Born in Dallas, Texas, Bev Gannon has become a culinary powerhouse around the islands of Hawaii. Before embarking on her culinary career, she was in the entertainment business as road manager for Lisa Minnelli and Ben Vereen. Five years on the road will burn out anyone, and she decided to then follow her passion for cooking, and enroll in London’s Le Cordon Bleu Culinary School. She went on to take additional private lessons with Marcella Hazan and Great Chef Jacques Pepin.

In 1980, she and her future husband Joe Gannon, a producer, director and lighting designer, decided to give up Los Angeles and move to Maui and open a catering company called “Fresh Approach”, now known as “Celebrations Catering”, currently the longest running catering company on the island.

In 1987, the Gannon’s took over a lease for the old Hali’lmaile General Store, once a pineapple plantation store for the Upcountry pineapple workers. They kept the name, and with drawings by Hollywood set and production designer, Jeremy Railton, the renovation team preserved much of the old charm, including 70% of the original Philippine mahogany floor.

Located about 1,200 feet up the slopes of the world’s largest dormant volcano, Mt. Halekala, the restaurant opened in 1988, and is still operating 26 years later. In 1994, Great Chefs were shooting for their Great Chefs of Hawaii series and taped Chef Beverly preparing an appetizer, two entrées, and a dessert.

In 1995, they opened a second restaurant in Wailea called “Joe’s Bar and Grill”, and in 2009, they opened a third restaurant called “Gannon’s”, a Pacific View Restaurant.

Bev Gannon has received numerous awards over the years, and not only is she a celebrated chef, successful restaurateur, airline corporate chef (Hawaiian Airlines), published cookbook writer, but Bev is also a Great Chef , whose star continues to rise to delectable heights.