Molly Dwyer
Bar Volpe | Boston
JULY 2024
At 16, Molly Dwyer got her first industry gig at a retirement home, at a retirement home, where she wore a tuxedo shirt, wheeled around cranberry juice on a cart, and served meals to senior citizens. But, when front-of-house work lost its allure, Dwyer turned to the kitchen. Starting as a dishwasher, she was promoted to prep cook before becoming a full-time PM chef in her senior year of high school. While attending Johnson & Wales University, Dwyer did her externship at Tremont 647 and, after three months, they offered her a full-time position. Dwyer rose through the ranks, moving from line cook to junior sous before eventually becoming sous chef. Under Rising Stars alum Andy Husbands, she learned not only how to cook and work the wood fire grill station, but also how to run a restaurant, manage a kitchen, and lead a team. In 2013, Dwyer was promoted to chef de cuisine.
After almost seven years at Tremont 647, Dwyer took on a seasonal position at The Boarding House on Nantucket and stayed on for the next three seasons, coming back to Boston in the winters to work as a line cook. When she heard that Chef Karen Akunowicz was opening a restaurant of her own, Dwyer DM’d her and joined the opening team at Fox & The Knife as executive sous chef, where she gained experience and knowledge while cooking under Akunowicz. Dwyer was promoted to chef de cuisine a few months later.
After three years at Fox & The Knife, Dwyer helped open Akunowicz’s newer, larger, and Southern Italian-focused restaurant, Bar Volpe. As chef de cuisine, she has built the program from the ground up, collaborating with Akunowicz and bringing her own forward-thinking leadership style to the kitchen. Dwyer is dedicated to supporting her team and creating a community amongst her employees. From knife sharpening classes to lessons on pâte à choux, Dwyer is fostering the next generation of Boston’s chefs while delivering playful takes on Southern Italian dishes to her guests.
