Jamie Lynch’s journey in the restaurant business began at the age of 16 when he started as a dishwasher in a local bar and grill in a Massachusetts fishing town. He quickly fell in love with the bustling kitchen life, setting the stage for his culinary passion.

Jamie pursued formal culinary training at the New England Culinary Institution in Vermont, during which he completed an externship at Aqua in San Francisco under renowned chef Michael Mina. This experience ignited his desire to train under top chefs. After graduating, he returned to New York City, where he secured a prestigious position at Le Cirque 2000 in The Palace Hotel under the mentorship of chef Andrew Carmellini.

His culinary journey continued with stints at Aureole under Charlie Palmer and Daniel Boulud’s Café Boulud, before he settled in as a Sous Chef at Touqueville Restaurant in Union Square. Jamie reflected on those years as a time of absolute dedication to perfecting his craft.

The events of 9/11 brought Jamie to Charlotte in 2002, where he worked at Ethan’s, a new American bistro. It was here that he met farmer Sammy Koenigsberg of New Town Farms, sparking a deep appreciation for local and sustainable produce.

In 2012, Jamie achieved his dream of opening a restaurant with the opening of Church and Union Charlotte. Since then, Jamie has earned numerous accolades, including appearances on Bravo’s Top Chef and Top Chef All-Star’s. Jamie and his business partners have gone on to open – Church and Union Charleston, Tempest, La Belle Helene, Church and Union Nashville and Ophelia’s Nashville. The group plans open Church and Union Denver and Church and Union Miami in 2024.

Jamie considers himself lucky to be part of the “eclectic bunch” of partners behind the 5th Street Group and uses this as inspiration for his food. “I don’t stick to one particular type of cuisine; it’s more of a hybrid of flavors from all over the world because it’s important to me that my menus speak to the diversity of our group,” he says. “I try to create dishes that excite the palate and are visually appealing, but I use traditional techniques to tie everything together.”

Outside the kitchen, Jamie enjoys his sailboat and spending time with his son Max, who has already embraced a strong work ethic and is following in his father’s footsteps by working at a 5th Street Group restaurant.