Chef Gregory Wiener to Leave Top of the Rock

You can learn a lot on Facebook when you stay up after your bedtime. Tonight I learned of a big shake-up at The Buttes and Top of the Rock Restaurant. After six successful years at Top of the Rock, Executive Chef Gregory Wiener will be leaving. It appears that this move is a direct result of the entrance of Columbia Sussex Corporation, a private hotel company, taking over ownership of the property.

Chef Gregory Wiener has brought an incredible amount of experience and talent to The Buttes and was successful in bringing together a cohesive and well managed culinary team. He was able to motivate his team in a gentle and respectful manner. He served as a mentor for his staff, took chances with certain teammates, giving chances where other kitchen leaders may not have. On top of that, his food is impeccable and sometimes while sitting on my couch in my pajamas eating a quickly thrown together pasta dish, I found myself with some serious food envy by his posts on Facebook and Instagram.

He has accomplished all of these things by remaining educated and with great humility. In his announcement post on Facebook, he noted that he was unable to have accomplished anything without the amazing staff, present and past. In a moment where he may have been blind-sided or angry as a result of the corporate decisions made, he chose to be classy and thank those that served alongside him each and every night.

The announcement came as a shock to all of us, which leads me to believe that it was an abrupt decision especially since Chef noted that his last day in the kitchen will be on October 11th, only four days from today. He noted in his announcement that he will be taking time to travel and enjoy life for a spell before he lands, and sadly for us, he eluded that his landing place is not going to be Phoenix.

So what does the Columbia Essex takeover mean for The Buttes? My research found that Columbia Essex owns and operates over 41 hotels under 8 different brands throughout the United States. There is some conflicting information about the corporation on the internet, and those variables can definitely bring up some concerns. Hopefully, the property will maintain their reputation that Chef Gregory has helped them to attain.

More than anything, we want Chef Gregory Wiener to know that he will be missed here in the Valley. He deserves some time to relax, so I hope that he will be traveling to some place, or places that elicit incredible joy. Hopefully, his next gig will be within driving distance or somewhere that will be cause for a fun road trip!

You are appreciated and respected here by the food community, Chef and we wish you the very best of luck and success wherever you land.

If you are looking for the best and latest in Arizona restaurant and culinary news, please make sure to sign up for our newsletter, give us a like on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram to make sure that you never miss a bite!

© Taryn Jeffries 2016