Jason Sobocinski has been creating food — and restaurant concepts — for many years, but he shot to prominence in the business world in 2024.
Haven Hot Chicken, the New Haven-based fast-casual chain he partnered on, was ranked No. 160 on that year’s Inc. 5000, the annual list of the fastest-growing private companies in America.
That made the company No. 7 nationwide in the food and beverage category, and No. 1 in the state of Connecticut.
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Haven Hot Chicken — which Sobocinski created with his brother Tom Sobocinski and Rob LaTronica, Craig Sklar and Etkin Tekin — was also featured on Guy Fieri’s “Best Bite in Town” on the Food Network, and was the winner of The Perfect Pitch concept competition at the 2023 Fast Casual Executive Summit.
His first entrepreneurial venture was a cheese shop with adjoining restaurant, Caseus Fromagerie & Bistro in New Haven. He has since been involved in Black Hog Brewing, Olmo Bagels, cocktail bar Ordinary and Continuum Distilling.
In 2011 Sobocinski starred in the Cooking Channel show “The Big Cheese” and continues to work with the Cooking Channel on cheese specials.
Sobocinski holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Providence College, and a master’s degree in gastronomy from Boston University.