Executive Chef and Director of Culinary Operations
Three Square
After gaining his degree in Culinary Arts Management from New York Restaurant School and taking business management courses in New Jersey, Chef Joe Leininger started his culinary career on the west coast at Rainforest Café, followed by Ruth’s Chris Steak House. In 2007, he established his roots in Las Vegas, assuming the Executive Chef position at Triple George Grill in downtown Las Vegas. With his foundation working in steak houses, Leininger learned different types of preparations for all cuts of meat, allowing the restaurant to win Best Power Lunch by the Las Vegas Review Journal for five years.
Leininger continued to receive accolades and developed new menu concepts when he became the Culinary Operations Manager at Timbers Hospitality and Gaming Group. Three years later, he transitioned from the hospitality industry to senior-focused cuisine, serving first as the Food Service Director & Executive Chef at Nevada HAND before becoming the Director of Dining Services at Revel through Unidine. These experiences allowed him to create high-quality, health-conscious meals for older individuals while coordinating special events that provided everyone a welcoming seat at the table.
Bringing decades of culinary experience to the food bank, including non-profit kitchen management, Leininger joined Three Square in 2022 to add more purpose to the dishes he prepared. As the Executive Chef and Director of Culinary Operations, he oversees all aspects of the kitchen, such as the Kids Cafe program and congregate meals for seniors, future menu development, kitchen ordering and inventory, and special events catering.
He is driven to do everything he can to feed food-insecure individuals throughout Southern Nevada, especially children, as they are one of the community’s most vulnerable populations. Leininger also aspires to improve seniors’ dignified access to food by launching ready-to-eat meals for Three Square’s Golden Groceries program and expanding the organization’s congregate meal program. When he is not nourishing the community with wholesome meals or spending time with his daughter and son, Leininger enjoys traveling to different cities to catch a football game.