Executive Chef
Franz Josef Zimmer joined the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center in December 1999, after successfully launching the food and beverage services for five new Marriott hotels in the U.S. that year. Under his direction, the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center provides the highest level of catering and banquet services to groups of all sizes. The hotel also offers individual hotel guests and local visitors superlative dining experiences in the RiverCafe restaurant overlooking the Detroit River.
Chef Zimmer was trained at culinary school in Saarbrucken, Germany. He began his professional career in Germany and joined Marriott in 1983 where he has held positions as executive sous chef at the Cairo Marriott Hotel in Cairo, Egypt, and sous chef at the Athens Ledra Marriott Hotel in Athens, Greece, as well as executive chef at the Jeddah Marriott Hotel in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and at The Dearborn Inn, A Marriott Hotel in Dearborn, Michigan. In 1993, Chef Zimmer was chosen as one of two Marriott chefs to spend one month of training in the kitchens of France's renowned, three-star Michelin-rated chefs, Roger Verge and George Blanc. Chef Zimmer’s new project is his own olive oil made from olives from his property in Greece, where he is building a new home. His specialty olive oil is available for purchase.