who we are

a collective with sights on the future, and over 50 years culinary & hospitality experience.

matt o'neill, ceo & founder

Founder of Cr(eat)e Restaurant Group, Chef Matt O’Neill brings over two decades of experience cooking in the nation’s most esteemed culinary cities. His thoughtful perspective on the culinary arts shines through with purpose and commitment to of-the-moment cuisine.

After receiving his degree in culinary arts from the New England Culinary Institute in Vermont, his résumé began with opening four concepts with Daniel Boulud’s The Dinex Group. There, he served as sous chef at Bar Boulud and August Restaurant, and as chef de partie at Restaurant Daniel, where he contributed to earning their third Michelin Star.

Following his work with The Dinex Group, O’Neill worked alongside Tony Maws in Boston’s celebrated Craigie on Main, and served as the Executive Chef at Ajax Tavern in Aspen’s award-winning Relais & Châteaux, the Little Nell hotel.

Most recently, before founding Cr(eat)e, O’Neill served as Partner and Vice President of Culinary at Craveable Hospitality Group, where he oversaw 14 restaurant and lounge concepts nationwide.

learn more about matt

sarah shearin, vp of brands, marketing & development

learn more about sarah

Partner & Vice President of Brands, Marketing & Development, Sarah Shearin is a seasoned hospitality professional. She has over a decade of experience in brand strategy & design of multifaceted, awe-inspiring restaurant concepts.

Her career path has been influenced by two of the most important people in her life: her father, the head of the School of Theater and Dance at East Carolina University, and her mother, a pastry chef who opened her own restaurant when Sarah was 13 years old. The North Carolina native spent her summers working with her dad in shows and working in her mom's restaurant, as her pastry assistant, hostess, waitress, and bartender, honing in on her hospitality expertise.

After receiving her degree in dramatic arts from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Sarah moved to New York City and joined Craveable Hospitality Group, a national restaurant group. Sarah quickly ascended from a role at their fast casual restaurant to the home office. During her time spent at CHG, she trained and educated new employees on systems and protocols, assisted with the creative development of cocktail programs, led the Special Events and Catering department for a single restaurant concept before overseeing the events for 14 unique restaurant concepts, and graduated NYU’s School of Professional Studies with a focus in building brands. Sarah has spent the last seven years building community restaurant and e-commerce brands through strategic marketing and engagement programs for the group’s concepts.