Keith M. Taylor

Executive Chef | President

Founder of Chefsoul Culinary Enterprises, Inc.

DEFINITION OF SOUL:

KEITH M. TAYLOR EXECUTIVE CHEF / PRESIDENT Keith Taylor is a husband and father of four, and founded Chefsoul Culinary Enterprises, Inc. (CCP) in 1991 after attending Cornell and The Culinary Arts Institute and successfully establishing himself in major restaurants in Manhattan. CCP was created to accept engagements as a consultant for culinary operations and provide contract services in private dining, event-planning and freelance culinary assistance. As a proven motivational leader, Keith has re-tooled failing operations and successfully executed restaurant / food and beverage openings in both the private and corporate sectors. Training programs and teaching how to effectively manage and impact cost of goods sold is the core of successful food operations. Chef Taylor’s academic and professional background has made him known by many as an expert in culinary operations and is highly sought after for his professional talents.

Making food and beverage operations profitable and consistently doing so is his mantra, second only to his creativity and sense of what the dining customer is looking for. Total operations management with a keen sense for the bottom line and acute review of daily operations is how he has achieved career success and smooth openings based on pro forma. These skills, combined with his impeccable dining standards and example-setting management style, have made his reputation as a total manager, as well as an award-winning chef.

Keith Taylor

Accomplishments As a Salaried Executive, Sub-Contractor or Consulting Executive Chef Include:

Current participating member of the American Culinary Federation
Classically trained and also known as a master of contemporary southern cuisine, classical and continental fusion
Plan, design and execution for the opening (culinary operations) of the Houston Market and Bistro, plus multi-tiered catering at the Houston Hall, University of Pennsylvania
Regional Executive Chef for HEI Hotels, presiding over culinary operations for 20+ full-service hotels
New kitchen design for members-only club menus and standard operating procedures for professional teams such as the NJ Devils, NJ Nets, NY Giants Luxury Suites, Pegasus Club and Trackside Dining and The 24 Club and suites at Bell Stadium, San Francisco (Giants, MLB)
Plan, organize and execute operations for three restaurants with the Franklin Restaurant Group (two full service, and one café)
Exclusive management and consultation for culinary operations 2002-2004 / The Radnor Hunt Three Day Event & Olympic Horse Trials (10,000+ attendees) and event food management for Devon Horse Show
Four Star/Four Diamond training at Disney’s Grand Floridian Beach Resort and recruited for Culinary Task Force responsible for opening restaurants at Disney’s Pleasure Island Entertainment Complex and Yacht and Beach Club
Large event catering operations for several high profile events: Bloomberg Financial Family Day Celebration @ Randall’s Island (10,000 attendees); re-opening Richmond Convention Center; Opening Day of Liberty Science Center; Event BBQ for Penn State Football @ Beaver Stadium
Special engagements for local television, cable and radio, Celebrity Kitchens and The Food Network
Special Event management for The Blue Note, Orlando, Florida
Special operations and engagements for professional athletes and celebrity events
Chef / Owner: Zachary’s BBQ & Soul, Norristown, PA, and Chefsoul Culinary Enterprises, Inc. and Taylor’s at the Olde Mill, Norristown, PA
Several engagements which required assistance with culinary operations, special custom computer templates, authentic recipe/formulae and site-specific management and production tools.

Aside from extensive management experience and proven operations systems, Keith has a strong supporting network of professional managers, chefs and industry professionals. This network also includes local and international suppliers of perishables, provisions, produce and paper products, as well as executive administration, operations management, architectural, design and site engineering, professionals, associate legal and accounting professionals.

“… ANYONE CAN WRITE A MENU, BUT, THE ABILITY TO CONSISTENTLY EXECUTE PROFITABLY IS THE TRUE TEST OF ANY OPERATOR.”

Keith Taylor has been a managing professional in the food and beverage industry for more than 20 years. His experience is with restaurants, hotels, and organizations such as Walt Disney World’s Restaurant and Resorts Division, Hilton Hotels, Restaurant Associates, ARAMARK Corporation / Sports and Entertainment Division, Bon Appetit, specialty resort engagements and as an executive chef of retail operations. Along with this experience as a retail dining specialist, he has worked on several restaurant and high profile openings.

Chef Taylor remains both a student and passionate mentor focusing on managing operations, while teaching, training, attending courses and collecting information for the last several years, steadily adding business skills and business training to his specialized background. His technical background is in managing premium food services production through guest services and management of multi-unit operations. (from CCF Annual, Who’s Who in NA: Profiles 2008)