Ryan Dawson Resume

Loraloma

Director of Operations

June 2024 - Current

  • Loraloma is the private, gated community neighboring Thomas Ranch, a 2,200-acre masterplan development. Loraloma residents will be only minutes from the Thomas Ranch downtown core filled with groceries, retail, healthcare, and more. Hired as the Pre-opening Director of Club operations reporting Directly to ownership to open the most amenities club in Texas. Instill the vision for a master planned community of 3200 homes as well as a high-end private club with 450 homesites as well as an 18-hole golf course designed and developed by David McClay Kidd.  

  • The pre planning and my personal growth of understanding permitting, construction costs, collaborating with Ownership on ensuring that we create the culture vision, hiring, forecasting budgets.

  • Oversee the Saddlebrook Equestrian Center with a hospitality aspect with a house that is utilized as a rental property for members and prospect with includes the oversight of housekeeping and landscaping.

  • Lead the development of Club Culture as well as formatted all best Practices for the hospitality operations.

  • Assisted with design development for hotel aspects for Denton House Turtle Bay property and Loraloma.

Austin Country Club

Executive Chef

March 2022 - August 2024

  • 10-million-dollar food and beverage operation with oversight of Executive Sous Chef, Executive Pastry Chef, Executive Banquet Chef, 3 sous chefs, 53 culinarians and 63 FOH staff. 

  • Successfully executed 2 Dell Match play PGA tour golf tournaments providing food for all PGA tour professionals and their families, ACC golf members and guests, PGA tour staff and volunteers. Roughly 10,000 people per day.  

  • Successfully executing a tight budget of 36% food costs. 

  • Have increased food and beverage volume from 8.7 million to 10 million by creating a new identity for each of the 6 outlets on property creating more demand.

Montage Big Sky

Opening Executive Chef

August 2021 - March 2022

  • The only hotel group in the world in which every property worldwide has obtained a 5 star 5 diamond status

  • Opening Executive Chef responsible for hiring all culinary leadership team positions to ensure the smooth opening of the largest food and beverage operation in the Montage Portfolio

  • Procurement of all FFE/OSE Supplies for 7 restaurants and 11 outlets 

  • Created menus and recipe development for 7 restaurants and 11 outlets 

  • Forecast food and beverage budget of 28.8 million dollars 

  • Created SOPs for HACCP plans

  • Created SOPs for a full pastry kitchen, bakery, full Butcher shop and chocolate room

  • Brigade of 117 Chefs to include Executive Sous Chef, Executive Banquet Chef, Executive Steward, Executive Pastry Chef, 5 Chef de Cuisine and 8 Sous chefs

Hillwood Properties, Circle T Ranch

Director of Operations / Executive Chef

August 2016 - July 2021

A Ross Perot Junior organization providing forward thinking and strategic planning for the world’s leading politicians and high net worth industry leaders from farm to table experiences with everything grown and raised on the ranch.

  • Oversee all F&B, housekeeping and landscaping aspects while maintaining a $5-million-dollar budget 

  • Oversee all farming aspects (first 50 acres of 3200) including 1000 chickens and ducks, full garden that produces all herbs and vegetables, peach and apple orchards, pecan and walnut orchards. Also working alongside 7 cowboys understanding and supporting a 2000 head cattle operation. 

  • Oversee and managed 42 beehives and honey production for the ranch with digital tracking systems in place 

  • All products are made from scratch, charcuterie, dry aged steak, stocks sauces, pastries, breads and full chocolate shop with full butcher shop 

  • All grains and flours milled onsite for bread and pastry production 

  • Live fire cookery for up to 2000 person events 

  • Hosted “Texas Up”, an event for the world’s leading group leaders in Autonomous Vehicle industry 

  • Collaborated with Gil Hanse designed golf course on site with food and beverage offerings

Woodlands Resort and Conference Center

September 2012 - June 2015

With 440 guest rooms and 60,000-square-feet of meeting space, The Woodlands Resort & Conference Center produces an annual food and beverage revenue of over $28 million through seven on-site outlets.

  • Revamped all new menus in the primary dining room, staff training and management of 85 associates, culture development, efficiency, achieved an increase in overall restaurant revenues and reduced food cost in the first year by almost 2%. 

  • Spearheaded the opening of a new 160-seat steakhouse restaurant with responsibility for menu development, FF&E, OS&E, hiring of leadership team, and training through opening. On track food and beverage revenue of over $5 million. Rated top 10 restaurants in Houston. Highest open table rating in Houston for 1 year.

  • Oversaw the startup of a new Westin Hotel property in The Woodlands community for the parent company, Howard Hughes Corporation 

  • Managed a kitchen with 75 culinarians where the daily product is produced from scratch including pastries, sauce, stocks, soups, and butcher shop, with dry aging coolers for meats, salamis, prosciuttos, and on-site smoke house

Executive Sous Chef

TPC Stonebrae

Director of Operations/Executive Chef

February 2010 - September 2012

A 600-home master-planned community with an 18-hole TPC championship golf course designed by world renowned David Kidd. Country Club membership of 550 and offered tennis courts, fitness center, and restaurant produces an annual food and beverage revenue of $2 million. 

  • Increased food and beverage volume by 19.7% in the first year

  • Created handcrafted menus to appeal to a diverse audience

  • Successfully organized the food and beverage operations of two PGA Tour Nationwide events including: member dining, player family dining, and corporate sponsored tents 

  • Implemented and executed the "Going Green Program" successfully becoming the first zero waste TPC Golf Course in the nation. The restaurant utilized all recyclable products and compost 

  • Managed front of house operations including training and booking catering events, inventory management, and implementation of new wine menus 

  • Responsible for annual budget and writing monthly variance reports, for food and beverage

Achievements

American Hospitality and Lodging Association

Completed course and Certificate obtained from Colorado Mountain College 

Pebble Beach Food and Wine Festival

Invited to participate in the foremost Food and Wine event in America hosted by the Pebble Beach Company. Assisted in the preparation and execution of an exclusive composition dinner and wine paring with Chef Thomas Keller and Chef Charlie Trotter.

United States Young Chef’s Competition

Invited to compete in a Chaine Des Rotissure event sponsored by the Monterey Baillage called the Jeunes Chef Rôtisseurs Regional's in Seattle, Washington. Placed third.  

United States Young Chef’s Competition 

Invited to compete in a Chaine Des Rotissure event sponsored by the Monterey Baillage called the Jeunes Chef Rôtisseurs Regional's in Seattle, Washington. Placed third.  

Copper Skillet Cooking Competition  

Qualified to compete in the IACC Copper Skillet Cooking competition for Executive Chefs. Placed second.  

Alchemy Brisbane Australia

James Beard Winning chef 

Maîtres de Cuisiniers de France

Worked directly with two French Master Chefs David Serus and Xavier Solomon during the opening of Montage International Resort at Big Sky to understand the process and procedures at a high level.  

CMAA   

I am currently in the process of obtaining my CCM with the completion of 2 out of 4 BMI’s and a world conference. Expected completion in 2026.  

Education

La Cordon Bleu

Associates of Applied Science

Culinary Arts Degree

Colorado Mountain College

American Hospitality and Lodging Associa