What surprised you most about Garden Grove’s dining scene?
It’s rare to encounter a dining scene where so many restaurants are preserving recipes and cooking techniques that have been passed down through generations. … Experiencing these kitchens felt like being invited into someone’s family home and learning about their culture through food. I was also deeply impressed by the City of Garden Grove’s commitment to its restaurant community. The city has shown a genuine desire to uplift local businesses and celebrate the diversity of its dining landscape.
You’re a trained chef and a level one sommelier, and you’ve worked in hospitality at Montage Laguna Beach and held executive roles at several national brands. Why transition to the marketing side?
Restaurants operate in a completely unique environment. It is one of the only industries where decisions are made in real time, and there is no margin for error. Every guest experience is immediate. Every moment matters. Even when I held executive leadership roles, I was always deeply involved in branding, marketing strategy, training, and menu development. What became very clear was that many marketing agencies simply did not understand how restaurants function. They were skilled marketers, but they had never lived the operational intensity of hospitality. They didn’t understand the pace, the pressure, or the realities of running service seven days a week, including holidays, nights, and weekends. … Restaurants need marketing partners who move at the same speed they do.
Do your son and daughter share your passion for dining out?
We often dine at the restaurants I work for, and my family gets to meet the incredible chefs, owners, managers, and teams that I work alongside. Hospitality is ultimately about community and connection, and my family has become part of that world. They see firsthand the passion that goes into these businesses and the relationships that form along the way. Restaurants are about bringing people together, and that’s something I feel incredibly grateful to be part of every day at work and in “mom mode.”
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