introducing our talented team

Gail Patak
Vegan Chef • Concept & Menu Development Event Planner • Staff Trainer

Hi, I’m Gail — a longtime chef with a passion for plant-based food, great service, and creating unforgettable dining experiences, and a lifelong food lover, hospitality expert, I’ve spent my career launching restaurants, designing kitchens, developing standout menus, and building strong, motivated teams. Whether it’s a plant-based cafe or developing an Internship Program with a culinary school, I bring hands-on experience in all aspects of restaurant development—from permitting and training to concept creation and profitability.

With over 25 years in the culinary world, I’ve launched cafes, led design and permitting projects, built strong teams, and created much-loved plant-based comfort food. As co-founder of an innovative concept, Garden Truck Foods, earned nearly a decade of 5-star reviews, and most recently, I helped launch The Kitchen at Farm Sanctuary, another project celebrated by guests for its food and mission. From staff training and menu development to full café openings and operational systems, I love helping others bring their vision to life with food that feels good and tastes even better, while creating a more sustainable world.

Ron Patak

Hospitality Consultant • Concept Developer • Culinary Strategist

Hi, I’m Ron—With a passion for hospitality and innovation, I’ve spent my career launching successful restaurant concepts, creating much-loved menus, and building high-performing teams. From casual cafes and independent restaurants to high-volume franchises, my focus is always on improving operations, growing sales, and crafting unforgettable guest experiences.

One of the highlights of my career was collaborating with renowned Chef Roy Yamaguchi developing the restaurant franchise concept Roy’s in new regions as it was an experience that combines creative culinary vision with sound business strategy.

I helped shape the culinary curriculum at Culinard, The Culinary Institute of Virginia College—by spearheading the development of experiential teaching restaurants designing kitchens, recruiting faculty, and establishing systems that supported both education and on-site restaurants, along with assisting multi-unit restaurant group, RREMC, LLC Group developing recipes, refining systems, and driving operational excellence.

As the co-founder of Garden Truck Foods, a plant-based production brand based in Jacksonville, I’ve brought healthy, craveable comfort food to a broader audience.

Whether developing a new concept, engineering a menu, or coaching teams, I bring a track record of results and a love for the work. Let’s create something people can’t stop talking about.