Once reserved for celebrities and billionaires, private chefs have become one of the fastest-growing luxuries in modern households. Today, as Hamptons homeowners trade restaurant reservations for private dinner parties and chef-prepared meals, the demand for private chefs and household staffing services has become higher than ever.
Meet private chef and entrepreneur Jess Asaro who has worked behind the scenes in some of the country’s most exclusive homes. Working in the luxury business for over a decade, her client roster has included names such as Timothée Chalamet, Sofia Richie Grainge, and Katherine Power, just to name a few.
Today, Asaro is the founder of Fountain of Youth Foods & Home, a concierge-style staffing and placement company that connects clients with private chefs and household professionals. The business is a natural extension of the career she spent years building inside luxury residences, where she learned that creating a seamless home experience requires far more than exceptional food.
“I saw how these houses ran, and I always had this idea of creating that environment and connecting clients to people,” Asaro says.
Originally beginning her career in Los Angeles, Asaro got her start cooking prepared meals for dual-income households before networking her way into the private chef world through her @thymewithjess Instagram account, which documented her health food journey. The connections she made eventually opened doors to opportunities with professional athletes, actors, and high-profile families.
“Once you kind of get your foot in the door with one, it’s just word of mouth from there,” she says.
By 2020, Asaro was working with prominent families full-time, just as the demand for private chefs was beginning to surge.
“COVID changed the private chef industry dramatically,” she says. “A lot of people didn’t really know it was a thing, but it’s always been there. I would say in the last six years, it has become very common.”
While many people associate private chefs with indulgence, Asaro says today’s clients are often looking for something much simpler: nourishing meals, convenience, and the ability to entertain at home.
“A lot of people think when they have a chef, it’s like, oh, you’re eating restaurant meals all the time. But a lot of it is just day-to-day stuff,” she said. “People are just looking for nourishing food.”
As relationships deepened, Asaro found that clients increasingly relied on her for more than meals. Years spent working closely with families gave her a firsthand understanding of how luxury households operate and the people needed to keep them running smoothly.
“You wear a lot of different hats. You are someone who is taking care of the home. You’re the one nourishing them. You’re the one maybe being the ear to lend on, the therapist,” she said. “Especially when we have a fully staffed house, everything from security to nannies to house cleaners, when that runs smoothly and it’s cohesively ran, it’s just a really beautiful experience.”
While there are many staffing agencies in the luxury household space, Asaro believes her experience working directly inside these homes gives her a different perspective.
“I always say when doing this, it’s like matchmaking” she said. “Someone could be the most talented chef, but if they don’t gel with the client, then it’s not gonna work.”
In addition to staffing services, the company also plans and executes dinner parties and events, handling everything from menu development to staffing and presentation. For Asaro, creating a memorable gathering goes beyond the food itself.
“I would say I’m a huge person for ambiance and lighting,” she said. “Having that flow with good lighting, good music, and good company creates a memorable experience.”
Now extending her clientele to New York, Asaro is focused on growing Fountain of Youth Foods & Home Out East and in the city while continuing to build a trusted network of chefs, assistants, housekeepers, and other household professionals.
Whether placing a private chef, planning an event, or helping staff an entire household, Asaro’s goal remains the same: creating experiences that feel effortless for the people she serves.
Audrey Glass
