Aaron Zacharias

Owner and Operator

Aaron started his career in the food and beverage industry at the age of 15 as a busboy and food runner. While majoring in German at Illinois State University, the industry called him back for good. He was professionally trained as a server, caterer and bartender at the Holiday Inn and later went on to be part of the opening team for the first Damon’s Grill in Illinois.

After graduation, Aaron entered into the employ of Town & Country Distributors, where he furthered his knowledge of fine beers and worked in merchandising and sales. Next came a four-year post at Romano Bros. in wine sales and a growing passion to open a unique bar and restaurant in Chicago.

The search began in 2001 and Aaron filled the time by working with The Beverage Testing Institute and cultivated relationships with a multitude of breweries and wineries. In 2003 he left BTI to open The Bar on Buena, now lauded as one of Chicago’s finest neighborhood establishments.

Aaron is excited to be working at Fountainhead with beer director Phil Kuhl in creating his vision of what a beverage house and kitchen can aspire to.

Phil Kuhl

Beer Director/Manager

Phil entered the beer world in 2003 as a server and bartender at the Goose Island Brew Pub in Wrigleyville. It was there that he first learned about the brewing process and was first exposed to many different brewing styles. His interest in craft beer piqued as he turned to the beer bar Sheffield’s, ordering any beer he was unfamiliar with. By 2007 his reputation as the budding craft beer geek who was prone to saving labels of good beers for further study paid off.

Becoming the beer buyer at Sheffield’s cemented his entry into the local craft beer scene. A year later Sheffield’s was considering putting in more restrooms in place of the middle bar. He had a better idea. In place of the restrooms, he took the infrequently used middle bar and opened The Beer School Bar. Not just your typical back bar, The Beer School served as a platform for tasting’s, beer dinners, and education. In 2009, in addition to running The Beer School events, bartending and managing, he helped open the second Sheffield’s in River Grove. He designed and ran the beer program and education for their staff and guests.

In April 2010, Phil stepped into role of the Beer Director and Manager of Fountainhead, Chicago’s newest beer bar. Somehow, in the midst of opening Fountainhead, he found time to complete his Cicerone Certification. Cicerone is an official title for beer guides that undergo a four hour written and oral exam. The program is run under the direction of Ray Daniels, a member of Chicago’s Siebel Institute of Technology and World Brewing Academy and President of the Craft Brew Institute. The rapidly growing program still only carries a couple hundred cicerones nationwide. Phil’s knowledge continues to expand through constant tasting and exploration of favorite craft brewers, as well as new additions to the market. Luckily there is no shortage of good beer for him to hunt down and trap in a cask or glass and onto our curious pallets, changing peoples minds one craft beer at at time.

Sarah McDonnell

Head Chef

Chef Sarah McDonnell earned a bachelors’ degree in Foodservice Administration from Central Michigan University (1998) and an associates in Culinary Arts from The Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago (1999). Chef Sarah has spent the last thirteen years working through some of the best kitchens in Chicago including the Union League Club of Chicago, Bistrot Margot and Broadway Cellars and has been a chef instructor since 2006 at Robert Morris University in Chicago. Notable chefs that Sarah has trained under are Michael Garbin (Union League), Joe Doppes (Bistrot Margot), Carlos Gaytan (Mexique) and Kendal Duque (The Chicago Firehouse).