Chef Mark Freischmidt has spent nearly three decades in professional kitchens, building a pastry career grounded in operational excellence, artistic precision and strong team leadership. He is now competing as one of the chocolate candidates in the 2025 Club Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie Team USA National Selection — the first step toward potentially representing the United States on one of pastry’s most prestigious international stages.
Currently based in Las Vegas, Chef Freischmidt is the pastry chef overseeing banquet production for Caesars Entertainment citywide. His role includes managing pastry operations for nine properties, including Caesars Palace, the Forum Convention Center, Paris Las Vegas, Planet Hollywood, Harrah’s and others across the Las Vegas Strip. He leads two central kitchens, supervises nearly 30 employees, and oversees a complex operation that includes custom showpieces, large-scale dessert buffets, plated banquet items and viennoiserie, all coordinated across a high-volume hospitality network.
Before stepping into his current role, Chef Freischmidt played a key role in the launch of Dominique Ansel Las Vegas at Caesars Palace. As executive pastry chef during the pre-opening and opening phases, he worked directly with Chef Dominique Ansel to develop the menu and seasonal offerings. He managed both opening and existing teams, ensuring the brand’s entry into the Las Vegas market reflected its high standards for creativity and product quality.
Prior to moving to Las Vegas, Chef Freischmidt served as corporate executive pastry chef for Common Bond in Houston. There, he oversaw the pastry and bread programs for three concepts: a full-service brasserie, multiple bistros and a growing number of “On the Go” locations. He was responsible for production logistics across commissary and retail operations, menu development for holidays and seasonal shifts, and management of more than 90 employees across all locations.
His longest tenure came during his 11 years in Honolulu, where he served as executive pastry chef for both Halekulani and Halepuna Waikiki. Together, the two hotels totaled more than 700 guest rooms and featured a range of dining outlets, including La Mer — the only restaurant in Hawaii to hold both Five Star and Five Diamond designations. Chef Freischmidt led a 24-person pastry team serving fine dining outlets, banquet events and a retail pastry shop. His work during that period extended beyond the hotel’s day-to-day operations. He participated in major culinary events including the Hawaii Food and Wine Festival and international guest chef programs with the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo.
Chef Freischmidt’s work at Halekulani received national attention. In 2014, he was named Best Pastry Chef in Hawaii. In 2020, Halekulani Bakery and Restaurant — one of the projects he helped lead — was recognized by USA Today as one of the 10 best new restaurants in the United States.
Earlier in his career, from 2007 to 2010, Chef Freischmidt was the assistant pastry chef at The Ritz-Carlton, Naples in Florida. There, he supervised a pastry team serving 10 outlets and two resort properties, with responsibilities that included banquet production, wedding cakes and chocolate showpieces. The position emphasized quality, customer satisfaction and employee development.
Chef Freischmidt also held executive pastry chef roles at other luxury properties including the Four Seasons Resort in Costa Rica and the JW Marriott Camelback Inn in Phoenix. He was responsible for leading teams, developing menus, producing high-end desserts and managing pastry operations for outlets ranging from buffets to fine dining restaurants. He also led full-scale production bakeries at Harrah’s Casino in St. Louis and earlier in his career at Good Land Bakery and the Starlight Roof at the Chase Park Plaza.
His formal pastry training began in 1995 at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, where he completed a 30-week baking and pastry arts program.
Chef Freischmidt’s selection as one of the chocolate candidates for the 2025 National Selection reflects both his experience and his technical range. The National Selection is organized by Club Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie Team USA and serves as the qualifying competition to select chefs who will represent the country in the 2026 Americas Continental Selection and, if successful, the 2027 Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie in Lyon, France.
Chef Freischmidt says, “I am drawn to the daily challenge of providing my customers with the highest quality and service, attention to detail, and the endless pursuit of excellence.”
Now, after decades of hands-on work across the full spectrum of pastry arts — from artisan breads to plated desserts to intricate chocolate and sugar pieces — Chef Freischmidt brings his depth of experience to the competitive arena. The selection process will test technical skill, timing, design and execution — all qualities he has refined across a career that bridges fine dining, large-scale hospitality and creative leadership.
The 2025 U.S. National Selection is scheduled for 6 Sept 2025, at the Washburne Culinary & Hospitality Institute in Chicago, as part of the Chicago Baking & Pastry Forum. The forum, running from September 4 to 6, offers culinary professionals and enthusiasts opportunities for education and networking. Tickets for the event and to witness Team USA’s National Selection are available through Eventbrite.
