Michael D. Symon was born on 19 September 1969, in Cleveland, Ohio USA, of Italian, Greek and Eastern European ancestry. Michael is a chef, restaurateur, television personality and author best known for his regular appearances in various Food Network shows. He’s also the owner of several restaurants in Cleveland, credited as the person responsible for rekindling the restaurant scene of the downtown area. His various exploits have helped raise his net worth to where it is now.
How rich is Michael Symon? As of early-2016, sources inform us of a net worth that is at $4 million, mostly earned through a successful career in the food industry. He owns restaurants in several cities including Cleveland and Detroit. He’s also written a few books and has product endorsements, all of which help raise and maintain his wealth.
Michael’s cooking career would start after he matriculated from St. Edward’s High School in Lakewood. He became a cook part-time at Gepetto’s Ribs and then later studied at the Culinary Institute of America in New York, graduating in 1990.
Michael Symon Net Worth $4 Million
After school, Symon worked at Player’s and focused on Mediterranean food. A few years later he became the chef of Piccolo Mondo, before moving to Caxton Café. In 1997, Michael decided to open his first restaurant – Lola, which earned great reviews and was considered one of America’s Best Restaurants in 2000 by Gourmet Magazine. In 2005, he converted Lola into Lolita and then moved Lola to a different location. In 2006, he opened a third restaurant called Parea in New York City, and focused on Greek Food. The reviews for the food were great, however, it wasn’t enough for the competitive New York environment and they closed a year later. In 2008, Michael opened the restaurant Roast in Detroit and it would become the 2009 restaurant of the year. He then opened Bar Symon and B Spot in Ohio, eventually relocating the former and expanding the latter. His net worth is growing steadily.
Aside from his restaurants, Symon makes regular appearances on the Food Network, in shows like “FoodNation”, “Melting Pot”, and “Ready, Set, Cook”. He’s also been in competitions like “Iron Chef America” and “The Next Iron Chef”. Aside from the Food Network, Symon has also appeared on shows like “Conan” and “The Chew”.
Michael has also been featured in books and magazines, and has written his own books. His first was released in 2009, called “Michael Symon’s Live To Cook: Recipes And Techniques To Rock Your Kitchen”. He released another cookbook in 2012 called “The Chew: Food. Life. Fun.” His next book would be a collaboration with writer Douglas Trattner entitled “Michael Symon’s Carnivore: 120 Recipes For Meat Lovers”. He also released a series of seasonal books during 2012 and 2013, and his latest book is called “The Chew: What’s For Dinner”.
For his personal life, it is known that he is married to Liz Shanahan, who’s also involved in the restaurant business. He also has a stepson, who was two years old when they married.
