Kaitlyn Merges

General Manager

Kaitlyn Merges is the General Manager of Union Square Cafe.  

Growing up, Kaitlyn’s passion for the restaurant industry was fueled by her father, who was the executive chef of the iconic Chicago dining institution Charlie Trotter’s. Later on, Kaitlyn worked in the restaurant industry in all positions from dishwasher, host, to server while attending Loyola University Chicago.  

In 2017, while getting her master's in social work, Kaitlyn joined Boka Restaurant Group. It was at Boka where Kaitlyn developed an interest in operations, discovering that restaurant management was her true calling. In 2019, Kaitlyn joined the Boka management team to open the Chicago location of The Hoxton Hotel and its main level restaurant Cira. Starting as a service manager, Kaitlyn quickly rose to become the restaurant’s general manager. Kaitlyn continued her tenure with Boka and Hoxton here in New York City, becoming the opening general manager of K’Far, Michael Solomonov’s celebrated Israeli cafe.  

In 2023, Kaitlyn joined the Union Square Cafe team as assistant general manager, stepping into the role of General Manager the following year.