Jennifer Murphy has been making a splash on the local dining scene since her debut in a Las Vegas Strip kitchen in 2006. She has worked in some of the most prestigious restaurants in the city, including L’Atelier De Joël Robuchon, Prime Steakhouse and Michael Mina at Bellagio. But her big break came when she was hired as executive chef of Gordon Ramsay Hell’s Kitchen at Caesars Palace in 2017.
“Without a doubt, opening Gordon Ramsay Hell’s Kitchen at Caesars has been the biggest accomplishment in my career. It was my first executive role, and I felt like I had something to prove,” Murphy said. “I poured my heart and soul into that restaurant. It has been the most challenging thing I’ve ever done. It’s an incredibly successful restaurant with one of the best teams I have ever worked with.”
Within its first month of operation, Gordon Ramsay Hell’s Kitchen received more than 20,000 reservations for the first five months, and it welcomed 405,000 guests within its first year. The highly anticipated opening was met with rave reviews—and Murphy’s star rose quickly.
In August 2019, Murphy was promoted to Executive Chef of Restaurant Operations at Caesars Palace. “I never thought I’d end up where I am this early in my career. It’s a far departure from being a room chef. I don’t work in a kitchen every day. My responsibilities have changed, and it almost feels like I have gone into a different line of work,” Murphy said. “Being surrounded by an incredible team of F&B professionals gives me the confidence I need to conquer the challenges of this new role.”
Murphy also spends time volunteering at Green Our Planet with other Caesars Palace chefs, teaching local elementary school kids how to create healthy meals with food grown in their school’s garden.