The Celebrity Chefs Who Cooked Up Million-Dollar Empires

As Seen On: MasterChef Australia 
Restaurant: Zumbo Patisserie 
Est. Net Worth: $20 million*

Australian chef Adriano Zumbo took a shine to pastry-making, and he first sold tarts, brownies, and muffins to Sydney cafes before opening stores in Balmain. He then became internationally-known for his patissier talents, and he took a spot on MasterChef Australia, where he was famous for his complex, challenging dessert creation. His nickname is “The Sweet Assassin.”

Adriano Zumbo @ savannahtappan / Twitter.com

In addition to being an amazing cook, Adriano Zumbo also has several business interests, namely in television. He is the host of Sugar Rush, a Netflix series. He has also hosted a show on Seven Network called Zumbo’s Just Desserts. Zumbo is a published author, too, writing three books so far.

As Seen On: The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell 
Restaurant: N/A
Est. Net Worth: Unconfirmed

Christine McConnell is best known for her series The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell, which is a blend of cooking, baking, fantasy, and spookiness. The series aired on Netflix, and it was developed by celebrity chef Christine McConnell, who is a baker. The premise of the show was not just about McConnell’s baking, but about the spooky mansion of her restaurant.

Christine McConnell @christinehmcconnell/Instagram.com

Though the series was produced by Netflix, Netflix partnered with The Jim Henson Company’s subsidiary, The Henson Alternative, and Wilshire Studios to produce the cooking show. McConnell wasn’t just the star—she was also in charge of post-production and editing, and she created many of the promotional advertisements herself.

As Seen On: Ugly Delicious 
Restaurant: Momofuku
Est. Net Worth: $60 million* 

Born in Virginia to Korean immigrants, David Chang is not just a restauranteur, he is also a TV personality and author. He founded Momofuku, which is a holding company that includes the Momofuku Ssam Bar, Noodle Bar, Milk Bar, and the famous Momofuku Ko, located in New York City, among many others.

David Chang @davidchang.momofuku/Facebook.com

He received two Michelin stars, which is a major accomplishment in the restaurant world. He also is a TV personality, creating in and starring in the Netflix show Ugly Delicious, which is released on Netflix. Chang has no reservations, nor does he have vegetarian options for his meal. Despite this attitude, he still is dedicated to charity, serving on the City Harvest’s Food Council Board.

As Seen On: Top Chef 
Restaurant: N/A
Est. Net Worth: $2.5 million*

Gail Simmons is one of the world’s most famous food authors. She has also been the judge on Top Chef since the show debuted back in 2006. She is from Ontario, and she was the head critic on the show’s spinoff, Top Chef Duels. She also hosts the Just Desserts arm of Top Chef. She also hosts The Feed, which airs on FYI, an A&E subsidiary.

Gail Simmons © lev radin / Shutterstock.com

She is best known for her cookbooks and food critic publications. Simmons is big on making public appearances, something that is important for her brand. She has appeared at many prominent festivals, such as the Wine & Food Festivals in South Beach, NYC, Pebble Beach, the Caymans, and more. She has also been on many different news networks to promote her work.

As Seen On: Iron Chef America  
Restaurant: The Spotted Pig 
Est. Net Worth: $1.2 million*

April Bloomfield is a chef from Birmingham, and she is known for opening the Breslin Bar & Dining Room and The Spotted Pig. She also apprenticed at The River Café, a famous UK restaurant, and Bibendum. She was discovered when she worked at The River Café. Mario Batali, one of America’s most famous chefs, encouraged her to open a bistro in New York City. She began work at Chez Panisse prior to opening The Spotted Pig. 

April Bloomfield @ nytfood / Twitter.com

Bloomfield, who is one of just ten female chefs in America to have had a Michelin star, has also expanded her business to include two books. She published A Girl and Her Pig in 2012 and A Girl and Her Greens in 2015. Bloomfield’s biographies are both for sale at locations like Barnes & Noble.

As Seen On: The Mind of a Chef 
Restaurant: Faviken
Est. Net Worth: $2 million*

Magnus Nilsson is one of the most famous chefs not only in Sweden but in the world entirely. He began cooking on his grandmother’s farm. He attended chef’s school in Are, and he worked at L’Arpege after he moved to France, apprenticing under chef Alain Passard. He was fired from that job because he didn’t speak a word of French.

Magnus Nilsson @entertain_mn / Twitter.com

Now, Nilsson is associated with one of the best restaurants in the world: Faviken. Faviken is ranked as the fifty-seventh best restaurant in the world. It won two Michelin Stars in 2016. Nilsson’s business empire includes four cookbooks, published from 2012 until 2018 by Phaidon, a London publisher and John Wiley & Sons competitor.

As Seen On: Top Chef 
Restaurant: Gramercy Tavern 
Est. Net Worth: $20 million* 

New Jersey-born chef Tom Colicchio founded the Gramercy Tavern, a famous establishment in New York City. He was not just the head chef there, he was also the co-owner. He founded the company Crafted Hospitality, which encompasses several restaurants, including Craft, Riverpark, Temple Court, Craftsteak, Heritage Steak, and Small Batch. These restaurants are located all across the country.

Tom Colicchio - Top Chef @ESQFood / Twitter.com

Because of his accomplishments in cooking and business, Colicchio has a net worth of $20 million. He has been successful since the nineties when he first opened Gramercy Tavern. A decade ago, Gramercy Tavern was labeled the “Most Popular Restaurant” in all of New York City (according to a Zagat Survey). Colicchio, who just started his own iHeartMedia podcast, has won five separate James Beard Awards for his various cooking accomplishments. He also is recognizable as the recurring judge on Top Chef, where he has sat on the panel every single season. 

As Seen On: Real Housewives of Miami
Restaurant: N/A
Est. Net Worth: $9 million* 

Cuban chef Ana Quincoces is an author and lawyer. She is a partner in her own law firm, as well as the author of several cookbooks. She is also known for her appearance on The Real Housewives of Miami, where she is known for being a tell-it-like-it-is TV personality. Quincoces additionally recently got engaged, in a story that made headlines because of her fame.  

Hispanic Kitchen Ana Quincoces @CelebrityChefsNow/Pinterest.com

If you want more Ana, she also has a business interest in Havana Elsa, which is her web series. The web series featured Elsa Patton, who is the mother of Marysol Patton, a Real Housewives cast member. Patton launched her own Havana Elsa coffee line, and the web series covered her journey (in nine episodes). 

As Seen On: Barefoot Contessa  
Restaurant: N/A
Est. Net Worth: $50 million*

Ina Garten, better known as Barefoot Contessa, is one of the most famous chefs in the world. Her business sense doesn’t just apply to cooking. Garten is a former White House Staff Member for the Office of Management and Budget. It wasn’t until after her tenure at the White House that Garten decided to pursue her true passion: cooking. Her own intuition and business sense helped her grow her empire. 

Ina Garten @DougDodsonENews/Twitter.com

She started out her entrepreneurship in Barefoot Contessa, which was her name for her gourmet food store. Garten then took the moniker for herself, expanding the brand label to include cookbooks, many of which are best-sellers, as well as her own eponymous TV show (she also had a guest appearance on NBC’s 30 Rock).  

As Seen On: Paula’s Home Cooking
Restaurant: The Lady & Sons Restaurant 
Est. Net Worth: $14 million*

Paula Deen is a Southern chef through and through. Born in Georgia, she suffered from agoraphobia and panic attacks when she was younger, so she learned to cook when she was in the house. She started her own company, The Bag Lady, which was a catering service that focused on sandwiches. Her sons did the delivery.

Paula Deen @PaulaDeen / Facebook.com

The Bag Lady took off, and she soon purchased space for her own restaurant. She became part of the food network in the late 1990s after being introduced to chef Gordon Elliot. She also has published fifteen cookbooks, many of which are bestsellers in the genre. Her fame helped her get a spot on Dancing with the Stars, a show on ABC.

As Seen On: Top Chef  
Restaurant: Rocco’s
Est. Net Worth: $9 million*

Rocco DiSpirito was born in Queens and graduated from Boston University. He is still based in New York City, though. He is known for his Italian-American dishes and his creative use of fusion cooking. He starred in the show The Restaurant, which aired from 2003 until 2004. The series followed him as he launched his new restaurant, Rocco’s.

Rocco DiSpirito @RoccoDiSpirito/Facebook.com

The former Union Pacific chef has been able to expand his business empire to non-cooking companies. He was an endorser for the Lincoln MKX. He also had appearances on the ABC sitcom called The Knights of Prosperity, as well as the reality show The Biggest Loser: Couples, where he taught contestants how to make healthy meals.

As Seen On: Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations
Restaurant: Brasserie Les Halles 
Est. Net Worth: $16 million*   

Anthony Bourdain was one of the most talented and interesting chefs and TV personalities in America. He was the head chef at Brasserie Les Halles, a famous Manhattan restaurant. He was also the author of several best-selling books, and he had his own travel TV show. His breakthrough show, A Cook’s Tour, aired on Food Network before Bourdain switched over to the Travel Channel. His later series No Reservations and The Layover explored cultures and cuisines across the world. Bourdain also had a CNN show, Parts Unknown.

Anthony Bourdain © stock_photo_world / Shutterstock.com

Sadly, the cooking savant is no longer with us. Bourdain died in 2018 while filming for his Parts Unknown show, but he lives on in his impressive oeuvre of shows and writing. His books, essays, and articles, which cover a wide range of topics, from food to politics, have appeared in pretty much every major publication in existence. 

As Seen On: Iron Chef America 
Restaurant: Spago
Est. Net Worth: $75 million* 

Few chefs are as famous as Wolfgang Puck. Puck was born in Austria. And he relocated to the US when he was twenty-four. His flagship restaurant, Spago, opened in Los Angeles in 1982. He was never formally educated, instead working as an apprentice at La Tour. He also is the part-owner and head chef for Ma Maison. He has been able to open his own lucrative holding company thanks to his fame. 

Wolfgang Puck © Hayk_Shalunts / Shutterstock.com

Wolfgang Puck Companies, his holding company, includes Wolfgang Puck Catering, Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group, and Wolfgang Puck Worldwide, Inc., among others. All in all, the holding company owns more than twenty restaurants, eighty express operations, and merchandise ranging from coffee to cookbooks. Fun fact: the celebrity chef also has had guest appearances on the NBC sitcom Frasier.

As Seen On: Celebrity Cook-Off  
Restaurant: Johnny Garlic’s 
Est. Net Worth: $8.5 million*

The inspiration for thousands of memes, Guy Fieri is an Emmy-award winning TV personality and chef who co-owns three famous California restaurants. Fieri has hosted multiple shows on the Food Network, and he is somewhat of the face of the channel. He became famous after winning the Next Food Network Star show, and he developed several series. His most famous was Celebrity Cook-Off.  

Guy Fieri @ GuyFieri / Twitter.com

The The New York Times described the success of Fieri’s brand as one that brought “mass-market,” “rowdy” culture to food television. Fieri’s shows attract more male viewers than any other show on the Food Network. Fieri is not just a great chef, he is also a businessman with an eye for branding.