Restaurants are part of our daily lives. We all experience them; but do we ever think about them? In this session, David Chislett takes us down a thought-path examining the restaurant in the abstract: as an idea; as a concept; as a memory that lives. This journey will bring us to a deeper understanding of what truly makes a difference in any culinary/beverage planning and execution process while opening up possibilities for infusing “restaurant” thinking into all that we do.

David Chislett, FCSI, Executive Principal, Ricca Design Studios

David Chislett, FCSI, native of New York, brings 35+ years of operations, design and construction project management experience to his role as Executive Principal with Ricca Design Studios. Dave is a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America and The University of Rochester. His background includes serving as an executive chef, corporate food and beverage director, and hotel F&B design/construction manager. David has also served as an Instructor at Johnson and Wales University in Denver teaching Foodservice Facilities Design and Analysis. He is currently a judge for NRA’s Kitchen Innovation Award program. This in-the-trenches background works well to provide current clients with a unique “hands-on” approach to the design process and strong assistance to design teams, Operators and construction teams. David is widely skilled across markets, but enjoys a global practice in upscale hospitality helping numerous brands grow into their potential. David is married with three adult “kids” and three grandchildren and resides in Brooklyn, NY. And yes, he does all the cooking at home...