Mike Wajda

Acclaimed Chef Mike Wajda brings his signature style and experience to Weyland Ventures’ Common Bond Hotel Collection. As Director of Culinary, Chef Wajda’s recipes will flow through the kitchens of each property. With curated menus as versatile as each concept in the Collection, Chef Wajda’s lens brings comfort food to the forefront. For Wajda, “Food is intimate. It takes us to another place, brings comfort, creates and stirs memories, and invokes a sense of discovery.”   

Formally trained in the Culinary Arts, Chef Wajda graduated from the Pennsylvania Culinary Institute in 2007. As Chef de Partie at Restaurant Gordan Ramsey in New York City, Chef Wajda spent three years developing his craft alongside the world-renowned celebrity chef. With subsequent stints at East Coast hot spots including Craige on Main in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Chef Wajda was offered the coveted spot as Corporate Sous Chef for the Michael Mina Group in San Francisco. At Michael Mina, Wajda assisted in the management of 23 restaurants and over 1500 employees, as well as launching seven restaurants around the world in a single year. 

With Ohio roots, Chef Wajda’s appreciation for America’s farmers and locally sourced ingredients is evident in his culinary style, a seamless blend of comfort and contemporary. Sourcing key seasonal ingredients and building partnerships with local purveyors, Common Bond Hotel Collection kitchens amplify the natural flavor and environment of each community.   

Chef Wajda previously held the position of Executive Chef at Proof on Main. Housed within the 21c Museum Hotel in downtown Louisville, Proof on Main is a longtime favorite of celebrities and visitors in town for the Derby. Prior to joining Common Bond Hotel Collection, Wajda was Senior Executive Chef at Everyday Kitchen, where he worked alongside Common Bond Hotel Collection Chef de Cuisine, Jeremy Frederiksen.