Brendan Kelley and Daniel Grossman

Daniel Grossman was born and raised in Port Washington, New York, where he learned to enjoy both cooking at home with family and visiting NYC’s diverse array of restaurants. After working part-time jobs in the hospitality industry throughout high school, Daniel realized that he belonged in the kitchen and moved to New York City to pursue his career as a chef. He was an early hire and one of the first pizza chefs at L’Industrie, before joining the team at Roberta’s, where he ultimately rose to Executive Sous Chef. Daniel went on to cook at two more of New York City’s most acclaimed restaurants, Gage & Tollner and Foul Witch, before opening his first concept. In the spring of 2025, Daniel opened Confidant – the first restaurant of its kind to debut in Industry City – as chef/owner alongside his best friend and former roommate, Brendan Kelley.

Originally from Telluride, Colorado, Brendan Kelley first fell in love with cooking as a kid at home with his mother. After working as a ski instructor throughout high school, Brendan moved to Montana, where he began his career in professional kitchens. A move to Copenhagen followed, where Brendan cooked under revered chefs at acclaimed restaurants Amass and Kadeau. Upon his return to the US, Brendan chose to settle in New York City and quickly joined the team at the famed Bushwick pizzeria Roberta’s, where he rose to Chef de Cuisine over the course of his six-year tenure. He has also cooked at Aska and Per Se, two of New York City’s most renowned restaurants. In the spring of 2025, Brendan opened Confidant – the first restaurant of its kind to debut in Industry City – as chef/owner alongside his best friend and former roommate, Daniel Grossman.