Chef Cary Laiche Jr., or Chef CJ as he prefers, is a Senior Banquet Chef at Kalahari Resorts and Conventions in Round Rock, Texas. Chef CJ is a member of Kalahari Round Rock’s grand opening team and has spent time working in each of the property’s many kitchens. He has a passion for teaching and coaching young chefs to become the best version of themselves and is proud to work for a growing organization that strives to build its future leaders from within the company. CJ’s passions of leadership and cooking can be traced back to his days growing up in Morgan City, Louisiana.  Shortly after graduating high school CJ realized his passion for leadership while coaching the golf team he used to play on. Chef cannot remember a time he was not intrigued by everyone cooking around him in the South Louisiana culture that revolves around food. Chef CJ moved to the Austin, Texas area in early 2017 to attend Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts. During this time Chef spent his days at school and his nights working at Banger’s Sausage House and Beer Garden. Chef graduated with an Associates of Applied Sciences in Culinary Arts in 2018.  In his remaining time at Banger’s, and his time at JW Marriot-Austin, Chef CJ’s favorite moments are when young chefs on their externship from Escoffier asked him for coaching and to sign their externship papers. CJ is currently a student at South University where he is working on a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. Chef is thrilled with the opportunity to continue to help the chefs of tomorrow as a director for The Escoffier Scholarship Foundation.