu

• Celebrated chefs from the James Beard Foundation’s Taste America® series now available across the US, extending restaurant-quality dining beyond reservations and geography

New York, NY — March 9th, 2026. For decades, experiencing James Beard-level cuisine meant securing a coveted reservation in a major food city. Today, that experience is no longer limited to a dining room. CookUnity, the meal delivery platform that connects eaters nationwide with iconic chefs, announced today a new menu collection featuring talent recognized by the James Beard Foundation’s Taste America® culinary series. As part of the platform offering meals across the country, the partnership is an exciting opportunity for CookUnity subscribers to savor greatness from the celebrated chefs shaping America’s food culture.

Starting this March, award-winning chefs — including James Beard Award winners Michelle Bernstein and José Garces, and two-time James Beard Award semifinalist Einat Admony, among other recognized chefs, will bring their signature dishes directly into the homes of modern eaters nationwide, extending the restaurant experience beyond its physical walls.

With more than 60% of Americans ordering food online, through CookUnity, chefs are extending their reach beyond the dining room, bringing restaurant-quality meals to eaters in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, Atlanta, Austin, and Seattle. The platform complements traditional restaurants by giving chefs a scalable way to connect with their audiences between visits — expanding the experience rather than competing with it.

Recognized Chefs Expanding Nationally

CookUnity is enabling acclaimed chefs to extend their brands beyond restaurant walls while keeping their dining rooms at the center of their craft. James Beard Award Winner® chef Michelle Bernstein, the chef behind Florida’s iconic restaurants Café La Trova and Sra. Martinez has used CookUnity to bring her vibrant, Latin-inspired cuisine back to New York City — where her culinary journey began. In 2025 alone, she sold more than 200,000 meals through the platform, reaching thousands of new diners nationwide. “CookUnity has completely changed the way I connect with people through food”, said Chef Michelle Bernstein. “It lets me share the dishes I love with diners across the country while staying true to my flavors and my story. Coming back to New York through the dining tables of thousands of homes is a dream.” James Beard Award Winner® chef José Garces demonstrates the growth potential of this model. In 2025, Garces sold more than 1.6 million meals through CookUnity — a 70% year-over-year increase — showing how established chefs of his caliber can also use the platform as a powerful expansion channel, reaching households nationwide without growing a brick-and-mortar footprint.

Scaling New Culinary Talent

Beyond established names, CookUnity is also fueling the growth of emerging culinary entrepreneurs. Following the July 2025 announcement naming CookUnity the exclusive chef-crafted meal partner of the James Beard Foundation’s Taste America® culinary series — activating across 20 U.S. cities — six new James Beard–affiliated chefs joined the platform to build sustainable extensions of their brands. Recent additions include:

• Chef Todd Richards (Atlanta)

• Amanda Maneesilasan (Los Angeles)

• Cindy Hutson (Miami)

• Lorena Garcia (Miami)

• Norman Van Aken (Miami)

• Jimmy Rizvi (New York City)

• Hong Thaimee (New York City)

“CookUnity was built to empower chefs — but always with the eater in mind,” said Morley Ivers, Head of Partnerships at CookUnity. “Our model allows culinary talent to focus on creativity and quality while we manage the infrastructure — from operations to delivery — so customers can access restaurant-quality meals wherever they live”.

This partnership reflects a shared commitment to the future of American dining — one where award-winning chefs are no longer limited by geography, and where customers can experience restaurant-quality meals beyond the dining room. Through CookUnity, culinary talent doesn’t replace restaurants — it expands their reach.

"We're deeply grateful to CookUnity for their support of Taste America, and even more so for what they're doing for chefs every day,” said Erica Helms, Chief Growth Officer, James Beard Foundation. “Independent restaurants and the chefs who run them are the backbone of our country's food culture — and having a platform that gives both emerging talents and established names a meaningful way to reach new audiences and build sustainable businesses matters more than ever. We are glad that this partnership is opening new doors for the incredible chefs in our community."

About CookUnity

CookUnity is America’s first chef-to-you meal delivery. With a mission to empower chefs to nourish the world, CookUnity offers a solution that proves eating well can be convenient, affordable and delicious. The revolutionary model puts the power directly in chefs' hands, offering fully equipped kitchens, predictable revenue, and direct access to feeding millions across the nation. Subscribers get access to 180+ award-winning chefs, a rotating weekly menu of 300+ dishes, and fresh, fully prepped meals right at their doorsteps in sustainable packaging. Since 2016, the team has grown rapidly from a small kitchen in Brooklyn, New York, to eight kitchens across the nation and Canada. For more, head to CookUnity.com.

About James Beard Foundation

The James Beard Foundation® (JBF) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to leading chefs and the broader culinary industry toward a new standard of excellence. Our guiding principle, Good Food for Good®, informs our vision of a vibrant, equitable, and sustainable independent restaurant industry that stands as a cornerstone of American culture, community, and economy, and drives toward a better food system. For 40 years, JBF has been instrumental in recognizing, amplifying, educating, and training the individuals who shape American food culture. Today, our mission comes to life through the prestigious James Beard Awards, industry and community-focused programming, advocacy and policy initiatives, and culinary events and partnerships nationwide—including at Platform by JBF® and the James Beard House in New York City. Learn more at jamesbeard.org, sign up for our emails, and follow @beardfoundation on social media.