Today we’d like to introduce you to JIm Wood.
Hi JIm, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Jim Wood is the Executive Chef and Co-owner of Applewood Kitchen and Bar in Greenville, Michigan. He is classically trained in French cuisine, which he adapts to New American offerings, primarily cooking with wood and fire. Jim is passionate about bringing something completely new to town and feels humbled in his attempt to serve exciting food to this community.
Jim was born and raised in Michigan and he first worked as a line cook at a small diner when he was in high school. It was there he discovered the chaos of the kitchen and enjoyed everything that came along with it. After years of working in positions in both front and back of the house, he ended up north in Bellaire, Michigan. His first professional chef position was running the kitchen at Shorts Brewery, one of the first microbreweries to open in the area, shortly after they opened.
He went on to attend Schoolcraft College to achieve his Culinary Arts degree in Livonia. He later received his BAS with an emphasis in Hospitality from Madonna University.
After graduating, Jim was Executive Chef at Sanctuary Ranch in Stanwood, Michigan where he had been Executive Chef for 14 seasons. Wood also during that time became the Chef for the “Michigan Out of Doors” television series. In 2014, he became the Executive Chef and eventual Co-owner of Antlers Fireside Grill and CL Pizza Co., also in Stanwood. Jim left Antlers in May 2021 to pursue his dream of owning, operating, and having complete creative control of his menu and space. That is now Wood Shop Social in Mt. Pleasant.
In the Spring of 2023, Jim met Mike and April Petersen through a mutual friend. Mike and April owned Frugthaven Farm and wanted to put a full-service restaurant and bar in the 15,000-square-foot building that already existed on the orchard. The three of them instantly knew they could build something great and it all started with a name…Applewood Kitchen and Bar would be a place where the community can come together and “break bread.” A place to eat, drink, be merry, and be social. Where human beings are treated like human beings.
Later that summer, Jim asked one of his employees who had been with him since the opening of Wood Shop Social to come along for the ride. Ali Jones joined the team the following January as the General Manager of Applewood Kitchen and Bar.
After a grueling year of everything that comes with the opening of a restaurant, they opened the doors to the public on February 26, 2025.
Applewood Kitchen and Bar brings guest-focused hospitality to the Greenville area and aims to get better every day.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
In terms of Applewood Kitchen and Bar goes the road has been fairly smooth for the most part. Thankfully I have an amazing General Manager (Ali Jones) who keeps things in check and makes sure the entire operation is in a good spot.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Starting at age 16 I was cooking in kitchens. In my mind I always wanted to be a chef, but more a chef who specializes in cooking game. I grew up in the outdoors and so it was a pretty seamless transition. I wanted to find a way to blend both my passion for wild game and the outdoors. When I graduated from culinary school I quickly took the job as chef at The Sanctuary which is a hunting ranch in West Michigan. . As time has gone by I have had to transition into a restauranteur, but I will always be a chef by trade.
What sets me apart from others is the ability to recognize talent and to put the right people in the right spots
What I am most part of is being part of the culture change in restaurants. I wanted to open restaurants where the staff actually enjoys what they are doing
What matters most to you?
What matters most to me is making sure the team feels like they are more than just a “spoke in the wheel.” They feel like what they are doing means something and that it is important
This matters to me because I don’t view them as spokes in the wheel, but as essential human beings doing everything together. If they are not happy with the businesses than I haven’t done my job as the owner. In my opinion the restaurants failures are my failures and the restaurants success is the team’s success. I am not the one who creates the greatness. They are
Contact Info:
- Website: https://applewoodkitchenandbar.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/applewoodkitchenandbar/
