Executive Chef · Culinary Director · Restaurant & Hospitality Entrepreneur

25+ years of culinary excellence.
From the kitchen to the boardroom.

I build food experiences, restaurant concepts, and hospitality businesses that bring together great food, strong operations, creativity, and memorable guest experiences.

Il Forno Fusion — plated dish
Ric's Lounge & Grill — kitchen pass
Woodstock Hotel — dining room
Banquet service for 200+ guests

From chef to hospitality entrepreneur.

My journey began in the kitchen, driven by a passion for food, discipline, and creativity. Over more than 25 years, that passion has evolved into a career spanning culinary leadership, restaurant ownership, hospitality operations, concept development, and brand building.

Today, I combine culinary expertise with business strategy to create restaurant and hospitality concepts that are designed not only to serve great food — but to build lasting brands.

I've built and operated restaurants, a bar, and a 25-room hotel/motel property across Alberta, while developing teams, menus, systems, and operations designed for long-term growth.

Read My Story

Meet Rakesh Roshan

Chef. Entrepreneur. Operator. Builder.

I've spent more than 25 years in kitchens, restaurants, hotels, and hospitality businesses, learning every side of the industry — from food preparation and kitchen operations to leadership, business strategy, and brand development.

My culinary journey has taken me across India, the United States, and Canada, giving me experience with diverse culinary traditions and international hospitality standards.

Chef → Culinary Leader → Restaurant Operator → Owner → Culinary Director → Entrepreneur

I believe that a successful restaurant is about much more than food. It is about people, consistency, hospitality, systems, creativity, and creating an experience customers want to come back to.

Italian Cuisine Continental Cuisine Indian Cuisine Fusion Cuisine Restaurant Operations Hotel Food & Beverage Banquet Operations Menu Development Food Costing Purchasing & Inventory Team Building & Training Concept Development Business Operations Brand Development

"Every dish and every process should tell a story about who we are and what we stand for."

My Philosophy

Building restaurants. Building brands. Building experiences.

Over the years, I've had the opportunity to build, own, operate and lead multiple restaurant and hospitality businesses across Alberta.

Airdrie · Royal Oak Calgary · Calgary · Canmore · Turner Valley

Il Forno Fusion

An Italian fusion restaurant concept bringing together classic Italian culinary traditions with creative fusion ideas.

Concept & Culinary Direction
Airdrie, Alberta

Il Forno Pizza & Pie

A dedicated pizza and pie concept developed as part of the Il Forno family of businesses.

Concept & Culinary Direction
Turner Valley, Alberta

Kickers Bar

A hospitality and bar concept combining food, drinks, entertainment, and community.

Owner / Operator
Turner Valley, Alberta · 25-room property

Woodstock Hotel

A 25-room hotel/motel property, with hands-on experience in hotel operations, food & beverage, and guest experience.

Owner / Operator
Calgary, Alberta · inside Four Points by Sheraton

Ric's Lounge & Grill

Restaurant, kitchen, and banquet food-service operations inside a hotel environment — supporting 8 banquet halls, including weddings, corporate events, and large functions.

Owner / Operator / Culinary Director · 2021–Jan 2026

My career journey

Three continents. Six roles. One craft.

1997–2000
Diploma, Hotel Management & Catering Technology
India
2000–2004
Kitchen Executive / Acting Chef / Chef de Partie
Quality Inn Parle International — Mumbai
2004–2005
Continental Kitchen
Sahara Amby Valley — Lonavla
2005–2012
Chef / 1st Cook / Chef de Partie / Demi Chef de Partie
Princess Cruises — USA & International
2012
Executive Chef
Café White House — New Delhi
2013–2017
Chef / Culinary Leadership
Ric's Grill — Calgary
2017–2026
Owner / Culinary Director / Operator
Multiple Restaurant & Hospitality Businesses — Alberta
2021–2026
Owner / Operator / Culinary Director
Ric's Lounge & Grill — Calgary

What I do

Where potential clients understand exactly what they can hire me for.

Restaurant Concept Development

Have an idea for a restaurant? I help transform ideas into practical restaurant concepts — from culinary direction and menu identity to kitchen planning, operational systems, and launch strategy.

Menu Development & Culinary Consulting

Create a menu that is delicious, practical, and profitable.

Recipe developmentItalian & Continental cuisineFusion conceptsMenu engineeringFood costingPortion controlKitchen workflowPresentation & plating

Restaurant Opening & Setup

Opening a restaurant requires more than a great menu — guidance across concept, kitchen setup, staffing, training, purchasing, and pre-opening preparation.

Concept developmentKitchen setupStaffing & trainingPurchasingOperational procedures

Restaurant Operations Consulting

Improve the way your restaurant operates — identifying opportunities across cost, labour, and quality.

Food costLabourInventoryPurchasingKitchen efficiencyQualityServiceProfitability

Culinary Leadership & Training

Build stronger culinary teams through hands-on training and consulting.

Kitchen organizationFood safetyStaff developmentKitchen leadershipStandard operating procedures

Hotel & Hospitality Food & Beverage

Experience delivering consistent food and service at scale inside hotel environments, including banquets for up to 8 halls.

Hotel F&BBanquetsWeddingsCorporate eventsKitchen management

Brand & Restaurant Growth Strategy

A restaurant should be built to operate successfully today, and have the potential to grow tomorrow.

Brand identityScalable systemsMenu strategyMulti-location planning

Have an idea worth building? Let's talk.

Business Partnership & Co-Founder Opportunities

Behind the plate

Food is more than a dish. It's creativity, culture, technique, and experience. Follow me behind the scenes as I share recipes, restaurant stories, and lessons from more than two decades in hospitality.

Chef Rakesh in the Kitchen

Cooking demonstrations and recipes.

Restaurant Stories

Behind-the-scenes restaurant operations.

Food & Creativity

New dishes, menu ideas, and culinary experiments.

Chef Tips

Professional cooking and restaurant insights.

Hospitality & Business

Lessons from building and operating restaurants.

The chef's table

Welcome to my table. I share the experiences, lessons, and ideas I've collected throughout my journey as a chef, restaurant owner, culinary director, and hospitality entrepreneur.

Chef's Journey

Stories and lessons from 25+ years in hospitality.

Restaurant Business

What I've learned about building and operating restaurants.

Culinary

Food, ingredients, techniques, and recipes.

Menu & Concepts

Thoughts on creating menus and restaurant concepts.

Hospitality

Leadership, service, teams, and guest experience.

Entrepreneurship

Building businesses from the ground up.

Experience, by the numbers

25+
Years of international experience
3
Countries — Canada, USA, India
Multiple
Restaurant concepts built & operated
25
Hotel/motel rooms
8
Banquet halls supported
~40%
Approximate annual sales growth

Recognition & certifications

Alberta Health Services — Public Health / Food Safety
Princess Cruises — Public Health Certifications
Basic Fire Behaviour & Portable Fire Extinguisher Practices — USA
Princess U Professional Development Programs
Employee of the Month — Ric's Lounge & Grill
Five-Year Service Recognition — Princess Cruises
Special Performance Recognition — Quality Inn Parle International

Let's build something great together.

Opening a restaurant Developing a new food concept Looking for culinary consulting Improving an existing operation Developing a menu Building a hospitality brand Exploring a partnership

I'd love to hear about your idea.

Rakesh Roshan

Executive Chef · Culinary Director · Restaurant & Hospitality Entrepreneur

Calgary, Alberta

587-889-8278

srroshan2010@icloud.com