Welcome to the REG Associate Spotlight, where we take you behind the scenes with team members who help shape the heart of REG every day. In this ongoing series, “A Day in the Life, with an REG Associate,” we sit down with associates across departments to explore what their roles really look like—from the first email of the day to the final wrap-up. It’s a chance to get to know the people behind the titles, understand the impact of their work, and inspire others to grow into these roles in the future.
Name: Richard Robinson
Title: Executive Chef
REG Department: Glen Iris Inn
Years With the Company: 30 years
Walk Up Song: “Welcome to the Jungle” ~ Guns N’ Roses
To say that Richard Robinson knows his way around the kitchen at Glen Iris Inn would be an understatement. He began as a dishwasher in his teens and quickly advanced to a prep cook before he was named Executive Chef at the age of 23. Richard spent 17 years at the Inn before leaving to explore other culinary pursuits. Eight years later, he returned to Glen Iris and has been leading the kitchen with passion, precision and patience for the past 13 years.
In his first season at the Inn, Richard had only a few weeks to learn the role of dishwasher before the fall foliage went on full display and the dining room filled with hungry guests after a day of leaf-peeping along the trails through Letchworth State Park. Nearly 40 years later, visitors from across the country still flock to the park to witness the “Grand Canyon of the East” put on an extraordinary display as leaves turn vibrant shades of red, orange and gold. In 2025, Letchworth was named the #1 State Park in the United States by USA Today, and the Inn opened its doors to even more visitors. What did that mean for Richard? More of the usual challenges faced by an executive chef in a bustling dining establishment known for quality cuisine and exceptional experiences.
“Every day is different,” remarked Richard when REG asked him to describe a typical day. “I come in with a plan for the day in my mind, but something always changes – staff call in sick and I must cover the line, the dining room gets extremely busy and I jump in to help, I get pulled in to help plan an event menu, salespeople stop by, delivery trucks arrive late, or the dishwasher doesn’t show and I step in to run the dish pit.”
The bottom line: there’s no such thing as a typical shift for Richard. He usually begins his day in the kitchen at 9 am, checking-in on the breakfast staff and ensuring everything is prepped for lunch. Then he moves on to making soup for the day, placing orders, prepping for parties, writing schedules, and managing staff.
“Sometimes I leave at 6 pm and other times it gets busy and I’m here until 9 pm,” said Richard. “You just never know from day to day.”
The unpredictability and heavy demands of the job are things Richard didn’t expect when he began his culinary career. He was surprised by the number of hours it takes to complete the job at the high standards he’s come to expect from himself and his team. His advice to others pursuing a path in culinary arts is to be prepared to manage a lot of different things all at once, and not to get overwhelmed in the process.
Over the years, Richard has had opportunities to expand his skills and participate in assignments beyond the kitchen. He attended classes at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America and training events at Rich’s World Headquarters in Buffalo. A few years ago, Richard was part of the team that developed Caroline’s Courtyard, a new outdoor patio at Glen Iris which has become a popular place for guests to savor the scenery while enjoying food and beverages prepared by Richard’s team.
“The patio really has become a destination and I’m very happy with how it turned out,” reflected Richard.
Another highlight of his career has been learning about so many different people from varied backgrounds while helping them reach their highest potential. A lifelong learner himself, Richard said that everyone can teach you something if you give them a chance.
“I hope that the people I have trained and worked with over the years have learned the value of hard work and doing your job to the best of your ability.”
Check out the rest of REG’s Q&A session with chef Richard:
What’s the most rewarding part of your job?
There are many people at the Inn with a lot of longevity and they have become personal friends.
What’s the most challenging aspect of your role, and how do you tackle it?
Overseeing every aspect of the kitchen and making sure everything that goes out is up to par. If I wouldn’t eat it, it doesn’t leave the kitchen.
What do you want people to know about your role, or you think people are not aware of…what would surprise them?
The hands-on stuff, prepping, working the line, etc., is the easy part. The mental challenges are more than what most people would expect. Ordering and staffing for a large, busy dining room takes a lot of practice. Managing staff can also be overwhelming.
If you could describe your job in three words, what would they be?
Challenging. Creative. Rewarding.
If you could rename your job title to something more fun, what would it be?
Captain of Chaos
Assuming you know a bit about REG and the other entities of our collection of businesses (baseball, golf, dining/catering, travel, logistics, etc), if you could work in one other area of Rich Entertainment Group, OR if you could swap jobs with anyone at REG for a day, what/who would it be and why?
I would choose Palm Beach National because of the weather and golf.
Inspired to Learn More?
Every REG associate has a story worth sharing—and a role worth aspiring to. If this spotlight sparked your interest or helped you see a new path forward, we encourage you to reach out, ask questions, and explore opportunities within REG. Stay tuned for more profiles in the series, and maybe one day, we’ll be spotlighting your day in the life.