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Meet Our Team
JR & Cindy Schoenfeld, Owners
JR graduated from culinary school and has spent 35 years studying food and traveling the world. Early in his career, he held various restaurant roles, including Function/Banquet Captain, Sous Chef, Head Chef, and Food & Beverage Manager at notable establishments like The Canterbury Hotel, Denali National Park Hotel, and Lambeau Field. He also served as Executive Chef for PGA events, concerts, and VIP catering with Spectrum Events before opening his first restaurant.
JR has opened several dining spots in Northeast Wisconsin, starting with Chives Restaurant in Suamico. He has launched eight others, taking risks and embracing new ideas, and each experience provides valuable lessons.
His mission is to keep it simple and use the freshest ingredients. Our skilled, customer-focused staff includes those who helped JR shape Chives and others from previous kitchens. Their dedication makes for a great work environment, and Chives owes its success to this talented team.
Brady Miner, Head Chef
Brady is a proud graduate of Waukesha County Technical College, where he earned his well-deserved degree in Culinary Arts. He gained valuable experience in various esteemed establishments, including Wolf Peach in Milwaukee, Lagniappe Brasserie in New Berlin, Bleu Restaurant in DePere, and Chives in Suamico. As a young boy, Brady developed a keen interest in cooking during his time in Boy Scouts, where he learned that “if you cooked, you didn’t have to clean.” This insight led him to choose the culinary path.
Today, he proudly holds the position of Head Chef at Chives. In this role, he oversees everything from purchasing ingredients and scheduling staff to maintaining the daily operations of the kitchen. Brady is dedicated to preserving JR’s original menu items while also training new staff members as the season approaches, fostering an environment that encourages creativity with exciting Daily Feature choices. Outside of his culinary pursuits, Brady enjoys spending time in the great outdoors, tending to his garden, playing golf, and raising small farm animals.
Janelle Jensen, Pastry Chef
Our desserts are truly a remarkable work of art! Each one is meticulously created from scratch by our talented Pastry Chef, Janelle Jensen. Janelle began her culinary journey as a line cook in Door County back in 2004. It wasn’t long before she found her true passion and creative flair for the pastry arts, which allowed her to express her artistic talents. In 2007, she proudly graduated from The French Pastry School in Chicago, an accomplishment that marked a significant milestone in her career. She has gained invaluable experience working at prestigious establishments such as The Ritz Carlton in Naples, Florida, Petite Provence Bakery in Portland, Oregon, and the JW Marriott/Ritz Carlton in Orlando, Florida, among others. In 2020, she made the heartfelt decision to return to Door County to join our team and share her incredible skills with us.
Join Our Team
We are a fun, hard working group and very passionate about our industry. Chives is open year round. We are very fortunate to be set in the most beautiful seasonal area on Lake Michigan in Door County, Wisconsin.
We hire cooks, prep, food truck cooks, bartenders, servers, hostess, bussers, etc. Full-time or part-time, year round or seasonal.
Housing opportunities are available. If you work for us full-time, we have options! Rooms, houses, condos, and camping are available.
Please fill out an application or submit your resume by dropping it off or mailing it to us.