Systems, Consistency and Culture
I oversee our dining operations across a wide range of workplace, manufacturing and higher education environments, making sure every team is equipped, aligned, and focused on what matters: creating unforgettable, consistently excellent experiences for our guests.
Right now, my core priorities are pushing innovation in menu design and delivery, scaling operational excellence without losing our personal touch, and making sure our culture stays strong as we grow. I’m obsessed with systems, but they’ve got to work for people, not the other way around. It’s about blending heart and hustle.
One word: consistency. Doing something amazing once? That’s Instagram. Doing it every day at 6:30 a.m. with a short staff, a tight opening window, and a power outage? That’s hospitality.
Another one is mental fatigue. Our teams are creative, passionate people but when you’re in the grind every single day, burnout is real. The industry doesn’t talk enough about how to keep culinary teams inspired, how to build in breathing room, or how leadership can step in with real support and not just supportive emails.
Creating Emotional Impact Through Food and Experience
It’s everything. People don’t remember what they had for lunch two weeks ago, but they do remember how they felt. If we can create emotional moments through service, through food, through the vibe of a space then we’ve done our job.
Storytelling lets us bring purpose and meaning into the everyday. Whether it’s honoring a local farm, spotlighting ourculinary talent, or designing experiences around cultural traditions, we’re not just feeding people; we’re reminding them that food is connection. And in a work environment, that’s a superpower.
Stop managing the checklist and start managing the mission.
Look, cost and efficiency are table stakes. But they don’t tell you if your dining program is actually working. I pay close attention to things like guest satisfaction scores, team engagement, participation rates, and frankly—vibes in a cafe space.
If people are talking about their lunch in the elevator, if they’re bringing friends down to the café, if I see more smiles than complaints then that tells me we’re hitting the mark. And let’s not forget operator instinct, there’s an art to walking a site and just feeling whether it’s firing on all cylinders.
Leadership That Builds Mission and Meaning
Stop managing the checklist and start managing the mission. Work in the business and on the business. The moment you shift from “Did we get it done?” to “Did we do it in a way that builds our story and brings people with us?” that’s when you become a leader.
Also, keep your ego in check. Leadership isn’t about being the smartest guy in the room, it’s about building the room where smart people can thrive. Oh, and don’t forget to laugh. If you’re not laughing at least once a day in this business, you’re doing it wrong.
Corporate dining isn’t just about feeding people; it’s about fueling culture, connection, and performance. In today’s hybrid, fast-moving workplaces, a dining program can be one of the most tangible expressions of a company’s values. When designed with intention, it becomes a space where inclusion is practiced, wellness is prioritized, and daily rituals are elevated into shared moments of meaning.
I’ve dedicated my career to rethinking what food service can be—not just operationally excellent, but culturally essential. That means constantly pushing our teams to lead with heart and craft experiences that reflect the identity of each client we serve. We’re not just delivering meals; we’re building environments where people feel seen, energized, and connected. That’s the real ROI, and it’s why we want to lead in this space.
