MICHAEL CHERNOW is the Founder of Seamore’s, Co-Founder of The Meatball Shop, and Co-Founder of WellWell. Quite literally the modern day renaissance man, Michael is a restaurateur + entrepreneur, TV Host, fitness personality, and family-man, dedicated to inspiring the world through positivity, hospitality and service.
After navigating the restaurant industry since the ripe age of 13, Michael graduated with degrees in Culinary Arts and Restaurant Management from the French Culinary Institute. Staking his claim in New York City’s highly competitive restaurant scene with a place of his own seemed like the obvious path for Michael — and that’s exactly what he’s done, all the while, staying grounded in his mission to create opportunity for health + happiness for his community.
Partnering with his childhood best-friend, Daniel Holzman, THE MEATBALL SHOP opened its doors in February 2010. Together they have grown THE MEATBALL SHOP to 8 locations in New York, Washington DC and Connecticut, published the highly acclaimed The Meatball Shop Cookbook, and have celebrated brand collabs with VANS, Carhartt, and Champion, to name a few.
In 2015 Michael launched the widely successful, sustainable seafood concept, Seamore’s. The mission at Seamore’s: To encourage extraordinary happiness through great vibes and grub that won't break the bank. Michael has grown Seamore’s to 6 locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn, and it has become a go-to spot for people looking for a place to enjoy a meal in an energetic, fun environment, and a menu chock-full of affordable, fresh and sustainable seafood. The brand has launched lifestyle collaborations with a number of celebrated partners such as JGOLDCROWN, VANS, American Express, The Infatuation and THE ROYAL NATIVE.
In 2016 Michael partnered with Sagan Schultz and frozen health-food mogul, Larry Praeger of Dr. Praeger’s to launch functional health beverage, WellWell. After 2 years of testing the landscape with just one SKU, WellWell hit the ground running in 2019, launching 6 new SKUs that will line marketplace shelves all over the US.
Community is a driving force in Michael’s life, and he spends a solid amount of time as a volunteer, board member + community leader for one of New York City’s most cherished charity organizations, City Harvest. In 2018 Michael led the City Harvest Team of 35 in the New York City Marathon. Together the team raised over $100,000, feeding 600,000 New Yorkers. Michael has been nominated as team Captain again for 2019.
On top of managing 13 properties and 4 companies, Michael hosted 2 seasons of FYI’s TV show Food Porn, was featured in the CNBC docu-series Consumed: The Real Restaurant Business, and participated in international and national publications + campaigns, including GQ, Esquire, People, Food Network Magazine, The New York Times, FOOD & WINE, and Wall Street Journal, as well as on television shows such as NBC’s TODAY Show, Late Night with Seth Myers, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Watch What Happens Live, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Beat Bobby Flay, Kitchen Casino, Chopped, Dr. Oz, Good Morning America and Chelsea Lately. Chernow has also worked with the following brand in several capacities, spanning from model to influencer including Lexus, Coach, Lucky Brand, Equinox, Lululemon Athletica, Tag Heur, New Balance, VitaCoco, Calphalon, Keurig, J.Crew, Mr. Porter, Cole Haan, and jet.com.
Michael’s affinity for understanding human-motivation and identifying gaps in the marketplace, has quickly secured “Michael Chernow” as a household name especially in entrepreneurial circles. Additionally, his commitment to openly sharing his experiences, lifestyle, and motivation on social media, speaking panels, and interviews, has solidified his place as a “go-to” resource for aspiring business owners + entrepreneurs.
“Every day starts with the opportunity to make a decision. The choice to work hard or to not work hard is all on us. We get out of it what we put into it. I know for certain, I can do anything I put my mind to and take action towards.” - MC