Matt Casarez entered his first commercial kitchen at 14 years old and hasn’t abandoned the industry since. His taste of chef-dom started in Pueblo, Colorado, after which he moved to Denver to attend Johnson & Wales University After working at several Denver hotels and restaurants, he took a gamble on Black Hawk hotel and casino ktichens. There his bets paid off and he opened his first restaurant, Crook’s Palace, in 2009. At Crook’s, Matt satisfied his sweet tooth by experimenting, inventing, and revolutionizing ice cream. This led to the Guinness Book of World Records awarding him the the record of “Most Ice Cream Flavors Displayed at One Time,” with 985 flavors on display.
This accolade led to distribution in several Denver restaurants and, eventually, to a mobile ice cream shop in 2017. In 2019, Matt added more restaurants to his name: Arista Deli & Coffee in Broomfield where Mc2 Ice Cream is served and Lohi Eats in Denver’s LoHi neighborhood.
