Richard Preston has been appointed Executive Chef at Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach Resort and Spa
Executive Chef Preston will be responsible for the resort’s overall culinary offerings, overseeing all dining outlets: SHOR American Seafood Grill, featuring a dramatic show kitchen and panoramic Gulf views; Swim, a casual poolside eatery with a Pan-Latino fusion menu; Skimmers, a grab-and-go coffee station by day and lively lobby bar by night; and banquet as well as in-room dining. Like many, Preston had humble beginnings in the restaurant industry. He began his career at the age of 15, washing dishes at a popular dinner theater in his native Calgary, Canada. Envying the excitement, collaboration and creativity of the theater’s culinary team, he set his sights on becoming a chef. He quickly worked his way up and achieved the position of sous chef for Hyatt Regency Calgary. During his tenure there, he prepared themed menus for social gatherings of up to 5,550 discerning diners. Preston joined Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach as sous chef in October 2010. Now as he approaches his tenth year with Hyatt, he looks forward to leading the resort’s culinary team and is particularly proud to unveil SHOR’s new dinner menu, a product of his team-centric philosophy.
