Q&A with Chef Gavin Kaysen

There isn’t much in the food world chef Gavin Kaysen hasn’t done. Win a James Beard Award? Yes, he’s done that–twice. Guest star on Food Network? He’s offered his expertise as a judge on Bobby’s Triple Threat. Make sandwiches at Subway? Kaysen pumped out footlongs while working at the fast-food restaurant as a teenager. While in Minnesota, the one thing Kaysen hadn’t done was open a dining establishment outside the Land of 10,000 Lakes. That changed last year, however, when he debuted The Merchant Room at Naples Beach Club, A Four Seasons Resort. Kaysen says fans of his other restaurants, such as Spoon and Stable, will notice similarities with The Merchant Room, but setting up shop in Florida also brings perks you don’t get anywhere else.

“You’re right at the bar, then you walk onto the patio, and it’s the million-dollar view,” Kaysen says. “The ocean is right there. Southwest Florida has the best sunsets, and you get to see [these] every night.”

Naples Illustrated spoke with the celebrated chef about his restaurant in the Sunshine State and what his future in Naples might look like. 

NI: There are many places to open restaurants. What attracted you to Southwest Florida and Naples?

Kaysen: As a kid, my family and I vacationed there often, so I have nostalgic memories of spending time in both Naples and Sanibel Island. What attracted me most was that many guests I serve in Minneapolis have homes here during the winter months. In our profession, what’s beautiful is that we can move around the country and cook in different places.

What was your vision for The Merchant Room, and how did you make it a reality?

When this opportunity was presented to me, we started to think and dream about different names. The Merchant Room was the name I presented to the team, which was quickly accepted. The vision was to take what we know works well at Spoon and Stable, including some of the dishes and ingredients, and bring that approach to Florida for The Merchant Room.

How did you construct the menu?

Imagine you’re driving down the road and you’re thinking, “I have to go to The Merchant Room and get that pork chop.” That’s a craveable dish, right? I wanted to have some dishes on the menu that I know are very craveable and delicious. And, what I just said raises something else important: is it delicious? Anytime we construct a menu, it’s less about putting ourselves in a creative box and more about asking ourselves, “What are the parameters?”

From your perspective, how is the Southwest Florida dining scene evolving?

I’ve been traveling here for the last three years while this project was being built, so I’ve been able to eat at many restaurants and visit a lot of friends who have restaurants in Southwest Florida. It has changed so much over the last couple of years, and I think a lot of it is similar to what I see in Minneapolis. Many of the people that we cook for are well-traveled, and they know exactly what they want. As long as restaurants continue to fill up and are pushed by guests, it allows us an opportunity to do a lot of different things.

Are we going to see more of chef Gavin Kaysen in Naples?

I hope so! I love being down in Naples. I love the people. Step one is just getting your foot in the door and getting comfortable with everybody and what’s happening. I’m excited to continue to explore what else is here.

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