Chef Joseph Lerner has spent his career working in various facets of the food industry: owning a catering company, being a private chef and working in the hospitality industry. Now, he’s added another notch to his resume with Curate Café, which opened its doors in Scottsdale this summer.
Curate Café is located inside Grayhawk Plaza and boasts a menu with trendy and eye-catching foods, from Burrata Bruschetta to scrumptious pressed sandwiches. It also offers a wide range of coffee offerings made from fair-trade, Mexican Chiapas coffee that’s roasted daily. Curate aims to offer only the freshest ingredients so guests can start their day the right way.
Lerner has over 18 years of culinary experience and is an award-winning private chef who founded a catering business, Curate Cuisine. His work in the culinary space goes beyond his catering and new café — he also hosts cooking classes and private culinary experiences and works as a culinary consultant to assist others in their food adventures, from meal planning to starting their own restaurant.
He began his career in the hospitality industry. This experience has proved invaluable as he earned a spot in the Top Private Chefs of Arizona and was featured in various local magazines.
Lerner traveled across the country and joined a coffee club to learn about various types of beans and roasts. These cross-country experiences inspired him to open Curate Café.
“Starting Curate Café this year has been a dream come true,” he said. “I have always followed my passions in life, and I’m excited to bring excellent, sourced coffee to my community and provide a space where people can gather and start their day with great food.”
At the core of Lerner’s work is an emphasis on using fresh and local ingredients and materials; even the tables and charcuterie boards were forged using locally sourced wood. To ensure fresh coffee daily, Curate has its own “Roast Room” with a JOPER roaster handcrafted in Portugal to create the best coffee experience possible.
If you’re craving breakfast or lunch or just grabbing a quick drink and a pastry, Curate Café has you covered. Hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. For more information, visit curatecafe.co or follow them on Instagram @curate_cafe.
