about
We welcome you to Stage—an integrated, small-plates experience, inspired by diverse culinary influences from across the world. Discover innovative dishes interwoven with tradition, utilizing fresh and often local ingredients that come together in vital, new and flavorful ways.
Stage (Noun) Pronounced / STAAHJ /
A culinary intern evolving their palette and skills through experiences in different kitchens around the world.
PUSHKAR MARATHE
Chef Pushkar Marathe’s culinary roots originate in the rich tapestry of flavors of his homeland, Nagpur, India, and cultivated through cooking with his parents in their family kitchen. At age 20, Marathe began his culinary training in Switzerland before embarking on a decades-long exploration of international cuisine where he gathered knowledge and inspiration from diverse global cooking traditions.
Following his travels, Marathe held cooking positions at restaurants in the Caribbean, the Cayman Islands, across the US, and the Middle East. In 2020, Chef Marathe and partner Andy Dugard opened Stage Kitchen & Bar in Palm Beach Gardens – named one of USA Today’s Restaurants of 2024 - bringing all of Marathe’s culinary experiences and explorations together in a vital cuisine born of interwoven traditions.
With Stage firmly established in the hearts of the Palm Beach Gardens community, Marathe and Dugard opened Ela Curry & Cocktails in 2022, their greatly anticipated second concept that showcases refined and culturally focused cuisine from across India in a dynamic selection of street food and fresh, daring regional Indian dishes. In 2024, the duo opened Mango Mercado, a playground for Chef Marathe’s culinary inspirations, that features grab-and-go ready-made items and a curated market along with made-to-order breakfast and lunch sandwiches, soups, salads, and more.
In 2023, Chef Marathe was nominated "Best Chef: South" semifinalist by the James Beard Foundation, a testament to his talent, leadership, and ability to inspire both his team and patrons.
Marathe resides in Palm Beach Gardens with his wife and son and continues to nourish his constant inspiration through cooking seasonal and regional cuisine— merging the roots of his home with the fruit of his travels.
Andy Dugard
Andy Dugard is a Liverpool, England native and maven of the Palm Beach restaurant scene. His entré into the world of cooking and hospitality began at a catering college in his hometown. While working towards a degree in hospitality management at Huddersfield University, he traveled to the US and interned at The Old Toad, an authentic English pub in Rochester, NY. After graduating, Dugard worked as a cultural representative at Disney’s Epcot Center at the UK Pavilion. He then took to the seas as the Beverage Manager for Disney Cruise Lines®.
Dugard spent almost a decade as Manager and Company Trainer for Planet Hollywood locations in Orlando, London, and New York while working to open the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. Dugard transitioned to South Florida to serve as General Manager at Meat Market, Miami, while overseeing the openings of Meat Market locations in Puerto Rico and Palm Beach.
In 2019, Dugard left his position as General Manager of Clay Conley’s acclaimed Buccan and Imoto restaurants to partner with Chef Pushkar Marathe to open Stage Kitchen & Bar— a New American restaurant inspired by culinary influences from around the world. Combined with Marathe’s vision and creativity in the kitchen, Dugard’s keen talent for hospitality excellence quickly put Stage on the culinary map.
In 2022, the passionate duo realized their dream of opening a traditional Indian restaurant with the birth of Ela Curry & Cocktails - which showcases refined and culturally focused cuisine from across India in a dynamic selection of street food and fresh, daring thali-style dishes. 2024 saw the launch of their third concept, Mango Mercado, a playground for Chef Marathe’s culinary inspirations, and features grab-and-go ready-made items and a curated market along with made-to-order breakfast and lunch sandwiches, soups, salads, and more.
With further expansion on the horizon, the partnership has evolved into Flavor Builders Hospitality which speaks to their winning formula of Marathe’s culinary talents and Dugard’s leadership in hospitality.