Mark Manguera

Mark Manguera
Culinary Entrepreneur / Food, Lifestyle and Culture Expert

Mark Manguera is a Culinary Entrepreneur and Developer with his finger on the pulse of current and future hospitality trends throughout the country. His most notable culinary endeavor is creating the world’s first gourmet food truck, Kogi BBQ, which combines Asian and Latin flavors into one bite and sparked a worldwide culinary phenomenon. Through the power of social media, he was the first restauranteur to engage customers and fans using a tweet or post.

A decade and counting later, he continues to develop and create culinary concepts by combining his future thinking of socialized food experiences with world class real-estate developers and investment funds. Mark has coined the term "culinary development" by designing, developing, and creating authentic restaurant and hospitality spaces within real-estate projects across the country. He is currently responsible for over $3 billion dollars of culinary development ranging from 10,000 square feet to over 100 acres with one goal in mind – “to create a unique and authentic culinary experience for the community to enjoy for generations to come”.

Mark’s culinary experience includes specialized pop-ups, unique cultures, and restaurant brands across the world including a Food Network show called "Aloha Coast to Coast". He also influenced the movie CHEF with John Favreau and other shows on TV and Netflix over the past decade. Mark holds a bachelor’s degree in Management and Entrepreneurship from California State University, Fullerton, and a Culinary Arts Degree from the California Culinary Academy. He is passionate about giving back to the community, mentoring future entrepreneurs, and sharing his experience with the world.