Matt Vawter is the Executive Chef & Proprietor of Mercantile dining & provision. A Colorado native, Matt was raised in the Rocky Mountains in Summit County, and began his culinary career at the age of fourteen, cooking at the locals' favorite breakfast restaurant, The Claimjumper. Intrigued by the pace and heat of the kitchen, Vawter knew instinctively that this was his path. Let’s talk with Matt and see how he’s embraced his new position.

Matt Vawter began working at Fruition Restaurant under the mentorship of Chef Alex Seidel. Like all cooks at Fruition, Matt started in garde-manger and once again quickly rose through the ranks to become Fruition's Chef de Cuisine. In June 2014 Matt received the Zagat Award "30 under 30 culinary game changers". Matt has also received Star Chefs ‘Rising Star’ award and was a semi-finalist for Eater’s ‘Young Guns’. He has also been involved in Summit County’s ProStart Program, and was named Mentor of the Year in 2018.