Chef Steve Benjamin leaving L’Atelier at MGM Grand

Executive Chef Steve Benjamin has announced that he’s leaving L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon at the MGM Grand after 12 years at the restaurant. In a post on Facebook on Wednesday night, Benjamin wrote “I will be moving to Los Angeles next month to open the new Waldorf Astoria in Beverly Hills.”

A spokesperson for MGM Resorts International confirms Benjamin’s last day will be April 18. No replacement has yet been named.

L’Atelier is the more casual of Joel Robuchon’s two adjacent MGM Grand restaurants. Benjamin has been there since it opened in 2005 and helped the resort win numerous honors, including a prestigious Michelin star.

This is the second major shakeup for Chef Robuchon’s local empire in just over a year. Las March, executive chef Claude Le-Tohic announced he was exiting his post at Robuchon’s more formal eponymous restaurant, eventually being replaced by Executive Chef Christophe De Lellis.

Contact Al Mancini at amancini@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlManciniVegas on Twitter.