Dan Coudreaut facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dan Codreaut
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| Born | November 8, 1965 |
| Education | Culinary Institute of America |
| Occupation | Executive chef, McDonald's, 2004-2018 |
| Years active | 1987-present |
Dan Coudreaut (born November 8, 1965) is an American chef. He was the main chef and a top leader for creating new food ideas at McDonald's from 2004 to 2018.
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About Dan Coudreaut
Dan Coudreaut started working in kitchens when he was just 14 years old. He began by washing dishes in a restaurant in his hometown of Ossining, New York. In 1995, he finished at the very top of his class at the Culinary Institute of America, which is a famous cooking school.
Dan's Cooking Journey
After finishing cooking school, Dan Coudreaut worked as a chef at Café Pacific. Then, he became a club chef at the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. Both of these places are in Dallas, Texas. In 2000, he started working for bigger restaurant chains. He joined Ponderosa Steakhouse and Bonanza Family Steakhouse. There, he was in charge of creating new food products.
In 2004, Dan joined McDonald's. He took over from another famous chef, Rene Arend. As the main chef at McDonald's, Dan's job was to help a team of chefs. They worked together to come up with new ideas and create new menu items. These new foods would be served in McDonald's many restaurants around the world. In 2012, he even shared a video on YouTube. In the video, he showed everyone how to make the special sauce for the famous Big Mac. He left McDonald's in 2018.
Awards and Fun Facts
Dan Coudreaut has received special recognition for his work. In 2003, he was listed among the top chefs who create new food ideas by Nation's Restaurant News magazine. In 2006, he won the magazine's Chef/Innovator MenuMasters Award.
He also sang lead vocals in a band called Chef Dan and the Appetizers. This classic rock band was started by McDonald's employees in 2008. They played music to raise money for Ronald McDonald House Charities, which helps families with sick children.
What Dan Added to the McDonald's Menu
Dan Coudreaut was responsible for adding several popular items to McDonald's national menu. These include:
- Asian and Southwest Chicken Salads
- Angus and Chicken Snack Wraps
- Angus Burger sandwich line
- McCafe coffee drinks
- Oatmeal
- Real Fruit Smoothie beverages
- Spicy Premium Chicken sandwich
