Kris Polak — Director of Kitchen Operations and Culinary
Role: Director of Kitchen Operations and Culinary Joined: 1992 (original opening) Tenure: 33+ years — one of the original 15 employees
Career Before Blue Ribbon
- Worked with eric-bromberg at Nick and Eddie NYC from 1990
- Trained in Paris with Bruno Hess at Le Recamier (same restaurant where both Eric and Bruce Bromberg trained)
Role at Blue Ribbon
Kris oversees all kitchen operations day-to-day across the Blue Ribbon portfolio. As a 1992 original, she is one of the foundational operational pillars of the company — her institutional knowledge spans the entire history of the brand.
Significance
Kris is one of only 12 remaining original employees from the 1992 opening (out of 15 total). Her Paris training at Le Recamier connects her directly to the Brombergs’ own culinary roots. The pre-Blue Ribbon relationship with Eric (Nick and Eddie, 1990) is a recurring pattern in the founding team — trusted, proven relationships before the company existed.
See overview for full staff retention context.