Ben Daitz

As a proud, third-generation New Yorker and the son of two professors, Ben grew up on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. His parents wanted him to be exposed to a number of different influences, and Ben’s family would travel to Paris every few years to dine at Michelin starred eateries, piquing his interest in the culinary world at a young age. After studying at Clark University, Ben reached out to a family friend who happened to be the chef at the French Consulate, and he coordinated stages for Ben at Bouley, Daniel and Le Cirque. It was at Bouley where Ben became enthralled with the chef life. He enrolled at The Culinary Institute of America, and after a stint at San Francisco’s Michelin-starred La Folie with Roland Passot, he returned to his roots in New York City where he joined Floyd Cardoz at Tabla just six months after opening. Following his time at Tabla, Ben worked at Danube with Bouley before moving across the East River to work in Brooklyn at the Michelin-starred Saul. Taking a hiatus from the kitchen , he joined the private equity firm Time Equities and gained exposure to a whole new side of the restaurant business: real estate. After running into his old Clark University friend Ratha, Ben helped him with the opening of Kampuchea. Simultaneously, he started working with Saul again to build out The Vanderbilt, a gastropub in Prospect Heights that opened in October 2009. In March 2009, Ben and Ratha responded to the popularity of the sandwiches at Kampuchea, opening Num Pang in Union Square. Since then, they have continued to grow, opening up a flagship location in the up-and-coming NoMad neighborhood, as well as Midtown East, Chelsea Market, Times Square, Hudson Eats at Brookfield Place, FiDi South, and FiDi North. Additionally, Ben remains a managing partner at The Vanderbilt and Red Gravy as well as the charcuterie company Brooklyn Bangers which has recently expanded to multiple vendor stations at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.