[1] Born and raised in Northbrook IL, only child of Greek parents, Kokonas graduated from Colgate University with a degree in philosophy.

[1] Prior to meeting Grant Achatz and forming their business partnership, Kokonas was the owner of a financial firm for 10 years, and was an investor and entrepreneur.

[1] Kokonas's restaurants Next, Alinea, and The Aviary served as a testing and development ground for his proprietary ticketing system called Tock.

Some of the earliest adopters include, Thomas Keller's The French Laundry and Per Se and Daniel Patterson's Coi.

[3] Alinea has been named the best restaurant in North America by publications as diverse as Gourmet Magazine, the World's 50 Best, and Trip Advisor.