Trends in the food and beverage industry emerge and fade away at the speed of light, yet Chef Rich Grab is always ahead of the latest and greatest in the industry. As Director of Culinary Innovation, he works with Aramark Design + Development and operations teams across the country to develop and implement new culinary concepts into Aramark’s portfolio, including fine dining restaurants such as recently established Adrian by Stephen Starr in Philadelphia. From developing incredible plant-based recipes to creating whimsical gastronomical delights, Chef Rich is a unique talent dedicated to bringing our guests amazing culinary experiences while keeping our clients at the forefront of ingenuity.
His culinary career began as a Sous Chef at San Francisco’s legendary Palomino, then moved on to work with James Beard award-winning Stephen Starr as a sous chef in a variety of the wildly successful restaurant group’s fine dining and upscale casual restaurants. He joined Aramark in 2010 helming the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, one of North America’s busiest arenas. From there, he rose through the ranks to the role of District Chef before his current role.
Chef Rich brings culinary degrees from the Culinary Institute of America and Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts. He is also ProChef Level III-certified and is a member of our Sustainability Council, where he focuses on delivering advancements in sustainable sourcing and culinary operations to our local teams, boosted by his expansive network of local suppliers.