One thing Chef Josh Capon isn’t doing? Sitting still.
Whether he is greeting guests by name with a smile and a fist pump, high-fiving his employees as they pass, or asking if they have tried the now-famous Flyfish Club hummus, Capon is everywhere at once. He is in constant motion, but never out of focus.
“I always say, START STRONG, FINISH STRONGER. From the first table to the last table, you got to be giving it everything you got,” says Capon
Capon’s energy is infectious — it is the kind of presence that only comes from decades in the kitchen.
He got introduced to the food world as a teenager in Rockland County, working his way up from dishwasher to line cook before he could even vote.
While attending the University of Maryland, Capon initially studied agronomy — the science of soil management and crop production. But as he sat through classes about dirt, farming, and environmental conservation, he realized he could not picture a future working in the fields.
“I remember when my parents called me up to ask me what my major was, and I said, agronomy. And they said, What are you doing? Being a freaking forest ranger,” Capon joked.
His parents picked him up then and there to tour Johnson & Wales University — a leader in culinary education in Rhode Island— where everything clicked. The joy cooking created could never be let go.
Capon had great mentors along his road to success who helped shape his entire approach to hospitality.
After graduating from Johnson & Wales, he landed an externship with chef Charlie Palmer, who discovered his talent and invited him into the high-pressure environment of Manhattan restaurant’s Aureole and The Lenox Room.
Capon says his true mentor was David Burke, whom he worked under at Park Avenue Café after his time with Palmer. Burke taught him to think outside the box and to never lose sight of the guests’ experience.
“David Burke really taught me not just how to cook great food, but how to be creative, how to be whimsical, and, most importantly, how to make sure your guests are having fun,” Capon said.
Before fully stepping into his own, Capon spent time training as a sous-chef under Gray Kunz at Astor Court in the St. Regis. He quickly rose through the ranks, becoming Executive Chef at spots like Matthew’s and Alva, before landing at Canteen in SoHo, where he spent the next 21 years making his mark in the culinary world. Those early kitchens taught him a lot, but above all, they taught him respect.
From the food on the plate to the people in the room, Capon believes everyone deserves attention and care. Even today, he makes it a priority to treat every interaction like it matters —because to him, it does.
“Respect the physical plant that you’re working in, respect the people that you’re working with, and respect the customers and the food that you put out…you got to treat everybody with respect,” Capon emphasizes.
When it comes to his cooking style, Capon keeps it simple: he wants food that people actually want to eat.
“I like approachable, accessible, craveable food,” he said. “I don’t use a lot of ingredients that people don’t understand what they are.
The goal is for every dish on the menu to spark that holy crap reaction — an entire lineup that makes choosing what to order nearly impossible.
“I want people to look at a menu and literally say…what are we not ordering.”
The idea is to make people feel excited to return — either to order everything they could not fit in the first time, or to relive the best bites all over again.
Capon’s style – making accessible and craveable food – clearly works. He has opened a wide range of restaurants with Mercer Street Hospitality Group that speak to his versatility as a chef, including Lure Fish Bar, Bowery Meat Company, Burger & Barrel Winepub, and El Torro Blanco.
All of these restaurants came before Capon co-founded VCR Group — a move that added more restaurants, and even more range, to his already impressive resume.
In 2021, Capon took the next leap in his career by co-founding VCR Group alongside entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk, hospitality operator David Rodolitz, and culinary officer Conor Hanlon. The mission was simple: have four hospitality veterans build environments that create innovative and unforgettable dining experiences.
And that is exactly what they did. Since launching the VCR group, it has quickly become one of the most closely-watched hospitality collectives in New York. The team has opened a series of restaurants that each offer something distinct.
There is Ito and Bar Ito, an intimate omakase counter in Tribeca (with a Las Vegas outpost at Fontainebleau) that showcases top-tier sushi in a 16 seat setting. Here, Capon swaps burgers for fish, working alongside Michelin-starred Chef Masa Ito and Chef Kevin Kim – two sushi masters who both began their culinary journeys at just 19 years old.
Then there is Little Maven, a stylish and very picturesque American spot in Flatiron. The menu includes appetizers like whipped tahini paired with charred pepper relish and grilled bread; Caesar cups filled with endive, charred broccoli, and garlic crumbs, and more. Mains span from spaghetti vongole to showstoppers like their signature Maven burger. Every dish on this menu screams Capon: flavorful, fun, and full of energy.
Capon’s Burgers holds a special place in his restaurant roster — not just because it is a crowd favorite, but because it represents his most validating achievement. Capon is an eight-time champion of NYC & South Beach Wine & Food Festival’s Burger Bash, a title that has earned him serious credibility in the world of comfort food.
After dominating the Burger Bash scene year after year, the idea of turning that success into a brand felt right.
“When I won the first burger bash, it was great. When I won the second or third, I’m like, alright, what am I gonna do with this?”
Located in the Fontainebleau Las Vegas resort – with a New Jersey location and Capon’s Chophouse on the way — Capon’s Burgers is the restaurant that quite literally put his name in lights.
“I think to have my name in lights in Vegas is obviously a dream come true for anybody. But I think more importantly, there was a culmination of a lot of hard work,” he said.
Most recently, the VCR group opened Flyfish Club — Capon’s newest and most ambitious conquest yet. Located on the Lower East Side, this private members only club is truly an incredible space in Manhattan.
The main dining room is bold and elegant, covered in warm coral and peach tones, with rose-gold accents reflecting off the bar. When in the dining room members are welcome to order cocktails, hang out, and enjoy a full menu that highlights seafood-driven dishes with Capon’s signature energy.
When I sat down, Capon immediately asked, “What are we eating?” All of the sudden, plates filled with Thai-style calamari and verde hummus landed on the table. Without missing a beat, he grabbed my fork, scooped up a bite of calamari, and handed it to me himself. It was crispy and completely irresistible.
Downstairs from the dining room is the Cattail Lounge — with teal walls, velvet seating, a glowing backlit bar, and its own DJ booth. It is a contrast in color and energy, ideal for post-dinner cocktails and dancing.
Tucked behind a hidden door, the omakase counter is a 14-seat sanctuary for sushi lovers. The space features an acoustic wall great for privacy, it is a quiet, immersive space where conversations flow as the sushi is sliced right in front of you.
For Capon, Flyfish Club is not just another restaurant — it is a comeback. After stepping away from the kitchen after 21 years following his time as executive chef/partner at Mercer St Hospitality (Lure Fishbar & Bowery Meat Co.), he took a three-year hiatus. Returning to the industry with VCR Group and opening a series of successful, standout restaurants was a full-circle moment.
“This restaurant has healed me in a way. I needed a change of pace, a new chapter in my career…some people thought it was never going to happen, but you’ve seen it. It’s a beast, it’s a 10. And we’re so proud of it.”
Before I left, I asked Capon what advice he would give to someone trying to make it in this industry.
He did not hesitate.
“Be kind. Be appreciative. Be respectful to everything and everybody around you,” he said. “I think this is the toughest business in the entire world. The hours are grueling, the working environment…It’s hot. All I do is take care of everybody else. You got to take care of the people that take care of you.
For Capon, that is not just something he says — it is how he lives. At Fontainebleau Las Vegas, home to Capon’s Burgers, you’ll often find him in the food court, greeting guests, passing out samples, and making sure no customer leaves unhappy.
“I spend most of my day giving people some ice cream or little things like that.” He said. “I think the personality and the persona behind each burger and the brand is what resonates with people.”
And with that, he asked me if I had ever read The Dash.
“It’ll change your life, I can’t get through it without crying.”
The poem, by Linda Ellis, reflects on the small line between the dates on a tombstone – a symbol of not what you possess, but how you live, love, and impact others.
For Chef Josh Capon — who has built his lasting career by bringing joy to everyone’s dinner table — his dash is already packed with purpose.
