Meet Josh Capon, a force of flavor. You may recognize his name from his Food Network appearances, his reign over some of New York City’s hottest kitchens, or his memorable presence at Burger Bash, where his creations became legendary. Whether working the grill, building big brands, or mentoring the next generation of chefs, Josh Capon embodies hustle, hospitality, and heart. Through his journey, he has proved the power of relentless drive, resilience, and staying true to your flavor, both inside and out of the kitchen. Josh’s bold vision and perseverance prove that success is earned one dish at a time. I recently had the opportunity to interview Josh, talking about all things food, success, and the incredible power of work ethic.
To begin our interview, I asked Josh about the time before he became a chef, what he studied in school, and how his education shaped his path to becoming a professional chef. He replied, “Well, to begin, I got into cooking because I complained about my mom’s school lunches one too many times and she finally said, ‘Hey, you know what, make your own lunch, kid!’ So I did! I started off being a busboy, a line cook, and I even worked at a bakery.” Continuing, Josh explained, “I actually ended up at the University of Maryland, and after two years, you have to declare a major, and so I chose agronomy. I will never forget my mom calling me and she was like, ‘What are you going to do with your life studying agronomy, become a forest ranger?’ And that’s when it became evident to me that I was kind of wasting my time and not really finding my passion. The following week, though, my parents took me on a tour of the Johnson & Wales Culinary School, knowing I had a great passion for cooking and hospitality. I took a tour of that school. I wasn’t performing well academically, so my parents were responsible for looking at other opportunities for me. I will never forget touring Johnson & Wales; I remember something about it that just clicked with me. I thought I could see myself at this school. So, at a young age, I made a mature decision to transfer out of Maryland, where I had a lot of friends, to Johnson & Wales, where I met many like-minded people in similar positions, and I completely thrived. I got nothing but straight A’s, and I just enjoyed myself while there.”
Moving on, I asked Josh if he had always known that he wanted to work in the culinary field. Without hesitation, he replied, “What I do know is that I love food, I love to eat, but most of all, food brings people together. I do not care what nationality you are, what religion you practice, what ethnicity you are, we all celebrate around the table; food is a big part of everyone’s culture. Especially in today’s day and age, in a world that is a little bit upside down and crazy, food is the final frontier. I can only control what happens in my restaurants and at my table. I think of cooking as my passport; I was fortunate enough to travel to Germany, Italy, Spain, and France for a year and through cooking, I worked for kitchens and chefs for free, they gave me room and board and education all the way, and I even made friendships that I have today. I just love taking care of people; it’s a big part of who I am. So yeah, I think something within me always knew this was what I was supposed to pursue.”
Continuing our conversation, I asked Josh who some of his role models were growing up, and he responded, “Well, I’ll start with my mom. She always worked hard; she always took good care of my family. Both of my parents were very good cooks; my dad was a little bit more gourmet, and I like to joke that my dad was the one who created tapas before tapas were even a thing, haha! My mom had a different cooking style, but we always had good meals, and I always remember the kitchen being a place of joy!” Continuing, Josh expressed, “David Burke was also a big mentor in my life, he’s a relatively famous chef, he’s a very whimsical chef, and he always taught me to have fun with food and to be creative and not to be too serious. He also taught me one of my biggest skills, which is to bring food to life! David Burke always taught me to have a good presence in the dining room, and if you say hello to one table, you better say hello to every table, because if you treat everybody like a VIP, you are really winning. I would also say that I adore Jesse Izler, and I think that he lives life with a great attitude. To me, I just think the most important thing is to treat everything and everybody with respect.”
Segueing to Josh’s legendary career, I asked him what he would consider to be the most memorable experience in his career so far. After pondering, Josh replied, “Wow, that’s a heavy question! The most memorable moment in my career so far . . . hmmm I would say one of the best chapters of my career has been the Burger Bash. I have been very fortunate to have won the Burger Bash eight times, and I would say that that chapter showed not just who I am as a chef but who I am as a person. Yes, I might have had a delicious burger, but when I took the time to talk to those tasting my burgers and sharing laughs with them, that’s the part that meant a lot to me. Also, being involved in the U.S. Open and the Super Bowl every year are pretty memorable moments in my career!”
On a similar note, I asked Josh what it is like to work with well-known, influential individuals, to which he answered, “To start, I think it is very important to treat everybody like a celebrity, but sometimes it can be fun! I just got off the phone before doing this interview with you and found out that three of the top New York Yankees are coming to my restaurant for dinner tonight! Whether it is the New York Knicks, the Yankees, the Rangers, or musicians like Bon Jovi coming in, you’ve got to make sure you take care of and respect everybody.”
Nearing the end of our interview, I asked Josh what his goals are for the future, to which he replied, “As far as for my new company, VCR Group, one of our goals is to make it into one of the biggest hospitality groups in the world. One of my goals within that goal is to make Capon’s Burgers a relevant, nationwide brand so that when people think of burgers or chicken sandwiches, I want them to think Capon’s. As for one of my personal goals, it is to make the world a better place. I get a little emotional saying that because I sometimes struggle with the world that we live in. I do think that we were put here for a better reason and for better purposes. I just want to make the world a better place, whether that’s one burger at a time, I’m not sure yet, haha! Other than that, I am very content with who I am, what I do, and who I surround myself with, and I think those are three very important lessons to live by. I would say that those who read this article should surround themselves with good people and good things will happen. Also, believe in who you are and what you do, be honest with yourself and the people around you, and wake up every day, put a smile on your face, and go after what you want.”
I would like to personally thank Chef Josh Capon for motivating me to work hard to accomplish my goals and for continuing to be kind and respectful to everyone I come across. Chef Capon taught me that kindness is a superpower that can lead to the biggest and best outcomes. To those reading, I hope you can visit one of Chef Capon’s many restaurants, where food is always served with a smile and a good time!
