Steven Grostick

Executive Chef, Toasted Oak Grill & Market

Steven Grostick, Executive Chef at the Toasted Oak Grill & Market, is an award winning Chef with more than 15 years of experience as a progressive culinary professional.

Born and bred in Michigan, Chef Grostick’s passion for cooking was ignited at an early age in his family’s kitchen. He went on to earn a Culinary Arts Degree from Livonia’s Schoolcraft College, where he quickly found his niche in butchery and charcuterie. Chef Grostick honed his culinary skills as the Executive Chef of the award-winning Five Lakes Grill in Milford, Michigan, where studied and trained under James Beard nominated Chef Brian Polcyn for 11 years.

Under Chef Grostick’s leadership, Five Lakes was named “Restaurant of the Year” in 2005 by The Detroit Free Press. Chef Grostick has won several restaurant prestigious industry awards, including a silver medal in the “Culinary Super Team Challenge” in Orlando. He most recently served as the Executive Chef at Table 5 in Northville, Michigan. Chef Grostick is heavily involved in several local food charities, including the Gleaners Community Food Bank of Metro Detroit, Taste of the NFL and Share our Strength.

Peter Karpinski

Chief Operating Officer, SAGE Restaurant Group

With an intense passion for creating distinct dining experiences that appeal to a guest who is hungry for life, Peter Karpinski is the Founder & Chief Operating Officer of Sage Restaurant Group.

A graduate of Cornell University’s respected School of Hotel Administration, Karpinski is a bold leader who has helped elevate Sage Hospitality’s commitment to excellence in restaurant development with his vision for redefining industry conventions. Karpinski understands that it takes a clear sense of purpose combined with a high level of enthusiasm to deliver a product that is admired by consumers, investors and the industry alike.

Before joining the Sage Hospitality family in 2005, Karpinski sharpened his skill set at several top luxury brands, including Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and Caesars Palace. At Four Seasons, Karpinski served as both Interim and Assistant Food and Beverage Director at its Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel, managing a $24 million annual operation.

At Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Karpinski spent two years as the Director of Restaurants, overseeing 800 union employees – including 45 managers – as well as a $75 million operations budget. While in Las Vegas, Karpinski was involved with the debut of nationally acclaimed restaurants Bradley Ogden and Mesa Grill, both large-scale launches from celebrity-status chefs.

He then joined Philadelphia’s Starr Restaurant Organization, one of the nation’s fastest growing independent restaurant groups. At Starr, Karpinski served as Corporate Director of Operations, managing an $80 million business with 1,200 staff and a strong eye for cutting-edge design and ambitious expansion plans.

Karpinski brought his eye for untapped potential and unidentified niches to Sage Hospitality in late 2005, where he was charged with founding and launching the new Sage Restaurant Group, as well as overseeing the Sage Independent Hotel Group to optimize, synthesize and evolve its operations and assets.

“We want to seamlessly bridge the gap between independent restaurateurs and hotel food and beverage operations,” says Karpinski. “We have a progressive approach for building credibility with our investors and providing value to our consumers.”

With a keen strategic vision, Karpinski has overseen the launch of eight award-winning Sage Restaurant Group concepts in less than five years, including The Corner Office and Second Home Kitchen + Bar in Denver, Mercat a la Planxa in Chicago and Urban Farmer, the Original and Departure in Portland. All of the restaurants are adjacent to Sage Hospitality hotels and are also committed to delivering exceptional catering and in-room dining experiences.

“Sage’s nimble, entrepreneurial mindset fuels the dynamism needed to succeed in an already crowded and competitive marketplace,” Karpinski says.

Karpinski is also a strong believer in Sage Hospitality’s pledge to support the communities in which they operate, embracing the company philosophy that “we can truly make the cities we are in better places to live and work.” Karpinski is currently a member of Denver Active 20/30 Children’s Foundation, as well as a supporter of Limb Preservation Foundation Board and Girls & Boys Club of Denver, CO.

Creating premium products known for delivering unique experiences, high-quality service and impressive returns – that’s the way business is done for Sage Restaurant Group’s Peter Karpinski.