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Chris Tripoli
President
Chris Tripoli has over 35 years of service in the hospitality industry as a designer, developer, owner and operator. He graduated from Phoenix College after completing Food Service Mangement and moved to Houston, Texas, where he assisted in the rapid expansion of a casual family restaurant chain. In 1981, Chris founded his first restaurant company and expanded it into a small chain. He has developed award winning restaurants and provided assistance to many airport and retail center developers. Chris consults on concept development operations, and growth related matters with a variety of chains (franchisors and franchisees) and independent operators.
He lectures at the Art Institute and teaches courses in "opening restaurants" and proper growth strategies at the Small Business Development Center of the University of Houston. Chris has written for "Food Service News," "My Table" magazine, Restaurant Start-up and Growth and has been featured in various other trade publications. He is a guest speaker for a variety of hospitality meetings, seminars and a participant in industry workshops. Chris is currently providing one-day seminars on restaurant operations and growth strategies throughout the United States and Mexico.
Chris remains active in the Foodservice Consultant Society International, National Restaurant Association, Texas, Florida, and Louisiana Restaurant Associations.
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Glenn Cates
Kitchen Operations and Menu Development
Glenn brings 30 years of culinary service as an executive chef, kitchen designer, and product management specialist to the A'La Carte Foodservice Consulting Group.
Glenn began his career with T.G.I. Fridays, where he played a role in many restaurant openings. He became a regional food & beverage director, and was a part of the menu development management team. Glenn assisted with the development and expansion of Dalt's, Friday's sister concept, before leaving to join a newly formed Independent Restaurant development group.
In 1988, Glenn partnered with Chris Tripoli to open Nicole's Café San Felipe in Houston, Texas. This award winning southwestern bistro was the first of many restaurant projects they would do together. He developed the menu and kitchen operations for Truluck's restaurants in Houston, Dallas, Addison and Austin, Texas. As well as a Cricket Sports theme restaurant on the island of Antigua in the British West Indies.
Glenn specializes in assisting clients with their menu development, product handling system, inventory controls, equipment layout and design, kitchen staff training, and management supervision.
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Email
Phone 303.618.8767 |
Gene Gunn
Associate
Operations and Strategic Planning
Gene has over 30 years of senior level experience in the hospitality industry. He began his career as the founder and senior Vice President of Studebaker’s of America, a well known nightclub chain. He oversaw the financing, construction, and opening of 19 company owned units and six franchised operations. Upon the sale of Studebakers to Mc Faddin Ventures, Gene became the Senior Vice President and was responsible for the development and operations of 28 restaurant-night club locations with an estimated annual revenue of 85 million.
Gene became a partner and Executive Vice President of Entertainment One which developed, owned and operated 22 establishments in major cities throughout the United States. After 12 years he moved to Hawaii where he served as the development manager for two Chili’s franchises and created 4 additional concepts.
Having successfully sold his Hawaii restaurants, Gene resides in Colorado where he provides concept development, management, and growth related consulting services to A’la Carte’s clients worldwide.
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Brent Sloan
Associate
Food and Wine
Brent brings to A'La Carte Foodservice Consulting Group and broad array of experiences as a culinary educator, entrepreneur and wine specialist.
Brent received his Bachelor's degree from the New England Culinary Institute in 1996 and shortly after graduation went on to achieve the title of Certified Wine Specialist through the Society of Wine Educators.
He returned to the New England Culinary Institute in 1998 as an instructor, teaching classes in the Physiology of Taste, Taste and Flavor, and various wine courses. He also served as the beverage manager of two restaurants affiliated with the culinary institute- NECI Commons and the Inn at Essex.
Brent went on to co-found Wine Works, a large wine retail store, wine bar, and beverage catering operation in Burlington, Vermont; where after the store's first year of operations was awarded the American Institute of Wine and Food's "Best Wine Store in Vermont".
In 2003 Brent was elected Justice of the Peace and also served on a Vermont business / military delegation to the Republic of Macedonia, helping share America's perspective on grape growing and wine making.
Brent returned to Houston in 2005 and works with the A’LaCarte Foodservice Consulting Group on a variety of culinary projects.
He continues to write for various Industry trade journals and teach wine classes.
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Email
Phone 281.293.0077 |
Rosie Gutierrez
Associate
Program Development
Since 2004, Rosie has assisted the consultants of A La Carte by providing a variety of services, including project management, marketing and promotion and new program development. She effectively manages all client project time lines, maintains consultants schedule and manages project budgets. Rosie’s efforts improve client relations by coordinating all client requests for services with the proper consultant’s expertise.
Rosie organizes events for the A La Carte Foodservice Consulting Group. She plans and implements the group’s marketing programs, trade shows and other promotions. Rosie assists the A La Carte consultants with their policy reviews, project evaluations and procedure updates. She helps develop and implement new consultant’s programs and produces all client materials.
A fully bilingual associate, Rosie assists A La Carte by offering its promotional literature, operating manuals, training manuals, recipe books, franchise documents and many other items in Spanish.
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