Andy Hayes
Chef Andy Hayes was born and raised in Nashville, TN. At a very young age, he spent summers working on his grandmother’s blueberry farm outside of Jackson, TN, laying the foundation for a life revolving around delicious food.
Early in his career, Andy joined the opening team at the Hermitage Hotel. Here, he gained invaluable experience, learning from notable Chefs, Sean Brock, Joseph Lenn, and Tyler Brown. He worked his way quickly from line cook to Sous Chef, and eventually, to Chef de Cuisine.
Hungry to learn more, Andy traveled the country, staging in every great restaurant that he could, eventually leading to a cook position in New York City at Gramercy Tavern. During his time there, the restaurant won the James Beard award for Outstanding Restaurant in the country. Andy also assisted James Beard nominated Chef, Bill Taibe, in the creation of the Whelk restaurant in Westport, CT, which received the highest rating from the New York Times.
After recently celebrating the birth of their second child, Andy and his family made the decision to return to Nashville. Andy currently works with M Street Entertainment Group, which owns and operates Whiskey Kitchen, Tavern, Kayne Prime, Virago, Saint Anejo, Moto, and The Rosewall in the Gulch. Andy serves as Executive Chef for Moto, M Street’s Italian concept.