Born in New Orleans, Chef William Werner discovered his passion for the culinary arts while working as a lifeguard on the west coast beaches of Florida. Delving into every cookbook available to him at the time, he made the career switch and began working his way up through several fine-dining restaurants, including under esteemed Chef Daniel Boulud, for The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company on the East and West coast, and for San Francisco’s renowned Quince.
Over the past fifteen years, Werner honed an impressive mastery of pastry techniques and developed a distinct style, all while working towards his goal of owning his own patisserie one day.
In 2012, with the help of partners Lawrence Lai and Ann Lee, William opened Craftsman and Wolves (CAW) in San Francisco to much acclaim. After three years, with one retail location, an online shop shipping nationwide, and a farmers’ market stand at the venerable CUESA Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, William and team are ready grow the brand.
Awards and accolades: James Beard Foundation “Outstanding Baker” 2015 finalist ; Dessert Professional’s “Top Ten Pastry Chefs of America 2015”; The Passion Company’s “2015 Most Passionate Chef in San Francisco”; San Francisco Magazine’s “2014 Best Pastry Chef” ; Plate Magazine’s “2014 30 Chefs to Watch”; Star Chefs’ “2013 Rising Star Artisan.”
Craftsman and Wolves (CAW) is an award-winning contemporary patisserie and cafe with a nod to classic French technique and an emphasis on seasonal change, offering pastries, cakes, confections, confitures, breads, desserts, as well as savory fare and signature drinks. Our current locations include CAW Valencia in the vibrant Mission district of San Francisco; a farmers’ market stand at the venerable CUESA Ferry Plaza Farmers Market; and an online retail shop shipping nationwide.
Since opening in 2012, we have garnered praise both locally and nationally in publications, including New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Real Simple, Esquire, and Bon Appétit, and GQ magazine named our famous “Rebel Within” as #6 on “The 50 Best Things to Eat and Drink Right Now.”
Expansions in the works include CAW Pacific, a retail location in San Francisco’s Russian Hill; CAW Den, a petit retail location in San Francisco’s Bayview neighborhood; and The CAW Lab, a new confectionary lab next to our kitchen, which will allow for increased packaged retail production and wholesale opportunities.
Projects for 2016 and 2017 include renovating our Farmer’s Market stand to expand the menu; begin shipping online retail products internationally; release a Craftsman and Wolves cookbook; and bottle our signature sauces and toppings, such as our black mustard, ‘basco salt and bourbon sugar.
The Kiva Loan will help me purchase vital kitchen and delivery equipment to facilitate production and stock our new retail location opening in November. This equipment totals around $11,000. The purchase of it will help us get our second store open, which will almost double our overall revenue.