Kalen Fortuna has been appointed Executive Chef at The Perry Hotel Key West at Stock Island Marina
Executive Chef Kalen Fortuna grew up on a small island off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina. The avid fisherman and water enthusiast developed a passion for southern coastal cuisine as a child, learning how to fish and prepare all types of seafood. Fortuna began his culinary career at the young age of 15 under the tutelage of critically acclaimed chefs at Relais & Châteaux Properties. At the age of 19, after training under chefs Robert Carter and Graham Daily at Charleston’s renowned Peninsula Grill, he got his first sous chef position and helped open Crave Kitchen in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. After furthering his skills in kitchens at top South Carolina restaurants, Heirloom Eats and Hucks Lowcountry Table, Fortuna worked with Belie as chef de cuisine at Little Palm Island Resort & Spa. As executive chef of the 100-room, boutique hotel, Fortuna will be responsible for overseeing daily F&B operations, menu conceptualization, managing back-of-house operations, and implementing new culinary programming and seafood-driven F&B concepts.
