Join Chef Chanse

Chef Chanse started his career at the age of 15 as a humble dishwasher at a truck stop in Fond du Lac, gradually working his way up to executive chef at the Central House in Chilton. After three months, at the age of 23, he purchased the Central House. Four years later, Chanse embarked on a new venture when he opened a banquet hall at the Juneau Community Center, which he has owned for 14 years. During those 14 years, Chanse also served as Corporate Executive Chef at Legacy Hotels, eventually focusing on the Juneau Community Center for a more balanced work/family life.

Chanse’s experience includes hosting gun shows, weddings, and company parties. After the meal is prepared, Chanse often exchanged his chef outfit for a three-piece suit and DJs for the event as well.

Chanse has taught numerous cooking schools and has given live cooking demos in front of 20 to 6,000 people, but his true passion is watermelon sculpturing. To date, he has carved over 1,300 unique watermelon sculptures. This past summer, he has the honor of being one of the lead chefs at the U.S. open at Erin Hills, where he carved 17 watermelon sculptures and was the lead chef for the celebration meal for the final day of the tournament.

Chanse loves food, but most of all, loves the variety of people his career has led him to. He likes to put his own twist on the truth in the old song: it’s not what you know – it’s who you know, and how you treat that person you do know.