John Meyer, Chef/Owner of BJ’s Market & Bakery, graduated from Chicago State University in 1987 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing. He enrolled in the Culinary Arts Program at Washburne Trade School in Chicago where he was classically trained in French-American cuisine. After gaining invaluable experience at Chicago's prestigious University Club, Chef Meyer committed himself to opening a white tablecloth restaurant on Chicago’s South Side. Established in 1992, The Retreat Restaurant was housed in a renovated Victorian mansion in the historical Pullman area.
In his continued quest to provide quality food service establishments to his community, John opened BJ’s Market & Bakery in 1997. BJ’s Market has been acclaimed by several food critics and was named one of the “Top Ten Restaurants in Chicago” by WLS-TV food critic James Ward. For an optimal viewing experience, we strongly recommend using the Firefox browser, which can be downloaded here.