Denise Covert

Denise Covert serves as an Innovation Chef at Dine Brands under the Applebee's umbrella. In this role, she conducts extensive research and development along with recipe development, working cross-functionally across teams including marketing, social media, procurement, and quality assurance to identify trends and create dishes suited to the guest profile that can be commercialized across 1,500 stores. Her professional journey spans at least 30 years in the culinary industry, beginning with early work in an ice cream shop and progressing through fine dining, craft beer houses, and gastropubs where she developed expertise in menus paired with beer and globally inspired comfort food featuring creative mashups of different cuisine styles. Prior to her current position, she held similar innovation roles at BJ's and served as an executive chef and consulting chef for approximately 10 to 12 years. A culinary school graduate, Covert has staged with famous chefs, completed cooking classes and street food tours in over 15 countries, and participated in immersion clinics such as those offered by the honey board and wheat board as well as refresher classes at culinary school. She is a member of the Research Chef Association and has earned honors including a win in the Kitchen Collaborative contest for a Korean-inspired bao bun with bacon and recognition for Best Brunches. Covert also contributes to the industry through mentoring via Pro Start and involvement with initiatives such as No Kid Hungry, Common Threads, and backpack programs.