Originally from Illinois, Nickolas Martinez fell in love with cooking and traditional technique at a young age. He decided to attend culinary school at the Culinary Institute of America and graduated in 2003. Martinez began his career learning about traditional French fare and honed his skills under Alain Ducasse at the Essex House. After leaving Ducasse and working at Asiate at the Mandarin Oriental, he had the opportunity to join the opening team at L'Atelier du Joel Robuchon at the Four Seasons. During his time there, he worked with the team to earn its second Michelin Star in 2012. Martinez then went on to open a new restaurant concept focusing on local farms and ingredients at Foragers in Chelsea, where he gained recognition in his role as Executive Chef in the Michelin Guide for four consecutive years (2013-2016).

In 2018, Nickolas Martinez was appointed Executive Chef of the restaurant at INTERSECT BY LEXUS - NYC. He worked with chefs from around the world to develop unique menus as part of INTERSECT’s Restaurant-in-Residence program. Past Restaurants-in-Residence include Paris’ Frenchie, 040 of Santiago, Mishiguene of Buenos Aires, and O Pedro of Mumbai. For each residence, he collaborated with the restaurant’s executive chef to bring an exciting menu of world-class, international cuisine to life. In 2020, he joined the Lexus Culinary Master’s program, which includes some of the country’s most talented chefs, restaurateurs, and culinary personalities. Martinez subsequently became a part of the Union Square Events team as the Director of Operations. In January 2023, he transitioned to the position of Vice President of Culinary Operations, which he currently holds. In this role, he supervises all culinary operations for events and catering, business and industry (B&I), as well as sports and cultural venues under Union Square Events.