CSFTW Grad Kaleb Krueger Named Executive Chef at Hotel Retlaw

Culinary school isn’t a backup plan — it’s the first rung on a ladder that, with enough grit, leads all the way to the top of the kitchen. Few graduates prove that better than Kaleb Krueger, who was just named Executive Chef at the historic Hotel Retlaw. We could not be prouder to see one of our own take the helm.

Four and a half years in the making. Kaleb didn’t arrive at the top overnight. He spent more than four and a half years at Hotel Retlaw, starting on the line as a cook, earning his way up to sous chef, and finally stepping into the head chef role he’d been working toward all along. It’s the kind of climb that doesn’t happen by accident — it’s built shift after shift, plate after plate, with the work ethic and discipline that define a serious culinary career.

A historic kitchen to lead. The hotel Kaleb now leads is a Fort Worth-to-Fond du Lac success story in its own right. Hotel Retlaw is a neoclassical landmark that first opened in 1923 and was meticulously restored and reopened in 2019, anchoring the revitalized heart of downtown Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it’s the area’s only boutique hotel — a setting where the food is expected to live up to the architecture. As Executive Chef, Kaleb now owns that standard.

Built on a strong foundation. Every great chef’s career rests on fundamentals — knife skills, technique, kitchen leadership, and the confidence to run a station and then a whole brigade. That’s exactly what a culinary education is designed to deliver, and it’s the foundation Kaleb carried with him from his first day on the line to the day he was handed the keys to the kitchen. His story is a reminder of what we tell every prospective student: this is a real, direct path into the industry, and there is no ceiling on where it can take you.

Gratitude — and what’s next. In announcing the news, Kaleb thanked the family, friends, and mentors who believed in him along the way, with a special shout-out to the leaders who never gave up on him. His message closed the way every great chapter should — looking ahead. “I look forward to what’s next,” he wrote, and so do we.

To Kaleb: congratulations, Chef. You’ve earned every bit of it, and you’re a shining example of what our graduates can accomplish.