Co-Owner, Cuisine Concepts, LLC
Executive Chef

When Tejas opened its doors in Minneapolis in 1987, Mark Haugen was in the spotlight. As Executive Chef, Haugen was responsible for introducing the first authentic Southwestern-style gourmet cuisine to the upper Midwest. From the beginning, Tejas and Haugen's delectable creations attracted both local diners and nationwide attention. Cited by Esquire magazine as one of 1988's ten most exciting new restaurants, Tejas has won national recognition for offering some of the finest cuisine of the America Southwest. Tejas has also been featured in Cosmopolitan, Cook's Magazine, U.S. Restaurant News, and Food & Wine.

Haugen's distinctive cooking style spans the globe. He traces his early interest in cooking to his grandmother's kitchen where, as a young boy, he watched her prepare Old World dishes from her native country, Greece. Haugen expanded his cooking knowledge at several Minneapolis restaurants as he worked his way through the University of Minnesota. After graduating in 1981 with a degree in geography, he joined the staff of the 510 Restaurant, where he worked with some of the area's most creative and innovative chefs. In 1984, he was named chef and general manager.

Haugen brings to Tejas a creative background in classical French cuisine, which he applies to indigenous Southwestern cooking styles and flavors. He enjoys using smoked foods and making creative salsas and relishes, and he has an uncanny flair for combining unusual flavors and ingredients into new creations that become standard favorites.

Haugen's expertise and reputation at Tejas have led to a variety of additional opportunities and projects. In 1990, he was a key member of the team that prepared the state dinner at the Governor's Mansion in St. Paul honoring special guest, Mikhail Gorbachev. In 1993, Northwest Airlines selected Haugen and nine other top chefs from around the country to consult on the development and execution of their in-flight menus. Haugen has been a featured chef and now serves as Chef Director for Taste of the NFL, a premier gala event held every year at the Super Bowl. In addition to frequent local television appearances, Haugen has taught cooking classes at Key Largo's Ocean Reef Club and was chosen in 1991 to assist in the Great Chefs Cooking Series at the Mondavi Vineyards.

In 1996, Haugen was recognized by City Business magazine as one of the "Next Generation of Twin Cities Business Leaders."

Haugen is active in several community organizations as well. He is involved in Twelve Baskets, the Twin Cities food distribution program for the Twin Cities' Second Harvest Food Bank, and he served as a committee member for Taste of the Nation, the hunger-relief effort of Minneapolis and St. Paul area restaurants. He has also participated in major Meals on Wheels benefits in Los Angeles and New York City, as well as two Hurricane Andrew benefits in Miami.

Haugen resides with his wife, Elizabeth, and son, Henry, in Minneapolis.