Franqui | Invictus Hospitality

Damian Franqui | Kitchen Guru

Damian is a native New Yorker, and has worked in the hospitality industry for over 15 years. Classically trained, Damian immediately began his career by working with Jean Georges, at V Steakhouse, Vong, and Spice market for three years. Damian’s culinary technique and leadership skills placed him into an elite position, where he quickly rose to being only one of two employees to hold two kitchen jobs within the company simultaneously. 

In 2006, Damian’s career shifted towards fine dining and Mediterranean cuisine, and while working with Chef Michael Psilakis, Anthos earned a Michelin star. Shortly thereafter, Damian was recruited by Chef Alain Ducasse, to work at Adour in the St. Regis Hotel, focusing on high end French fine dining cuisine. Chef Alain closed Adour in 2012, to re-focus his energy in Europe.

Damian was quickly scooped up by Chef Andrew Carmellini, to open Locanda Verde at the Greenwich Hotel. Starting as a line cook, over the course of his eight-year tenure at Locanda Verde, Damian moved into the Executive Chef positions during has last three years there. 

Damian has since worked and helped build The Restaurant at the Troutbeck Resort (which landed on Esquire’s list of best restaurants 2020), Winner in Brooklyn with fellow Michelin Star Chef Daniel Eddy, becoming one of the trendiest places to open during the Pandemic and receiving rave reviews from the Ney York Times, New Yorker, and many others. 

Damian joined the Invictus Hospitality team in 2019, and has been working as a consulting chef to create and implement many successful menus and to train kitchen staff, all over the country, from Martha’s Vineyard, to Havre Montana, to Daytona Beach.