Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicholas Stevens Patrick Miller.
Hi Nicholas Stevens, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Grand Cru Hospitality was founded in 2012 by Patrick Miller and Alex Chong with a vision of creating exceptional hospitality experiences through outstanding cuisine, handcrafted cocktails, and genuine service. Just six months after the company launched, Nick Stevens joined the team, becoming part of the journey as Grand Cru continued to grow and evolve.
Together, the team built Grand Cru Hospitality into one of Portland’s premier catering and hospitality companies, earning a reputation for thoughtfully curated menus, elevated bar programs, and seamless event execution. From intimate private dinners to large-scale weddings, nonprofit galas, corporate celebrations, and everything in between, Grand Cru has always believed that every event should feel personal, intentional, and unforgettable. In January 2025, co-founder Alex Chong stepped away to pursue new ventures, creating the opportunity for Nick to become an owner and partner alongside Patrick.
Today, Patrick and Nick are leading Grand Cru Hospitality into its next chapter, building on the foundation they helped create while continuing to invest in their team, elevate the guest experience, and push the boundaries of hospitality. While ownership has evolved, the mission remains the same: creating meaningful experiences that bring people together through exceptional food, handcrafted cocktails, and genuine service.
Patrick Miller is the President, Co-Founder, and Executive Chef of Grand Cru Hospitality. With 35 years in the kitchen, Patrick’s career spans fine dining, luxury hospitality, and high-pressure events where there’s no room for shortcuts and mediocre food.
He’s led kitchens as Executive Chef at 50 Plates and Sun Mountain Lodge, a AAA Four Diamond, 99-room luxury destination, and cooked at the Four Seasons Beverly Hills. His time at the two-Michelin-starred Alpenhof Murnau in Germany sharpened a classical foundation that still drives his work today: disciplined, intentional, and bold.
A graduate of Seattle Central College with an AA in Culinary Arts, Patrick is also an owner and partner in Portland establishments: Jackies, Sugar Hill + Hide A While. His work has landed him in Men’s Health Magazine and the James Beard House in New York City.
Born and raised in Portland, Patrick brings the same passion to his garden and dinner table as he does to the kitchen. He believes great food should be honest, generous, and memorable and that the best meals, whether for ten or a thousand, always start with care and end with people wanting more.
Nick Stevens is the Chief Operating Officer of Grand Cru Hospitality. Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, Nick is the ultimate “man with a plan”, always two steps ahead, keeping the team aligned, events running smoothly, and the craft cocktails flowing. A University of Oregon graduate in Journalism and Communication (Go Ducks!), he brings over 20 years of professional experience blending his Public Relations expertise with strategic thinking and hands-on problem solving to make sure everything and everyone is exactly where it needs to be.
Nick began his journey with Grand Cru Hospitality in 2012, as Operations Manager, where he helped build the systems, standards, and team that power the company today. In January 2025, he became an owner, bringing a deep, operational understanding and long-term vision to the business. Part COO, part mixologist, part everything-in-between, Nick is a true jack-of-all-trades who thrives where logistics, people, and execution meet.
Fueled by his love for his family, his team, and the Portland community, Nick brings the same care to his work outside the office. You’ll often find him immersed in design-and-build projects—renovating, crafting, and woodworking with intention (and usually a little sawdust involved). When he’s not building or refining a space, he’s spending time with his black lab, Hank, who’s always ready for a walk, a game of fetch, or the occasional taste test.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of the biggest challenges has been navigating an industry that is constantly evolving. Like many small businesses, Grand Cru has faced rising fixed costs, increasing payroll expenses, volatile food prices, and uncertainty around the economy. At the same time, we’re planning menus and pricing events months, and sometimes more than a year, in advance, making it difficult to predict future food costs. We’re also committed to paying competitive, livable wages in a region where the cost of doing business continues to rise.
Hospitality is constantly changing beyond the financial side as well. Dietary preferences and expectations continue to evolve, with gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, and other specialized menus becoming an important part of every event. All guests want a bespoke menu. Clients also have access to endless inspiration online, which often creates expectations that don’t always align with realistic budgets. Our job is to bridge that gap by delivering an exceptional experience while helping clients make informed decisions that maximize both value and impact.
As Grand Cru has grown, we’ve challenged ourselves to keep raising the bar. That has meant investing in new ideas, developing new programs and experiences within the brand, refreshing our visual identity, launching a new website that better reflects who we are today, and building a stronger social media presence that showcases not just our food and beverage, but the energy, emotion, and guest experience behind every event. Through every challenge, we’ve remained committed to evolving without losing sight of the trust our clients place in us and the foundation that has defined Grand Cru from the very beginning.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Grand Cru Hospitality is a full-service catering and hospitality company specializing in weddings, nonprofit galas, corporate events, mitzvahs, and private celebrations throughout Oregon. While exceptional food and handcrafted cocktails are at the heart of what we do, we believe great hospitality is about creating meaningful experiences and making every guest feel genuinely cared for.
What truly sets Grand Cru apart is our team. Hospitality is personal, and our team is the heart of everything we do. From our chefs and bartenders to our event captains and service staff, every member of the Grand Cru team shares the same commitment to professionalism, genuine hospitality, and creating memorable experiences. We believe great events are built by great people, and that’s the culture we’ve worked hard to create over the past 14 years.
That commitment extends beyond catering through our family of brands, including Bar Cru, our elevated bar experience, and Cookie Cru, our custom cookie studio. Together, they allow us to create thoughtful, cohesive experiences while maintaining the same level of care, creativity, and hospitality our clients have come to expect from Grand Cru.
What we’re most proud of is the trust we’ve earned and the reputation we’ve built over the past 14 years. Every event is an opportunity to reinforce what the Grand Cru name stands for. We want every client and every guest to experience the care, quality, and value behind our brand through exceptional hospitality, genuine service, and thoughtful attention to detail.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Patrick and I both believe that success doesn’t come down to luck. We believe it comes from hard work, perseverance, passion, and the willingness to adapt when challenges arise. Growth requires taking calculated risks, embracing new opportunities, and accepting that not every decision will work out exactly as planned. It’s what you do with those opportunities and those setbacks that ultimately defines the outcome.
We’re incredibly grateful for the opportunity to lead Grand Cru together over the past two years. We attribute our success to showing up every day with a strong work ethic, a shared passion for hospitality, and the determination to keep moving forward no matter the circumstances. Every challenge has been an opportunity to learn, grow, and strengthen the business for our team, our clients, and the future of Grand Cru.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.grandcrupdx.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grandcrupdx
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GrandCruHospitality/
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/cookiecrupdx
