About Us

Chef Shawn Kohlhaas, a seasoned 30 plus year veteran of the food service industry, has been leading the way in new and fresh approaches in the food service industry. His passions have been in farm-to-table initiatives with an emphasis on local, organic and sustainable practices.

At age 20, Shawn apprenticed under Master Chef Karl Wenzel and quickly absorbed the nature of the restaurant culture found along the eastern seaboard. Shortly after, Shawn's father founded and created the Mountain Creek Tavern Restaurant. For seven years they masterfully executed a fine dining experience in a country setting with a menu focused on local ingredients.

Shawn then moved on to be the Food Consultant of Lowe’s Foods. There, he sharpened his retail knowledge until he was offered the prestigious position of Executive Chef for NASCAR. Here, he was responsible for the dining needs of all officials and executives on the NASCAR circuit. This opportunity challenged him to source everything from linens and china to food and localized specialty items for races which were in different locations every week.

Shawn moved to Grand Rapids, MI in 2004 where he found a new frontier in food culture. He quickly became the Regional Culinary Services Manager for the Unidine Corporation. With Unidine, he helped guide many culinary aspects for over 180 food service accounts from small retirement communities to multi-conceptual hospitals. He was able to institute high sanitation standards from his extensive training as a ServSafe Instructor and Proctor.

Shawn has focused his career on systems, tools and operations for food service operations and their food safety practices across all lines of food service operations. Currently Shawn is the acting lead consultant and CEO of Culinary Cultivations. His time is mostly spent with clients working on thier operation needs by suporting them with other Culinary Cultivations consultant team members as well as Culinary Cultivations sytems, tools and operational intellectual properties to assist thier clients with any operational needs they have.

Currently:

• Principal and Lead Consultant for Culinary Cultivations.

• Chairman of the Board for the Greater Grand Rapids American Culinary Federation

• Member of the Food Safety Advisory Board for the Kent County Health Department

• Member of the Great Lakes Conference for Food Protection 

• Host of The Local Feed show on WYCE 88.1 FM Grand Rapids MI

• One of 20 instructors of over 10,000 instructors to help develop the Servsafe materials and program

• Co-founder and Culinary/Judging Chair of the American Cancer Society 's Taste of Hope Charity Event

• Nominations and Judging Chair of the West Michigan FAB Awards (Food and Beverage Industry Awards)

• Board Member of the Tip Jar Foundation

• Coordinator of the Grand Rapids American Culinary Federation Chef Awards

• Support Chair of the Feast for Kid's Charity Dinner to support Kid's Food Basket

• Founder and Coordinator of the Grand Rapids American Culinary Federation Chef Brew Contest and Brew Launch Awards event

Awards

• 2013 ACF Professional Chef of the Year for Grand Rapids

• 2014 ACF Chef of the Year for Grand Rapids

• 2016 GRAPE Award for Excellence in the Culinary Field for The Grand Rapids Area Professionals for Excellence

• 2017 ACF Specialty Business Award for Grand Rapids

• 2019 ACF Specialty Business Award for Grand Rapids

• 2020 ACF Specialty Business Award for Grand Rapids

• 2021 ACF Specialty Business Award for Grand Rapids

• 2022 ACF Gimod de la Reyniere Award for Grand Rapids

• 2023 American Cancer Society of West Michigan Volunteer of the Year award

• 2024 Honoree of the Chef Specialty Event for Meals on Wheels West Michigan

For 20 years, Melissa has been active in all aspects of the food service industry. Melissa excels in developing company operational systems and improving processes, by creating clear and concise procedures and ensuring all team members have the tools to do their work successfully and to thrive in their positions. Melissa has a passion for developing company cultures and building solid teams by creating team member investment in company success and culture. 

Melissa joined the Culinary Cultivations Corporate team as the Events Field Manager in May of 2017. After becoming the main contact and liaison for our staffing team members and clients, team and client relationships flourished, resulting in her promotion in 2018 to Director of Staffing Services. She also assists the CEO with company operational development and assists in all areas of company operations. Melissa is the lead FOH consultant for our clients in need of operations development and/or training in restaurant, bar and catering industries, as well as a ServSafe Alcohol Safety Course Instructor and Proctor. 

Currently:

•   Director of Staffing Services/FOH and Private Events Consultant at Culinary Cultivations

With nearly 20 years of experience in hospitality, Stephanie has developed a passion for managing teams and developing innovative training systems. After managing restaurants and other venues for more than a decade, she joined Culinary Cultivations in 2022 as the Recruiting and Event Team Manager. 

For over 17 years, Justin has been active in all aspects of the food service industry. Justin is versatile and enjoys working in both the front and back of the house. Justin has a passion for and excels in teaching food safety courses. He also enjoys working with clients in food service consulting. 

Justin joined the Culinary Cultivations Corporate team as the ServSafe Manager in March of 2022. He is also a Food Service Consultant. Justin has worked for Culinary Cultivations on the Event Staffing Team in the past and has always wanted to be a part of such a great team and company culture.  

Current Board Positions: 

Greater Grand Rapids American Culinary Federation Vice President - 2016-Present. 

Culinary Institute of Michigan Advisory Board - 2018-Present. 

Achievements: 

Justin is the co-founder of the Culinary Leadership Academy, KitchenSage. KitchenSage is a culinary leadership academy for young adults ages 18-24. The program certifies and places young adults into the hospitality industry provides them credentials to assist in their success. 

Justin has been nominated for numerous awards through the GGRACF. 

Over the past 9 years, Mercedes has been active in many areas of the food service industry. With each new position, she exceled and developed a passion to master her skills and continuously learn new ones within the industry. In recent years, she has focused on learning the administrative side of the industry to better her understanding of how events and food service operations work behind-the-scenes, as well as to learn operating procedures that result in a successful business. 

Mercedes joined Culinary Cultivations in early 2018 as a contractor and is now a Team Ambassador, as well as the Processing Administrator and Assistant Team Manager in the Culinary Cultivations corporate office. She enjoys the flexibility of working in the field and the office, but mostly she loves the opportunity to work alongside such a wide variety amazing people in the food service industry. Having a variety of locations to work at, she is always given new opportunities to learn and master new skills, which is something she strives for and enjoys!

Outside of work, she is a mother to 3 of the most precious little girls, and the wife of an amazing chef, Eddie Garcia. She is a part-time artist in many mediums, from large murals to wedding design. Wherever there's a spare moment of time, Mercedes & Eddie take road trips all over the country to expose their children to as much history, culture, and as many walks of life as possible. 

Sophia attends Grand Rapids Community College. She has had a passion for cooking since she was young. Sophia has many life goals and aspires to own a restaurant or a food truck in addition to traveling and experiencing food everywhere. Sophia joined Culinary Cultivations as an intern, the company struck her interest when she heard about it through The American Culinary Federation. Sophia is now Shawn assistant.

Achievements :

Junior Culinarian of the Year 2022

Co-President of the Junior Chapter Board of The American Culinary Federation in 2022

George D Dennis, CEC CCE AAC 

Chef George has worked in both the culinary industry and in culinary educational environments for the past 40 years.  During his time in the hospitality industry, he has held positions as corporate Sous Chef for Azar’s Food and Lodging specialty division, Executive Chef at Fredericksburg Country Club, Gabriel’s Restaurant, Point West Inn and University Club of Grand Rapids.   

Chef George has taught various courses at the beginning and advanced stages of Hospitality, Culinary Arts and Baking and Pastry Arts for West Michigan Academy of Hospitality Sciences and Kent Intermediate Schools and is a member of the National Restaurant Association and American Culinary Federation. 

Chef George is a past secondary school member of the accreditation commission for American Culinary Federation Educational Foundation.  In addition, he still works with the ACFEF accreditation commission as a team lead working to validate institution’s self-study work for application and consideration to become an accredited secondary or post-secondary school in Food and Beverage Management, Culinary Arts or Baking and Pastry Arts. 

Meet Tina Femeyer, a dynamic and accomplished veteran of the restaurant industry with over 20 years of experience in restaurant and above-store management. With a passion for creating exceptional dining experiences, Tina has dedicated her career to delivering top-notch service, fostering a positive and stable work environment, and driving business growth and profitability. Throughout her journey, Tina has honed her skills in nearly every aspect of restaurant management, including operations, staff training, cost management, recruiting and HR as well as strategic planning and menu development. Her unwavering commitment to excellence has earned her a reputation for being a results-oriented leader who consistently exceeds expectations. She possesses an innate ability to streamline operations, optimize workflows, and maximize efficiency, all while maintaining the highest standards of quality and service. Locally, she has overseen operations for Donkey Taqueria, Winchester, What the Truck and Hancock as well as being a Regional Manager for the Michigan region of Condado Tacos. In addition to her operational expertise, Tina has a keen business acumen that has enabled her to develop and implement strategic initiatives that drive revenue and profitability. She is adept at identifying emerging trends in the industry, adapting to changing customer preferences, and leveraging marketing strategies to attract new patrons while maintaining a loyal customer base. Outside of work, Tina is an avid food enthusiast who constantly seeks inspiration from different culinary cultures and travel. She is active in her community and sits on the Board of her Neighborhood Association, enjoys yoga and spending time with her dog Rita. She is a graduate of Cincinnati State Technical Institute with a degree in Restaurant Management and Culinary Arts. Other professional certifications include a Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt and Cicerone Certification.

Eddie Garcia has been in the food industry for a little over six years.

Throughout the last 6 years Eddie has worked in numerous kitchens around the Grand Rapids area. 

At the age of 12, Eddie discovered cooking. His mother taught him to cook. Her lessons started small. From scrambling an egg, to making quesadillas. He didn’t realize then she was instilling him with a very important attribute that would serve him later in life. 

At 18 years of age Eddie started a dishwashing position in downtown GR at San Chez Bistro. After spending 3 years at San Chez Bistro Eddie felt that he needed a new challenge.  Eddie set his mind to only work at the best restaurants in town and began to work at the prestigious Cygnus27. Eddie was at Cygnus27 working in the kitchen in all different positions until 2019 when the resturant closed for renovations and moved over to the JW Marriot. Eddie fell in love with French cuisine at Marguax.

Throughout the years he has simultaneously held more than one position. One position that has alwasy stood out more than others is his position with Culinary Cultivations. He started with Culinary in late 2019 as a part time chef. Eddie has had the opportuity to see how different kitchens operate and has sinse moved to work with Culianry Cultivations as a Servsafe instructor and a Culinary lead in the field. Eddie focuses on not only teaching food safety certifcation classes but also is our lead instructor in Spanish speaking Servsafe classes as well as Spanish speaking food service operation consultation.

On his spare time, Eddie enjoys being outdoors. He loves to go fishing, hiking, traveling, and exploring anything that he can with his daughters.

Rick Persson, BS, MPA, CDM, CFPP, ServSafe Instructor

Over the past 30 years, Rick has taken several operational systems from contracted management to self operation within healthcare food service. Within this realm, he has worked with call center based and hostess based room service. Has initiated and implemented new software programs and modules for room service and retail operations. Rick's areas of Expertise focus in Customer Experience Management, Team Building, Training and Development, Change Management, Budgeting and Forecasting, Project Management, Lean Methodology, Process Improvement, Key Relationship Management, Vendor Relations and Communications.

In the past Rick has managed union and non-union staff (supervisory and hourly); promoted employee engagementand team development; pursued customer experience excellence practices; utilized lean and six sigma methodologies in process improvement activities in the pursuit of service excellence, developed and administered operating and capital budgets, engaged in relationships with stakeholders to include administration, community and vendors.

Rick enjoys College Football, Managing his financial portfolio, Bourbon, Walking, Reading and Fantasy Football and Baseball

April went to Columbus State Community College (CSCC) and obtained her Associate's Degree in Culinary Arts (2020) and Baking and Pastries (2023). She graduated with honors as Magna Cum Laude both times. She is a a Certified Sous Chef (CSC) and a Certified Pastry Chef (CPC). She has a deep passion for ServSafe and working on becoming a Health Inspector.

Dick Thompson brings a unique blend of decades of education, hospitality and assisted living experience to Culinary Cultivations. After graduating from Miami University with a degree in education, he developed his hotel and restaurant skills working as night auditor, chef, banquet/conference services manager and internal auditor at hotels located in Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. He moved to Grand Rapids to join the staff of the 4-star 4-diamond Amway Grand Plaza Hotel. He expanded his knowledge of quality hospitality in the position of food and beverage controller, later as the assistant controller and commercial property manager. While working at the Amway Grand Plaza, he taught several classes in hotel accounting for the American Hotel Motel Association educational institute and Grand Valley State University. After joining Heritage Property Management as controller, Dick successfully implemented professional accounting policies and control systems based on his hotel and restaurant knowledge. He was also instrumental in creating an award-winning culinary program for this 9-property assisted living portfolio.

Tim has over 40 years of restaurant management experience including 15 y as managing partner of Champps Americana. He also has a strong background in events planning and catering and has been the principle organizer for many charitable golf fundraisers. Tim has been married for 40 years and has two children Stephanie and Tim as well as 2 granddaughters. Tim currently resides in Columbus Ohio.

Stephanie Bazen, MA, RDN – Registered Dietitian Consultant

Stephanie has a horticulture degree from Michigan State University and worked in the horticulture field for several years before pursuing a degree in nutrition from MSU.  She has been in the foodservice industry as a registered dietitian for 4 years.  She went into foodservice management directly after completing her dietetic internship. 

Stephanie has worked in the public-school sector as assistant director in Muskegon, MI, writing menus following child nutrition guidelines and encouraging new flavors and textures.  Here she discovered the thrill of creating menus against different guidelines, restrictions, and food preferences.  

After moving to Arizona, she operated as the patient services manager for the Mayo Clinic, ensuring that all patients received nutritious meals in a timely and safe manner.  Here she honed her management skills and patient satisfaction standards.  Food should be flavorful, presented well, and delivered correctly and at the appropriate temperature.

After moving back to Grand Rapids in 2020 Stephanie has spent her time working in the horticulture industry and finishing her master’s degree in dietetics through Western Michigan University.  In her spare time she enjoys long hikes with her dog, spending time in her garden, and re-exploring her hometown with friends. 

Phinn likes to visit the office and bring joy to our team and clients alike. He likes walks, peanut butter, his toys and  most of all he loves his family.