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The Founders

Chef Andrew Carmellini, Luke Ostrom
& Josh Pickard

With more than 75 collective years of experience in the hospitality industry between them, Carmellini, Pickard and Ostrom have produced some of its most-talked-about establishments, earning NoHo Hospitality Group a spot among Inc. Magazine's list of "America's Fastest-Growing Companies" in 2016, 2017 and 2018.

Andrew Carmellini

Chef, Restaurateur, Author

Andrew Carmellini's cooking is soulful and flavorful, rustic and refined. It's a personal style that reflects his American roots, his work in some of the world's best fine dining restaurants, and his travels abroad.

Born and raised in Seven Hills, OH, Andrew credits his parents who loved simple, delicious, well-made food with his early appreciation for it. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, Andrew became part of a generation of chefs who began their cooking careers in the heyday of era-defining institutions such as Lespinasse, L’Arpège and Le Cirque. Then in 1998, Andrew became the opening Chef de Cuisine of Café Boulud. During his tenure, he was awarded twice by the James Beard Foundation and named one of Food & Wine Magazine’s “Best New Chefs,” among many other accolades. Members of his kitchen brigade would also go on to become some of today’s brightest culinary talents, leaving Andrew’s own set of prints on the era that followed.

Outside of culinary circles, Andrew is known as a hit-maker synthesizing pertinent culinary culture with urban social dining scenes. His restaurants are often credited with cracking the code between fine cooking and fun dining. They currently include 10 restaurants, a live music and performance venue, a retail and wholesale bakery, three cocktail bars, a beer hall, two fast-casual concepts, and six hotel food and beverage programs across four states. No two are alike.

Andrew is also the author of two cookbooks with his wife Gwen Hyman: "Urban Italian" (Bloomsbury Press, 2008), which climbed to the year's "Top Ten Cookbooks" list on Amazon.com, and "American Flavor" (Ecco: Harper Collins, 2011). 

The story continues every day at andrewcarmellini.com.

Luke Ostrom

Co-Founder, Restaurateur

Since forming NoHo Hospitality Group in 2009, Luke has populated New York City, Miami Beach, Baltimore, Detroit and Nashville with award-winning restaurants, spirited cocktail bars, live performance venues and fast casual dining destinations.

Luke's growing body of work includes Locanda Verde, The Dutch, Joe's Pub, Lafayette, Bar Primi, Little Park, Westlight, Mister Dips, Leuca, Rec Pier Chop House, Rye Street Tavern, San Morello, Evening Bar, The Brakeman, Penny Red's, and Carne Mare.

As a veteran of hospitality culture and design, Luke has also produced casual and upscale dining concepts for VV Ventures, OTG, Delta Airlines, Starwood, Marriott International, Bedrock, Howard Hughes and Madison Square Garden, New York's most famous arena.

Luke was distinguished as a member of Crain's New York Business' class of "40 Under 40" in 2015 while leading NoHo Hospitality to earn recognition for three consecutive years on Inc. Magazine's "Fastest Growing Companies in America" list.

In 2020 Luke became a founding member of the Independent Restaurant Coalition to advocate for the industry-saving legislation that passed in the wake of Covid-19. Luke currently sits as an active member of the Board for ROAR NewYork, supporting the organization to fight for meaningful benefits to NYC's restaurant workforce including raising over $3 million in grants for the unemployed; launching the city's first mobile vaccine bus to aide in the mass vaccination effort; and partnering with Coa to help fund health and wellness services.

As a distinguished chef earlier in his career, Luke brings a culinary perspective to his operations strategy when developing new locations, building brands, implementing company culture and running the day-to-day business operations for NoHo Hospitality as Managing Partner.

Josh Pickard

Co-Founder, Restaurateur, Managing Partner

Josh Pickard is the co-founder and managing partner of NoHo Hospitality Group with a 30-year-long venerated career in hospitality rooted in creating some of New York City's most sought-after restaurants & music venues.

After graduating with an MBA from the University of Southern California, Josh opened his first restaurant in 1990 called Time Café & Fez – a combined live music and restaurant venue that would transform downtown Manhattan’s nightlife over the course of the following decade. This led to an invitation from the The Public Theater to partner on its now iconic live music and performance venue, Joe’s Pub, offering dinner and drink service to show-goers.

Josh partnered with award-winning chef Andrew Carmellini in 2009 to create Locanda Verde in Robert De Niro’s TriBeCa hotel, The Greenwich. Since then, Josh has populated downtown Manhattan, Brooklyn, Miami Beach, FL, Baltimore, MD and his hometown of Detroit, MI with NoHo Hospitality Group’s signature, spirited dining environments.

Josh is also known for his successes with Lever House, a midtown restaurant which was awarded a Michelin Star and nominated a Best New Restaurant by the James Beard Foundation in 2003; Lure Fishbar, SoHo's beloved seafood and sushi concept circa 2004; Burger & Barrel in 2010, a casual winepub with an American menu of greatest hits; and Lure Fishbar's expansion to Miami Beach.