• Chris Santos is a chef and restaurant owner with a net worth of over $8 million.
• He is of Irish and Portuguese ancestry, and studied at Johnson & Wales University.
• He has opened several successful restaurants, including The Stanton Social and Beauty & Essex.
• He appears as a guest judge on the Food Network show "Chopped", and is in a relationship with Natalie Makenna.
• He is active on social media, with accounts on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
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Who is Chris Santos?
Chris Santos was born on 26 March 1971, in Fall River, Massachusetts, USA, and is a chef, best known for being the executive chef of the restaurant The Stanton Social located in the Lower East Side of New York City, and which he ownes. He also co-owns Beauty & Essex which is a 10,000 square foot, 250-seat restaurant also located on the Lower East Side.
The Wealth of Chris Santos
How rich is Chris Santos? As of mid-2024, sources estimate a net worth that is over $8 million, earned through success in the culinary industry.
Aside from his work as a chef, he has also appeared on several television programs, with the intention of later creating his own show. As he continues his career, it’s expected that his wealth will continue to increase.
Early Life, Education, and Career Beginnings
Chris grew-up in Massachusetts, the youngest of four children and is of Irish as well as Portuguese ancestry. At the age of 13, he began working in the kitchen of a small local restaurant in Rhode Island. During his time there, he was encouraged to try and learn how to cook, leading him to move from the sink to the stove.
He attended Bristol County Agricultural High School, and after matriculating in 1989, he fully committed to the culinary arts, studying the craft at the Johnson & Wales University. The private university is known for providing more experiential opportunities for its students, thanks to ties with various companies through internship programs. It is one of the first colleges founded by Gertrude I. Johnson and Mary T. Wales, who developed their own education model in the early 1900s.
Culinary Success
Initially, Santos only wanted to stay with the university for two years, but he was awarded a fellowship, so he stayed for two more years to study restaurant and hotel management. He graduated with honors in 1993 ,but despite his training there, he considers himself more of a self-taught chef, as he didn’t undergo training under master chefs during his youth. In 1994, he moved to New York City, and was hired by the Iconic Time Café, where he served as the executive chef for the next four years.
In 1999, he endeavored to travel around the world to learn more about cooking and improve his skills; he devoted most of his year to visiting 14 countries and 40 cities in Europe. He returned to New York City, then moved to Boston to work for the French-inspired Cranebook Restaurant and Tearoom. He also became a consulting chef for restaurant Rue 57, then later that year he opened his first restaurant called Wyanoka, serving as the executive chef and partner in the 27-seat restaurant, which gained a loyal following as well as good reviews from high profile publications.
Later Career, and Television
In 2003, Santos became the executive chef of the Latin restaurant Suba, which has won numerous awards. A year later, he moved to the same position at Mojo, located in Brooklyn, New York, and around the same time, he became the co-owner and executive chef of The Mexican Sandwich Company, located in the same area. His most successful restaurant would be launched in 20054, called The Stanton Social. Since its inception, numerous magazines and newspapers have given it a lot of praise; the restaurant is noted for its expansive menu and its use of small plates that feature cooking from a multitude of cultures. Due to this, he was named as the Star Chefs Rising Star Chef.
The success of this restaurant led him to launch Beauty & Essex, his largest restaurant to date, created from the historic M. Katz Furniture store, on two levels, a lounge, a two-storey crystal chandelier, and a 20-foot skylight. It was the hottest restaurant in the country, and was the destination of high-profile clients during its launch, and elevated him to celebrity status. One of his latest restaurants is called Vandal, while he’s also opened restaurants in Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
Aside from his restaurants, he is a recurring guest judge in the Food Network show entitled “Chopped”.
Personal Life and Social Media
For his personal life, it’s known that Santos has been married to Natalie Makenna since 2022. The two have been spotted together travelling around the world, often going to events together and spending time together whenever they are free.
He’s been open about his struggle with weight loss, and is an advocate of breast cancer awareness, having lost someone close to him from the disease.
Similar to numerous chefs and television personalities, he’s active through accounts on social media. He has an account on the website Instagram, using the platform to post some of his recent and upcoming projects; he loves posting some of his recent food creations, as well as posting a few personal photos.
He also has an account on Twitter, and another on Facebook, on which he has over 22,000 fans.
He actually enjoys going to the gym, and refers to himself as a boxing junkie.
He enjoys listening to metal music.
