Driftwood Hospitality is Ohio’s premier restaurant and catering company. The five award-winning restaurants, concessions and catering services, staffed by experienced and talented individuals, have helped set the bar for excellence and consistency in the culinary arts landscape of Cleveland.
THE DRIFTWOOD TEAM
SCOTT DAVID KUHN
CEO + FOUNDER
What is he hungry for?
The restaurant biz. Scott mixed culinary skills with a brave soul,and a lifetime of restaurant and catering experiences to open 10 successful establishments in 16 years and consult with numerous others. He also craves ice cream, fishing, golf, and honestly, a Popeye’s chicken salad to-go.
What keeps him full?
Any opportunity to bring great food to the people of Cleveland; road trips with his family; and working with charities that help children.
A few more bites:
Scott loves spending time outdoors, the smell of freshly baked bread and the sound of a putt hitting the bottom of the cup.
CHRIS HODGSON
PRESIDENT
What’s he hungry for?
Opportunities to put his Le Cordon Blue-degree-meets-Food-Network-experiences to work bringing amazing food and hospitality to as many people as possible. Chris also can’t resist crispy garlic fries dipped in way too much mayo and ketchup, and warm, toasted, crunchy peanut butter and grape jelly sandwiches.
What keeps him full?
The rush of working in this industry; family hikes, food truck culture, his kids’ lacrosse games; and his compassion for helping those in need.
One more bite:
Best chef-ly advice? “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.”
TOBY HEINTZELMAN
Operations Manager
What’s he hungry for?
Heading up as many energized, smartly-run, thriving hospitality environments as humanly possible. Toby’s also hungry for his standing lentil soup, hummus, and falafel to-go order; and any book series with good-guy government assassins.
What keeps him full?
Leading and teaching in a way that doesn’t feel like leading and teaching; 40 years of amusing, interesting, and fulfilling hospitality experiences in his pretty-close-to-a-dream job; and listening to baseball games.
Extra helping:
His theme song? “In The Summertime” by Mungo Jerry “…we’re always happy, life’s for living, yeah, that’s our philosophy, dee-dee dah” …
CHRIS JOHNSON aka Dome
Corporate Chef
What’s he hungry for?
Every single flavor he gets to create in his 51-years-and-counting career as an Executive Chef. Food-wise? It’s anything his wife Anita
makes; long bone ribeye smothered with seared golden chanterelles and cambozola; Maine lobster tails swimming in melted whole butter; and young sweet corn picked a minute ago.
What keeps him full?
Being in the kitchen; Bourbon hunting; and working with people that are truly passionate about what they do.
More please:
Chris refined his craft at OSU and the Madeleine Kamman Cooking Academy in France. Oh, and ask him to see the photo of the worst, seen-in-person comb-over of all time.
ERIK MARTINEZ
Director of Quality Control
What’s he hungry for?
The daily adventures of spending 28 years in the restaurant industry as a chef and in every restaurant job imaginable; Yakitori, any cut, with salt; and the scent of onions and garlic sautéing in the morning signaling the start of a Filipino breakfast.
What keeps him full?
His love of cooking; the opportunity to help guide employees in their careers; and dreaming of perfect days spent exploring foreign cities as a food and travel writer—then discovering a great disc golf course.
Extra helping:
The superpower Erik would most appreciate? The ability to stop time. His favorite food words? Spinalis and rutabaga.
SALLY KING
Director of Human Resources
What is she hungry for?
Perfectly buttered noodles; Brussels sprouts; and a few extra hours per day to accommodate working and going to school full-time.
What keeps her full?
The opportunity to take her 11 years of hospitality experience to the next level by venturing into Human Resources—and any day spent boating or surrounded by waves and water.
Extra helping:
Sally is currently binging The Handmaid’s Tale and collecting recipe screenshots on her phone in hopes of one day actually making them. Her all-time favorite quote? “Suit up and show up.”
MELISSA MARIK
Vice President, Landerhaven
What is she hungry for?
Every opportunity to direct, manage and enjoy beautifully-executed events; platefuls of fresh crab legs, lobster; and anything dipped in ranch dressing.
What keeps her full?
25 years of hospitality sales, marketing, and management experience; spending family time with her 3 daughters; and stroller-ing through life with Jake the photogenic Poochon.
A few more bites:
Melissa swears the best cooking smells on earth originated on pie-baking day in her grandma’s kitchen. And to be honest, her favorite food word is reservations.