John Castellucci began his culinary career in the kitchens of his family’s restaurants, helping them grow to a restaurant group, Castellucci Hospitality Group (CHG), and currently serves as executive chef at Spanish-focused concepts, Bar Mercado and The Iberian Pig. Operating as the culinary arm of the family, Castellucci is a steadfast leader in the kitchen, managing both culinary teams to deliver exceptional dining experiences and overseeing menu development for the group’s successful new restaurant openings.

Castellucci received his culinary education from the Culinary Institute of America, and also received a bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management from Florida International University. Following his formal education, Castellucci pursued culinary training opportunities across the country and in Europe from some of the world’s best chefs. Key experiences include working in the kitchens of RN74 in San Francisco, WD50 in New York City and Michelin-starred Restaurant Arzak in San Sebastian, where he refined his cooking skills, explored new cuisines and techniques and learned how to lead a culinary team.

After his travels, Castellucci returned to Atlanta equipped with advanced talent and knowledge to share with CHG’s culinary teams to push them to new levels of excellence. After working at Double Zero’s original location in Sandy Springs, John helped to conceptualize the Basque-inspired menu at Cooks & Soldiers when it opened in West Midtown in November 2014. After two years as executive sous chef at the restaurant, he helped redevelop the menu at Double Zero, which relocated to Emory Village in September 2016, and stayed on the team as executive sous chef. The following year, Castellucci oversaw menu development and helmed the kitchen as executive chef at Bar Mercado, a traditional Spanish tapas restaurant at Krog Street Market that opened in September 2017, before moving to The Iberian Pig where he currently serves as executive chef. Since returning to his roots, Castellucci continues to serve as a culinary leader for all of CHG’s restaurants, setting high standards for the team, inspiring creativity across menus and leading by example.

When he’s not in the kitchen, John is an avid Atlanta sports fan and frequents independent coffee shops around the city.