Robert Irvine

Personal Experience & Biography

Robert Irvine is a world-class chef and entrepreneur, and a tireless philanthropic supporter of our nation’s military. Formerly, as the host of Food Network’s hit show Restaurant: Impossible, he gave struggling restaurateurs a second chance to turn their lives and businesses around in over 300 episodes across 22 seasons. 

He would know a thing or two about running a successful business. First, there are his restaurants; he has two Fresh Kitchen By Robert Irvine locations, one within the Pentagon and the other at Joint Base Andrews. He also created Victory Fresh, a healthy grab-and-go concept restaurant for the U.S. Army at Fort Jackson. He is the owner or co-owner of several other companies, including Terra Arma, makers of luxurious hard-use clothing; Robert Irvine Foods, which makes prepared, restaurant-quality dishes available in grocery stores and provides food service to military bases worldwide; and the Lansdale, PA-based Boardroom Spirits, creators of handcrafted rum and whiskey, as well as his own signature Irvine Spirts line of vodka and American dry gin. He is also the founder of FitCrunch, whose protein bars, powders, and snacks are available nationwide.

A portion of the proceeds from all of Robert’s endeavors benefit the Robert Irvine Foundation. Created in 2014, the foundation gives back to our service members, veterans, and first responders. Funds raised help at-need veterans and first responders in a variety of ways: training service dogs, making mental health and wellness services available to veterans in need, providing mobility devices for the disabled, and much more.

In recognition for his charitable work and service on numerous USO tours, Robert is the recipient of several civilian honors, including Honorary Chief Petty Officer of the United States Navy, and the Medal of Honor Society’s Bob Hope Award. This is the complete list to date:

• 2015 United States Navy Honorary Chief Petty Officer

• 2015 Medal of Honor Society’s Bob Hope Award for Excellence in Entertainment
• 2016 US Department of the Army Outstanding Civilian Service Award
• 2017 Defense Spirit of Hope Award
• 2018 Armed Services YMCA Angel of Honor Award
• 2020 Association of the United States Army National Service Award
• 2023 Veterans of Foreign Wars Distinguished Citizenship Award

He is the distinguished author of four cookbooks, Mission: Cook, Impossible to Easy, Fit Fuel, and Family Table By Robert Irvine, plus the business leadership book, Overcoming Impossible: How to Lead, Build a Team, and Catapult Your Business to Success. Drawing on his vast experience both in building his own businesses and helping others fix theirs, it is the ultimate distillation of his business and leadership knowledge. 

Finally, he is the publisher of Robert Irvine Magazine, a free digital publication delivering workouts, recipes, and motivational content. 

Learn more at chefirvine.com. 

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