Companies, hotels and resorts across North America have named new leaders for their food and beverage operations in the past few weeks.
Conrad Orlando
Conrad Orlando adds Joshua Murray as director of food and beverage and Stephen Ullrich as director of culinary. Conrad Orlando will open this month and will have 433 guestrooms with 61 suites, five restaurants and lounges, the unique Conrad Spa Orlando and Water Garden and over 65,000 square feet of indoor-outdoor meeting and event space. The property is set to blend dynamic activity and ultimate tranquility for those seeking adventure with ease.
Murray has an extensive background both personally and professionally in the food and beverage world. He studied culinary arts and hospitality management during his time at Johnson & Wales University. Murray leads the food and beverage team at Conrad Orlando with over 20 years of food and beverage experience in upscale restaurants, hotels and resorts including deep knowledge of the Conrad Hotels & Resorts brand. Murray served not only as director of food and beverage at Conrad Washington D.C., but also as executive chef at the property, in addition to other roles at properties like Marriott Marquis Chicago, Phoenix Renaissance Downtown and Lodge at Sonoma Renaissance.
Hailing from Miami, Ullrich has a culinary background with a B.S. in business from Boston College and further education from the French Culinary Institute in New York City. In New York, he worked in notable establishments including Gramercy Tavern, Aldea, Gotham Bar and Grill, Colicchio and Sons, and Seasonal Restaurant & Weinbar when it earned its Michelin Star. Prior to taking on the director of culinary role at Conrad Orlando, Ullrich spent time as executive chef at top resorts such as 1 Hotel Miami Beach and Carillion Miami Wellness Resort.
Crossroads Hotel
Crossroads Hotel, Kansas City, Mo., has made several appointments and promotions within its food and beverage team. The boutique property is home to three dining outlets: XR, the property’s lobby café and bar known for its cocktails and pizza program, signature restaurant Lazia, showcasing traditional Italian cuisine with modern influence, and Percheron, one of Kansas City’s seasonal rooftop bars.
Kyle Bobkowski, beverage manager, will oversee the property’s full beverage program, spanning all three bars on-site, leading seasonal menu development, and further building partnerships with distributors, suppliers and the local beverage community. Before joining the Crossroads team, Bobkowski spent five years at Seven Grand in Colorado and leading the beverage programming for Five Nines at Clayton Members Club and Hotel.
XR General Manager Kara Anderson brings 15 years of hospitality experience to her new role and is excited to elevate the XR experience as general manager. Anderson’s passion for guest experiences and hospitality moved her from the kitchen, working in some of the best restaurants around Kansas City including Buck Tui and The Restaurant at 1900, and worked in the front of the house as a seasoned hospitality professional. In her new role, Anderson is excited to bring her hospitality expertise to elevate XR, also known as Kansas City’s living room, for locals and travelers alike.
Lazia GM Chase West has been working at Percheron in Crossroads Hotel for two years and previously served as a bartender at Darden and The Living Room in the Power & Light district. West will now lead the entire Lazia staff, ensuring the service is at peak standards and helping the team create memorable experiences for all guests.
At Lazia, Michael Martinez is promoted to chef de cuisine. Martinez will now be responsible for maintaining the entire culinary department and executing the standards and systems set in place by Executive Chef Aaron Wells-Morgan. Martinez has been an integral part of the Lazia team at Crossroads Hotel and plans to continue elevating the culinary program and seasonal menus.
Embassy Suites by Hilton Asheville (N.C.) Downtown
Embassy Suites by Hilton Asheville Downtown names Jeffrey Stanford as its executive chef and Brian Sherwood as its director of food and beverage. Stanford brings nearly two decades of culinary experience to the role and will lead the property’s onsite banquets, catering and restaurant teams at Soprana and E’Terie. Sherwood brings more than 26 years of hospitality experience in the luxury hotel market to Embassy Suites where he will oversee food and beverage operations for both restaurants, as well as additional culinary responsibilities at the full-service, all-suites hotel, including room service, daily complimentary made-to-order breakfast and the nightly evening reception.
Stanford was the executive chef for The Biltmore Company, an 8,000-acre estate in Asheville, where he oversaw Stable Café, The Biltmore House and Gardens a la carte restaurant and banquets, where he created menus with a field-to-table approach using Biltmore-grown products. Prior to Biltmore, Stanford’s experience includes chef de partie at the world-famous Commander’s Palace in New Orleans, where he worked with James Beard Award-winning Chef Tory McPhail, mastering the preparation of Haute Creole cuisine at its birthplace, as well as chef de cuisine at an esteemed oceanfront resort in Amelia Island, Fla., and has held several other culinary positions.
Prior to joining the Embassy Suites by Hilton Asheville Downtown team, Sherwood held positions of both the director of food and beverage and director of hotel operations at Inn on Biltmore Estate in Asheville, where he was directly responsible for all divisions in the hotel, including food and beverage, culinary, front desk, housekeeping, engineering, security, floral department and guest services. Previously, Sherwood was the assistant director of food and beverage at The Langham Huntington and the food and beverage manager at the Ritz-Carlton Huntington Hotel & Spa, both in Pasadena, Calif., among several other positions.
Harvest Inn
Harvest Inn, part of the Woodside Collection and based in St. Helena, Calif., adds executive chef Colin Rupp to its signature restaurant, Harvest Table. Rupp brings a wealth of expertise to his role at the charming retreat in the heart of St. Helena following eight years at the acclaimed and celebrated Morimoto Napa. Rupp spent his early twenties working various hands-on roles in Washington and Alaska, including stints as a salmon fisherman and longshoreman.
After returning to his home state of Arizona, he found his culinary calling at the Arizona Biltmore, A Waldorf Astoria Resort, where he entered the industry as a banquet cook before transitioning to Renata’s Hearth, formerly Wright’s at the Biltmore, a high-end Latin restaurant within the hotel. There, he spent four years progressing from sous chef to chef du cuisine. In 2015, Chef Rupp joined the team at Morimoto Napa and ascended through the ranks from sous chef to executive chef, ultimately overseeing a large and dynamic team of over 35 culinary professionals.
Hotel La Jolla, Curio Collection by Hilton
Hotel La Jolla, Curio Collection by Hilton, a 50-year-old property in La Jolla Shores, Calif., appoints Anthony Wells as executive chef overseeing the property’s food and beverage operations, including the reimagining of its penthouse level restaurant as Sea & Sky, an all-new concept slated to debut this month. The restaurant will open as part of a multi-million-dollar renovation of the hotel, encompassing all 110 guestrooms and suites, 1,600 square feet of meetings and space, and its 11th-floor dining and private events room.
Wells comes to Hotel La Jolla from San Diego’s Juniper & Ivy restaurant. Handpicked as part of the opening culinary team by owner and "Top Chef: All Stars" winner, Richard Blais, he spent nine years at the restaurant, starting as chef de cuisine in 2014 prior to being promoted to executive chef a year later. Wells will oversee concept and menu development, as well as day-to-day operations of Sea & Sky, an entirely new concept drawing inspiration from the seasonality and bounty of coastal California, as well as the captivating views that have become the location’s hallmark.
The Kimpton Gray Hotel
The Kimpton Gray Hotel, a luxury hotel in Chicago, appoints director of food and beverage Adil Berrady to the team. Bringing more than 20 years of experience to The Gray, Berrady will oversee the culinary operations of the hotel’s two dining outlets—Vol. 39 and Boleo—as well as in-room dining and banquets.
Originally hailing from Tangier, Morocco, Berrady embarked to the U.S. in 1998 at the age of 21 upon receiving a bachelor’s degree in hospitality and restaurant management from The Higher International Institute of Tourism of Tangier. Fluent in French, Spanish, Arabic and Italian, Berrady commenced his illustrious hospitality career as the International Brand Ambassador for Morroco at Walt Disney World Resort’s EPCOT. Subsequently, Berrady transitioned to The Sea Pines Resort as a sales agent in 1999, later assuming the role of assistant general manager at Antonio’s Italian Cuisine in 2001, both located in Hilton Head Island, S.C. Following an eight-year tenure as a bartender and banquet server at Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin, Fla. starting in 2005, Berrady assumed the role of assistant general manager at Hyatt Regency Greenville, S.C. in 2013. His career trajectory led him to Chicago O’Hare International Airport, where he served as the general manager of multi-unit operations from 2015 to 2021. Most recently, Berrady held the position of assistant director of food and beverage of Kimpton Hotel Monaco Chicago’s Fisk & Co.
Marriott Marquis Houston
Marriott Marquis Houston has named Joseph Graffeo as its new executive chef. Graffeo's career in the kitchen began at eight years old, making pasta from scratch alongside his grandmother. At 14, he entered a professional kitchen as a dishwasher and has ascended the ranks in the restaurant industry ever since. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Chef Joe has held positions at numerous Marriott properties in Philadelphia, Phoenix and most recently at the Renaissance Dallas Hotel.
Graffeo will spearhead culinary innovations and programming across the Marriott Marquis Houston’s assortment of Texas-inspired eateries.
Seabird Ocean Resort & Spa
The Seabird Ocean Resort & Spa appoints Chris Carriker to the position of chef de cuisine. With 30 years of experience within the luxury hospitality industry, Carriker will oversee operations at The Seabird’s signature restaurant, Piper.
A Pacific Northwest native, Carriker attended culinary school at Western Culinary Institute before spending many years honing his skills in Portland. His professional journey eventually brought him to San Diego in 2017 where he served as chef de cuisine for Avant Restaurant at Rancho Bernardo Inn, as well as executive chef of International Smoke, Michael Mina’s first venture in the city. He also held the position of corporate chef for the Empress Restaurant Group. Most recently, Carriker served as chef de cuisine of Park Hyatt Aviara Resort Golf Club & Spa where he managed culinary operations at Ponto Lago.
Trilith Guesthouse
Trilith Guesthouse, the 193-room hotel at the main entrance of the European-inspired Town at Trilith, appoints Thomas Parker as executive chef. Thomas will oversee all culinary operations at the hotel, including the signature restaurant Prologue Dining & Drinks, and the rooftop Oliver’s Twist Bar & View.
Thomas brings more than a decade of restaurant and hospitality experience to Trilith Guesthouse. He most recently led food and beverage operations as Executive Chef at The Karol Hotel, a 123-room Marriott Tribute Portfolio hotel in Clearwater, Fla. Prior to that, he was executive chef at the Doubletree by Hilton in Canton, Ohio, the partner hotel of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. A native of Warren, Ohio, Chef Thomas was also chef de cuisine at the Hilton Cleveland Downtown and held positions with Landmark Restaurant and luxury hotel, Metropolitan at The 9, both based in Ohio.