Ben Kaplan

Director of Operations, Barbara Lynch Gruppo

Boston

Ben Kaplan grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, in a family of big eaters, which exposed him to multi-ethnic cuisines starting at a young age. Ben moved to New York City for college and graduated from NYU. While in school, Ben discovered his passion for food and wine while working at Fleur de Sel, a Michelin-starred restaurant focused on the cuisine and wine of Brittany.

Ben took a 3 year break from food and wine after college to work in another area of passion for him: marketing and merchandising for Broadway Shows and other live events. He went back to pursue a career in food and beverage and re-entered the industry as a coat check at Scott Conant's NY Times 3 star Italian restaurant, Scarpetta. He spent 3.5 years there as a Server, Service Director, Assistant General Manager and ultimately as the General Manager, helping to push Scarpetta to exceed its financial goals through enlightened service and hospitality. Ben developed a passion for Italian wine during his tenure at Scarpetta, working to promote wines "off the beaten path" such as orange wines from Carso and Etna Rosso from Sicily.

After living in New York City for 11 years, Ben was ready for a change of pace and a new environment. He moved to Boston and pursued a career with the Barbara Lynch Gruppo based on its passion for education. He has spent 2.5 years with the company as both a general manager and currently, the Director of Operations, working hand in hand with Chef Barbara Lynch on the expansion and growth of the organization. When not working, ice hockey is a major passion, and of course, tasting the next geeky wine coming from Italy's lesser known regions.