Culinary Manager
Carey Johnson
AAS Culinary Arts, Los Angeles Mission College
PC-1 ProChef Certification, Culinary Institute of America
There aren’t many kinds of kitchens Carey Johnson hasn’t worked in. He served as an Executive Chef, General Manager, and Food Service Director for venues of all sizes and dining styles including management companies, a church, food trucks, catering, fine dining, healthcare, and retirement communities. He feels at home at Rich’s because his job involves visiting the kinds of kitchens he used to run and understanding the daily challenges his customers encounter having walked in their shoes.
Carey joined the team at Rich’s in 2017 and enjoys the many facets of his job. He loves working with a wide variety of customers from small mom-and-pop shops to huge national accounts and “geeking out on different products with different people.” He takes pride in his ability to really get to know his customers, from their history and culture to their regional influences and recipe inspirations. For him, a good day ends with a customer saying, “You guys really get us. You understand our brand."
Outside of the Rich’s kitchens, Carey’s California roots have sown a deep passion for Latin cuisine and serious barbecue, a brag-worthy hobby he shares with many of his culinary colleagues.