Roles in a restaurant kitchen vary from head, executive, and sous chefs to pastry specialists, sauciers, and Garde Mangers, offering many opportunities for aspiring culinary artists to follow their palatable career dreams. While envisioning and creating masterful dishes for a living is a fantasy for many, this industry is one filled with barriers, including low-paying starting positions and the need to work relentlessly to stand out and break through the glass ceiling. Even those who make it may find this dream less fulfilling than expected, overwhelmed with long working hours, a fast-paced, stressful environment, and an unbalanced work-life dynamic.

To redefine this landscape on more than one front, Michael Wolf founded WOLFoods, humanizing the roles of professionals, while redefining traditional freezer-to-table camp fare in place of what the company calls camp cuisine. Since 2013, WOLFoods has been changing how camps operate, transforming the standard approach into vibrant, nutritional meals cooked by professional chefs from scratch. With a team of passionate experts, the company also accommodates unique individual needs, including allergies, religious restrictions, and personal dietary choices and preferences.

Through camp cooking, WOLFoods provides exclusive opportunities for aspiring chefs, interns, and even individuals seeking seasonal work, infusing conventional food service settings with outdoor activities, new experiences, and an invaluable sense of community bonds. For Michael, that dedication is rooted deeply in his professional journey, from young adult camp infatuation to a fine cooking chapter and rediscovering the rich value of camp life.

Since childhood, Michael spent summers at a local camp, where he forged genuine bonds, learned the importance of communal experiences, and fell in love with the outdoors. In college, after spending his freshman summer working within hotels, Michael realized this path wouldn’t lead him to more hands-on, influential positions, so he embarked on a mission to find a job that felt more empowering. Filled with determination, he contacted the very same camp from his childhood, only to be rejected for his young age and lack of experience. “Hearing ‘No’ was tough, but I was determined. I said I’m willing to work all day and learn as much as I could, but that didn’t convince her,” shares Michael.

The next day, Michael heard from another camp that was located in the north woods of Wisconsin, offering him a position that would change the trajectory of his life. What started as an adventure quickly turned into a summer of novelty, as Michael, a 19-year-old college student with no qualifications, was hired as the camp’s head chef. “I remember calling my mom, sister, and grandma every day, asking them how to prepare different dishes,” he reminisces. “It probably wasn’t the smartest decision on the camp’s part, but it forced me to get to work and learn quickly.”

This summer, the camp became a space for growth, Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything turned into a lifeline, and Michael’s professional journey truly started. In a full-circle moment, this young chef was later hired at the camp he grew up at, returning to the place that started it all with newly gained knowledge and refined skills. While turning locally sourced products into delectable meals cooked from scratch, Michael realized more than the depth of his passion; he understood that food has the power to unite people and spark happiness.

After graduating, Michael put camp on the back burner, thinking of it more like a temporary passion project. With grand ideas and high ambitions, he went to culinary school, soon after getting a position with Hillstone Restaurant Group, where he sharpened his skills. Later, he was recruited by Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, taking the role of chef de cuisine for one of their fast-casual restaurant concepts. Through nearly five years at Caesars, Michael gained national renown and established his name in the industry.

Despite his tremendous success, living the life many chefs dream of, working in the glitz and glamor of the Las Vegas culinary scene he felt a calling to do something truly meaningful. Encouraged by a colleague, Michael accepted a new contract at a renowned camp, refining its menu and preparing diverse dishes that addressed the unique needs of children and camp staff. When an American Camping Association inspector visited the camp, blown away by Michael’s high quality and attention to detail, he shared with him a neighboring camp’s contact, asking for Michael’s professional expertise and support. Since then, the project transformed into WOLFoods, providing services across the country to change how camp cooking is done.

Having experienced the profound impact of camp first-hand, Michael’s mission grew, now including a commitment to help others excel in the industry while finding the meaning that was once missing from their work. WOLFoods is passionate about hiring chefs, interns, and students, offering unique opportunities that, from a steppingstone, may turn into a beautiful lifetime adventure.

More than work experience, WOLFoods opens the doors to a world of community bonds, adventure, and genuine appreciation – something rarely seen in traditional restaurants. “At camp, kids cheer the chefs during vigorous parades while singing about how amazing the chicken teriyaki was. At restaurants, the only time you hear feedback is when food gets sent back,” reflects Michael. “The appreciation of a 10-year-old is a lot more fulfilling than a slight nod of approval from a fine dining critic. Knowing that people enjoyed the food you prepared is the most rewarding feeling as a chef, and camp provides that every day. Here, you don’t only serve food; you nurture connections between other cooks and participants, fostering a like-minded community where opportunities and human-centric values meet.”