Chef Jeff Woodward

Chef Jeff has more than 20 years of experience in the restaurant industry. He graduated in May 2020 with a degree in Restaurant Hospitality and Culinary Arts with a Certification in Baking from Ozark Technical College in Springfield, Missouri. He started as a corporate trainer for Houlihan’s Restaurants and traveled across the country opening new stores. Over the years, he has worked for privately owned establishments, as well as large well-known corporations.

In Branson, Missouri, Chef Jeff worked for America’s Top Theme Park: Silver Dollar City. He created many of the rubs and sauces for the Bluegrass and BBQ festival, while running the Production Kitchen which served food to the entire park. Based on his gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, originally created for The Spring Festival, a new food shop was added called The Traveler’s Stop, near The Time Traveler ride. As one of the head chefs at Silver Dollar City, Chef Jeff prepared various meals for The Harlem GlobeTrotters during their summer exhibitions. He also developed the recipes for the gourmet style tacos and nachos at the Hula Hula Taco Stand at White Water aquatic park. The Bacon-Cheeseburger Pizza at Crossroads Pizza was Chef Jeff’s first paid menu creation for Herschend Entertainment. Pete and Jack Herschend have welcomed Chef Jeff to provide private meals in their home.

While at Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgedale, Missouri, Chef Jeff managed kitchens, developed specialized menus for events, and organized catering parties. During the Legends of Golf Tournament, Chef Jeff would serve private events, presenting only the highest level of food to many top-level athletes, entertainers, and business professionals. One of his all-time favorite events was making breakfast for Peyton Manning and his family each morning. Chef Jeff also served as the Chef de Partie and created meals for many celebrities including Mark Wahlberg, Justin Timberlake, and St. Louis Blues hockey legend, Chris Pronger.