Our People Are Our Magic

A dynamic and charismatic leader, Ed navigates a high-stakes kitchen line and an exacting boardroom with the same finesse. Since founding RealFood in 1996, he’s been the ultimate translator between hospitality vision and operational reality. His days are dedicated to aligning his RFHSD team with client goals, ensuring every resource is fully committed to driving success.

A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Ed’s foundation was built in some of the industry’s most prestigious kitchens. His ability to blend culinary know-how with strategic discipline has earned him features in Food and Wine, Restaurant Business, restaurant development + design and Food Arts. Ed was recognized as 2021 Adviser of the Year by Golf Inc. magazine for his contributions to club and resort food and beverage, and in 2023, he was inducted to the Massachusetts Restaurant Association Hall of Fame for his track record of success in the state’s hospitality landscape.

Today, Ed continues to dream big and support others in doing the same.

As the senior vice president of RealFood Hospitality, Strategy & Design, Chris is highly focused on managing operations for the company’s diverse portfolio. A trusted leader with a proven track record of stewarding high-impact projects, Chris oversees a talented team of designers and strategists. Together, they excel in helping organizations build business frameworks and chart forward paths, driving many restaurant concepts to successful openings, operational excellence and financial performance.

Chris has been part of the RealFood consultancy since 2017, contributing a practical perspective that shines brightest when navigating today’s fast-paced, ever-evolving hospitality landscape. A 30-year industry veteran and former operator of his own award-winning restaurants, Chris has extensive experience with renowned establishments including Legal Seafood, Rustic Kitchen and The Olive Group, where he collaborated with Todd English to oversee 13 restaurants across six states. Chris also joined Mario Batali for the opening of his 45,000-square-foot Italian food emporium, Eataly.

Alexis alighted from the world of restaurant management to her current RealFood role with an unshakeable passion for the hospitality industry. Her experience is vast and diverse, including than 20 years in restaurant operations, a well-practiced genius in marketing and branding, and a serious knack for visioning conceptual ideas into full-on restaurant reality.

Prior to joining RealFood, she honed her operations skill on the stage of Michelin-starred and elite service concepts of New York City, including her role as the general manager for award-winning Momofuku Ssäm Bar. She most recently helmed the Bayberry Group, a multi-unit and creative beer hall and restaurant duo, in Providence, RI, and has held various consulting and creative roles within the realm of hospitality and beyond.

A first-level certified sommelier and graduate of Ithaca College, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Alexis operates from the belief that everyone should work in a restaurant at least once, understanding the many life lessons articulated through the intensity and grace of the experience.

Project Highlights:

• Strider Hotel, Boston, MA
• Oglebay Resort, Wheeling, WV
• von Trapp Family Lodge & Resort, Stowe, VT
• Uniqlo Café, New York, NY

With a background spanning advertising, luxury product marketing and private club management, Joëlle brings a unique lens to the RealFood team. As a brand and marketing strategist, she helps RealFood clients infuse memorable, brand-forward moments into every layer of the hospitality experience.

Joëlle leads the naming, branding and logo development work for RealFood clients, as well as strategic marketing advisory. Her word-whispering energy gives her the ability to communicate across various platforms, ensuring a brand’s voice is as distinct as its offerings. Her past operational roles, discerning eye and keen sense of guest expectations allow her court creative concepts to executed brand fruition.

Prior to RealFood, Joëlle worked in various hospitality and private club settings, including a Boardroom magazine Distinguished Club in southern NH. She holds her Bachelor of Science in Communication from Boston University and her Master of Business Administration from the University of New Hampshire’s Whittemore School of Business.

Earnest and experienced, John has been professionally rooted in the foodservice industry since 1988. As the original founder and chief designer of JAX Design Group, Inc., a Florida-based foodservice design firm acquired by RealFood in 2023, John maintains design expertise in a range of specialties, from K-12 education and healthcare facilities to private clubs and marine projects.

He has worked in a variety of operational foodservice roles, as well as a dealer sales representative and manufacturer’s representative, rounding out his industry innerworkings IQ. John’s comprehensive background aids in his unique ability to contemplate operational requirements from the inside-out and fulfill the individual needs of clients when designing for foodservice.

A longtime member of Foodservice Consultants Society International, John holds the highest designation.

Julie brings a designer’s eye to everything she does. Working in different arenas including model homes, staging, personal residences and golf and country clubs has shaped Julie’s thoughtful, experience-forward approach to designing hospitality environments.

As RF DesignStudio’s procurement manager, she uses this superpower to support clients through the arduous ordering process of design projects, gathering all the tiny, yet crucial details that make a whole space sing. A skilled wearer of many hats, Julie is able to adapt to each project, anticipating hiccups before they happen and finding smart resolutions if they do.

Design has been an important part of Julie’s life and career from early on. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Design Institute of San Diego, and she has flexed her talent at design studios like Sturling & Co and Revolution Design Group before joining the team at Troon and RFHSD more than five years ago.

When it comes to bringing a client’s design vision to life, Kali is a natural. She brings more than a decade of nurtured design skill and a deeply collaborative spirit to every project. Kali understands the nuances of working effectively with diverse stakeholders, and she is always seeking ways to incorporate various perspectives to create the most successful designs possible.

Kali’s interior designer energy is the ultimate culmination of her education and background. After receiving her degree in Interior Design from Michigan State University, she honed her craft as part of the esteemed Sasha Adler Design team, where she beautified everything from high-concept pop-up shops to celebrity homes. Her experience served as the perfect springboard for her design manager role with RF DesignStudio, where she adeptly translates design visions into thriving hospitality environments. Kali is exceptionally skilled at weaving natural elements into her designs and often finds her inspiration outdoors, whether at home in Chicago or along the way of her many adventures.

Whether supporting a nimble startup or well-established brand, Kristin “KK” Kelly excels in guiding hospitality operators to optimize their resources and explore fresh opportunities. She knows how to rally a team and leverage the strengths of an organization, all while preserving its unique heartbeat. She’s tenacious, resourceful and knowledgeable, the kind of person that helps pave the way for success.

KK brings a wealth of industry experience to RealFood clients, with a star-studded career in F&B operations, including award-winning vegan hospitality group, Overthrow Hospitality, where she led the New York and Los Angeles collection of restaurants from James Beard-nominated Ravi DeRossi. She’s also held management positions at New York’s iconic Momofuku Ssäm Bar; Boston’s historic gem, The Marliave; and multi-concept consortium, East Coast Tavern Group.
A Suffolk University alumna, Kristin is no stranger to New England, but she’s always eager for a new adventure; she enjoys collecting jewels of insight and inspiration from her many travels.

Monica embraces creativity in her solutions-oriented approach to food and beverage performance and operational strategy. She meets challenges head-on by envisioning the possible outcomes, then mobilizing the ideas, people and resources to thoughtfully achieve desired results for RealFood clients.

A graduate of the University of Hawaii at Manoa and W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, Monica began her now 15-plus-year career managing F&B operations for well-known hospitality brands including Starbucks, Starwood and Hilton Hotels Hawaii. Before joining RealFood, she was part of the team at Troon, the world’s largest golf-related hospitality management company, overseeing all facets of F&B at various golf resorts, private and social clubs across the country. From multi-unit resorts to quick-service cafés and high-end, high-volume destination hotel restaurants, Monica’s diverse experiences, paired with her visionary outlook, influence her keen ability to shepherd hospitality businesses of any size from conceptual vision to operational fruition.

A licensed architect in multiple states, Phil provides a master-level understanding of the architectural and engineering complexities of commercial design. His ability to effectively coordinate with multi-disciplinary project teams is a force multiplier for RF DesignStudio.

Phil was the original founder and principal of Foodservice Design Associates (FDA), which was acquired by RealFood in 2021. He brings a legacy of design excellence that spans more than four decades. Phil’s foundational work at Walt Disney, FDA and now RealFood covers every conceivable foodservice niche, from prototype and renovation work in private and public schools to fellowship halls, assisted living and medical facilities, plus cafeterias, food courts, hotels and even theme parks.

Among other degrees and training, Phil holds a Bachelor of Architecture from Syracuse University, and he completed postgraduate studies in foodservice management and culinary arts at Cornell University’s Statler School of Hotel and Restaurant Administration.

Anything and everything enterprise-related runs through Rachel’s capable hands. As the primary architect of RealFood’s internal systems, she ensures every process is designed with the client in mind. Rachel excels at prioritizing key decisions and marshaling the team to deliver consistent, high-touch service and solutions. While her logistical work keeps our satellite offices and Troon’s Scottsdale flagship in perfect sync, her true impact is felt in the seamless, stress-free experience she creates for our team and our valued clients.

Drawing from her background in high-stakes restaurant and medical environments, Rachel brings a unique blend of adaptability and patient leadership to her role. Her high standards and organizational skills aren’t just for internal efficiency, they are the backbone of the reliable, transparent communication our clients depend on…from first conversation to successful execution. A graduate of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Rachel has earned a professional reputation that is truly unmatched.

Drawing on her diverse experience in architecture, general contracting and commercial design, Samantha understands the full life cycle of a build. She supports clients as a professional guide, navigating the details, stakeholders and nuances of the interior design discipline with masterful grace. Her design philosophy uplifts a client’s vision and transforms it into spaces that feel authentic, intentional and true to the people who experience them.

Samantha finds inspiration through travel and natural landscapes. Small wonders, like a drive through the mountains or desert, spark new ideas. From azulejo tiles in Portugal to textiles in Moroccan souks and the ancient stone carvings in Angkor Wat, Samantha is drawn to materials that tell a story and have stood the test of time.

Samantha holds a Bachelor’s degree in Interior Design from West Virginia University, a foundation she has built upon throughout a dynamic career at premier firms like erstad ARCHITECTS, Vida Design and Ziebart Construction.