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Charlie Torgerson's Page

Profile Information

Title: Chef/Owner

Company: American Restaurant Consultants/Famous Dave's

Website: http://americanrestaurantconsultants.com

Restaurant Segment: Casual

Interests: Discovering new food, Consulting, Networking, Gaining Knowledge

Personal Quote: Love all things about the Pig!!! Pig Good

Biography: OVERVIEW:
Chef/Consultant CHARLIE TORGERSON

Back in 1981, it was no surprise to see young
Minnesota born Charlie Torgerson's career direction
leading him back to one of his favorite spots, life in the
kitchen. He had long been a food fan as a kid, and had
often cooked and experimented with many a family
meal at home with both his Mother and Grandmother's approval.

Following high school graduation with a gleam in his eye, he headed off to Hyde Park New York to the renowned Culinary Institute of America. In 1985 he had the parchment in hand when he braved the streets of New York City. He cut his teeth at the famed Oyster Bar in 1986 at the historic Grand Central Station in Manhattan, and went on to work at 3 star restaurants where he was the Pastry Chef and Chef.

In 1990 Charlie got the call of the wild and left the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple to head for our 49th state, ALASKA. He developed; owned and operated a hot spot in Fairbanks dubbed Charlie T's Smokehouse for five years. This is really where Charlie developed his taste and recipes for unique style of smoked and herb-rubbed meats for good BBQ.

Moving back to Minnesota in the mid 90's to raise his family gave him an exciting new opportunity to work with "Famous Dave" Anderson as Dave was rolling out his passion and namesake Famous Dave's of America. A major partner in the kitchen for recipe development and procedures with Dave since their inception, he was named Executive Chef as well as Food & Beverage Director. He implemented the back-of-the-house systems and tools, developed the menu, continued R & D for much of Dave's product line and worked on kitchen design while opening and training the teams for 35 Famous Dave's restaurants. He also had the joy and challenge of traveling with Famous Dave’s Team on the summer BBQ Rib Fest Contest Circuit for a few grueling seasons between 1996 and 1998.

He is currently a VP of Operations/Owner/Operator of four Famous Dave's Franchise restaurants in Minnesota, including the very popular annual BBQ restaurant operation at the Minnesota State Fair in St.Paul, Minnesota. In addition, he opened a new consulting business in 2006, American Restaurant Consultants with his partner Randy Jernberg.

BIOGRAPHY:

1963 – Born, Coon Rapids, MN
1981 – Graduated, Armstrong High School, Plymouth, MN
1983 - 1985 - Earned A.O.S. degree, Culinary Institute of America, NY
1986 - 1987- Apprenticeship, Famed Oyster Bar in Manhattan, NY
1987 - 1989 - Pastry Chef, the 3 star, Café du Bec Fin, Greenwich CT
1989 - 1990 – Chef, Baton's, Greenwich Village, NY
1990 - 1995 - Chef/Owner, Charlie T's Smokehouse, Fairbanks, AK
1995 - 2000 - Executive Chef/Food & Beverage Director, Famous Dave's of America Minneapolis, MN.
• Implemented the back-of-the-house systems and tools
• Developed menus
• R & D and kitchen design
• Opened and Trained staff for 35 Famous Dave's BBQ Restaurants
1996 - 1998 - Rib Fest Circuit, earned over 150 awards
1997 - 2001 - Opened Minnesota State Fair Famous Dave’s BBQ Restaurant
2001 - CURRENT - Purchased Minnesota State Fair, Famous Dave’s BBQ Restaurant
2001 - CURRENT - Franchise owner, opened 4 Famous Dave's BBQ Restaurants
2006 - CURRENT- Owner/Founder of new Restaurant Consulting firm,
American Restaurant Consultants with partner Randy Jernberg

AWARDS & COMMUNITY WORK:
1997 - Nationwide BBQ Contests – over 150 awards
1997 - 2007- Chef Auction March of Dimes - Annual Supporter
2001 - 2007- Taste of Minnesota Supporter for SOS (Share Our Strength)
2002 - 2007 - Sponsor of ALS Gala - Duluth, MN raised $125,000 annually
2007 – Superior Chef Award, Taste of Elegance - Pork sponsored Contest
2007 – Coordinator and participant, the Ronald McDonald House, Pork Butt Cook-Off
2008- Selected for Celebrated Chef of the Year to represent National Pork Board

TEACHING:
2003 -2007 - BBQ 101 and Pork Cooking Tips- Local cooking schools

Years in the Industry: 30

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At 6:19pm on July 1, 2008, Charlie Torgerson said…: Hi Charlie,

Welcome to FohBoh! We are the leading social-business network for the global restaurant industry and growing fast. Thanks for joining.

Michael L. Atkinson
CEO | Co-Founder, FohBoh

At 6:19pm on July 1, 2008, Charlie Torgerson said…: Hi Charlie,

It's my pleasure to be the first to welcome you to our fantastic community of foodservice professionals from all over the globe. With hundreds of blogs, discussions groups and events to discover, Fohboh is the perfect place for you to connect and communicate with colleagues and friends. Don't hesitate to contact me with comments or criticisms.

Before you get started, take our quick video tour. Then check out our FohBoh Community Guidelines, as well as our FAQ. Once you're comfortable with the lay of the land, start a blog post or join a discussion group - we're glad you're here and can't wait to hear more from you.

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Erin Shea
Director of Community Development, FohBoh