Sam Belanger

General Manager

Sam Belanger has been a General Manager with Chef Driven Hospitality for 10 years.

Sam began working in restaurants as a singing waiter while attending college in Massachusetts. Restaurants were always a side hustle while performing and doing theater throughout New England. When he eventually moved to NYC 30 years ago, to continue his performing career, Sam actually worked for 3 months as a server at the French Roast he now runs, before leaving to tour the country on the National Tour of Annie. 

For 10 years in NYC Sam went back and forth working in restaurants between theater jobs. Eventually wanting a steadier lifestyle restaurant work became the obvious option. Sam worked his way up the ladder to his first Floor Manager Position with ARC Restaurants and their UWS institution Ernie's . At Ernie's Sam quickly moved from being a Floor Manager to their Events Manager hosting events for SNL, Lincoln Center and Various Film and Theater Openings . Moving on to Assistant GM Positions at the Chelsea Eatery " Elmo" and "The Eatery" in Hell's Kitchen, Sam then moved on to his first GM Position with Eat Rice Restaurants in SoHo. Sam worked  for Eat Rice Restaurants for 13 years as the GM of two SoHo Asian Landmarks Kin Khao and Kelley and Ping. 

In 2015 Sam returned to Chef Driven Hospitality as the GM of French Roast Downtown and a year and a half later moved uptown coming full circle as the GM of the French Roast where he was once a server. 

Loi Benitez

Executive Chef

Originally from Santiago in Chile, Chef Loi Benitez grew up on his grandmother Ester’s cooking. To this day, he can still remember coming home from school and smelling her food from around the corner, specifically his favorite of her dishes — fish, lamb or veal stew over rice, with greens tossed in fresh lemon. 

Chef Loi moved to New York in 1998 and was reunited for the first time in years with his father, who owned — and to this day still runs — Freddie and Pepper’s restaurant on the Upper West Side. Loi grew up in the restaurant, spending all his free time there outside of school, and by the age of 16 had honed his knife skills, and learnt to bake bread, and make fresh pasta and pizza. He still cites working for his father as one of the greatest experiences of his culinary career. 

At 19, Loi took over an Irish pub in Astoria called Broadway Station, venturing into his first role as a culinary leader. From there, he focused his interest on French cuisine, working at many of the city’s iconic French restaurants, including Jubilee, Bistro Vendome and Opia, as well as OTG at LaGuardia Airport. Chef Loi’s passion for high-quality food products, and natural flair for managing people, saw him rise quickly through the ranks in the kitchen, and brought him to the Chef Driven family in 2019. 

Aviram Turgeman

Beverage Director and Partner

Aviram Turgeman is the Beverage Director for Chef Driven's ventures including Nice Matin, Marseille, Nizza, Dagon and more.

Aviram left his hometown in Israel in 2001 to join New York City’s hospitality scene where he learned the restaurant business from the ground up. Growing up in a gastronomically focused family, he always had an innate passion for the wine space. In 2003 he joined the American Sommelier Association, where he studied and taught. In 2009, he successfully completed the comprehensive WSET Diploma in Wine and Spirits, both of which are an integral part of the ever going beverage expert career.

Aviram has received the Grand Award of Excellence by Wine Spectator Magazine for the (2,500+ bottle) selection at Nice Matin every year since 2014. His background and passion for hospitality is the main force behind how he chooses wine and curates for each venue. Regardless of restaurant concept and region, you’ll find something that pairs perfectly with every menu item.

Aviram is also the mastermind behind Chef Driven's innovative cocktail lists. Aviram always goes for an imaginative take on classic favorites. His menu offers everything from Martinis and Negronis to Highballs and Margaritas but with a unique creative touch.