Richard Potts
Culinary Innovator | Multi-Unit Operations Expert | Menu & Talent Development Specialist | Champion of Sustainable, Michelin-Level Dining Experiences | Elevating Operational Excellence
- Role
- Director of Culinary Innovation at Oakmont Senior Living
- Location
- San Francisco, CA, US
- LinkedIn followers
- 500 followers
About Richard Potts
Food isn\'t just sustenance; it\'s my passion and the life force that drives me. I bring this passion to life through dynamic and innovative hospitality. Throughout my career, I have achieved significant milestones in multi-unit management, luxury hotels, and independent restaurants. As a detail-oriented mentor, I thrive on fostering vibrant kitchens and dining rooms, inspiring teams through consistency, organization, creative solutions, and an eye for detail. This commitment to creating a culture of hospitality, service excellence, and performance management is what drives my impeccable results. Building and nurturing teams is a core focus for me. I emphasize recruitment, training, and development to attract and retain top talent. I\'m driven by performance and always looking for ways to expand, scale, and maximize resources. My dedication to our mission and goals, combined with my commitment to the amazing people who work tirelessly alongside me, shapes my approach to hospitality and service excellence.Food is vital, food is passion, food is life.
Experience
Director of Culinary Innovation
Oct 2024 — Present
Led culinary strategy across a portfolio of 107+ restaurants.• Directed multi-unit concept launches across key California markets, standardizing culinary frameworks and adapting menus to local consumer profiles. Flagship project: Pan-Asian brand in Santa Clara.• Designed brand-wide menu platforms, special events, and systems for consistency and profitability.• Developed culinary playbooks, monthly training videos and modual and executive mentorship programs to elevate leadership pipelines.• Directed operational systems aligned to wellness-forward and culturally inspired dining experiences.
Education
Project Management Institute
Project Resource Management, Project Management
2025
University of Metaphysical Sciences
Bachelor of Science - BS, Philosophy and Religious Studies
2016 — 2018
University of Metaphysical Sciences
Master's Degree, Philosophy + Transpersonal Counciling
2018 — 2022
National Association of State Boards of Accountancy
Project Resource Management
2025
Harvard Business School
Certification for Established Manager - ManageMentor Program, Business Administration and Management, General
2018 — 2019
AHLEI - American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute
Certified Hospitality Supervisor, Hospitality Administration/Management
2007 — 2009
Skills
- Food Preparation
- Restaurant Management
- Menu Engineering
- Food & Beverage
- Gourmet
- Catering
- Recipes
- Culinary Management
- Chef
- Leadership
- Menu Development
- Sanitation
- Hotel Management
- Cost Control
- Restaurants
- Hospitality
- Culinary Skills
- Revenue Analysis
- Cuisine
- Front Office
- Management
- Team Building
- Food Safety
- Banquets
- Micros
- Menu Costing
- Fine Dining
- Hotels
- Cooking
- Hospitality Industry
- Food
- Pastry
- Seafood
- Wine
- Banquet Operations
- Pre-Opening
- Customer Service
- Event Management
- Resorts
- P&L Management
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