Meet Our Culinary Team

Matt Heikkila is the executive chef at Halcyon, a hotel in Cherry Creek, which includes Local Jones, a neighborhood American bistro; Rare Bird, the rooftop bar with inventive dishes and playful cocktail; and B&GC, a clandestine drinking spot. Heikkila is responsible for overseeing and elevating all culinary experiences within the hotel, including banquets, catering, in-room dining and its restaurant concepts with a focus on Local Jones where he curates menus and leads the team in offering nostalgic American favorites, playful cocktails and extensive wine programming.

Heikkila joined the Halcyon team in 2023 as executive sous chef, where he assisted in the creation of seasonal menus and managed day-to-day operations for each concept. With more than 15 years of food and beverage experience, Heikkila, in addition to his extensive restaurant experience, won season 16 of “The Great Food Truck Race” in 2023 with The Easy Vegan, a Denver pop-up. Before receiving his flowers on Food Network, Heikkila was previously the executive chef at Bigsby’s Folly Craft Winery in Denver where he developed creative wine pairing and special event menus. Heikkila has held various executive chef and additional culinary positions for everything from catering companies and hotels to golf clubs and independent restaurants.

Heikkila has a passion for creating memorable guest experiences each day and takes great pride in team training and mentorship to create a culture in which everyone has the opportunity to not only thrive but grow as individuals and within the team. Outside of the kitchen, Heikkila is an avid hiker, adventurer and outdoorsman.