Four recent graduates of prestigious culinary schools are set begin a two-year training program that will include gaining experience in vastly differing settings.
Under the direction of Christian De Vos, vice president of culinary and food and beverage development for Delaware North, and Lou Piuggi, senior vice president of culinary for Delaware North’s Patina Restaurant Group, each of the aspiring culinarians will experience working in a remote location, a sports venue, a Disney location and a restaurant in a major city.
Matthew Painter and Daniel Finney, graduates of the Culinary Institute of America, will kick off the first leg of their journeys at Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite in California and Rock Center Café in New York City, respectively.
Johnson & Wales graduates Maggie Settle and Juan Arrubla, meanwhile, will begin at Morimoto Asia in Disney Springs (Florida) and Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, respectively.
After six-month stops at each location, the goal is for each of the chefs to settle into a sous chef role somewhere within Delaware North, De Vos said.
“The chefs-in-training will work under the tutelage of seasoned and tenured executive chefs,” De Vos added. “Chef Lou and I hand-selected each location to provide unique experiences and a different set of challenges.”
PHOTO CAPTION: Before setting out to locations across the United States, a group of trainees soaks in the scenery at Niagara Falls. From left to right are Matthew Painter, Vice President of Culinary and Food & Beverage Development Christian De Vos, Juan Arrubla, Daniel Finney, Maggie Settle and Senior Culinary Recruiter Amy Tormey.