Bruce Knight, COO
With over twenty years of experience in the food and beverage industry, Bruce Knight knows precisely what it takes to operate a top-notch food service organization.
Equally at home with a spatula or a spreadsheet, Knight prides himself on his skills in every aspect of food service management—including menu creation, staffing, vendor interface and budget & payroll. As Chief Operating Officer of Fresh Dining—a position he has held since March 2007—Knight is responsible for every aspect of the day-to-day management of the organization, and the extraordinary team that he has assembled to take on that assignment stands as the greatest testament to the leadership skills he has developed over the course of his career.
With national food service powerhouse The Compass Group, Knight served as district manager for the entire San Diego region, comprising eight separate districts. Despite featuring some of the most demanding hospitality and service challenges to be found in the U.S.—thanks to the city’s status as a popular convention and conference destination—the region saw a 50% increase in profits over the three-year period of Knight’s management. For the six years prior to his joining Compass in 2003, Bruce founded and served as President of Advance Awareness Corp., headquartered in Pleasant Hill, California, which grew to take its place among the premiere food and beverage staffing and management companies in the Bay Area.
Throughout the early stages of his early career in the 1980s and ‘90s, Knight learned to blend managerial foresight with analytical rigor, serving as a food service troubleshooter for the Rings Hotel Management Group in Pleasanton, California and the Boykin Group in Cleveland, Ohio, specializing in hands-on creative problem solving in working with four hotels between the two organizations. Prior to those engagements, he performed in a variety of capacities—including Operations Manager, Marketing Director, and as an outside consultant—for North Coast Cuisine, also in Cleveland, with duties that spanned restaurant operations, catering, on-site food service, and the direct management of four satellite units.
Throughout his career, Knight has never forgotten the early lessons he learned as a chef, general manager and new-unit opening team member with such established franchise restaurants as T.G.I. Fridays, Applebee’s and Tony Roma’s. Bruce’s hard-earned restaurant experience provides the foundation of his approach to management; even as he continues to refine his entrepreneurial focus and executive vision with Fresh Dining, those quantities are supported and legitimized by the insight that only comes with years of ground-level, hands-on experience with demanding customers, limited resources and the hundreds of moment-to-moment decisions required to create a satisfying dining experience and guide a successful franchise outlet.
Bruce Knight received his Bachelor’s degree in Economics from prestigious Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and currently resides in Carlsbad, California where he follows his favorite Boston sports team when not rooting for the Chargers, Padres and Clippers.
FRESHFACT: Almonds are actually stone fruits related to cherries, plums and peaches.
The Freshology Team
- Todd DeMann, Founder and CEO
- As one of the leading managers and entrepreneurs in Southern California’s competitive hospitality and lifestyle sectors, Todd DeMann’s passion for innovation and excellence has been the guiding spirit behind both Fresh Dining and his several prior successful endeavors.
read more > - Bruce Knight, COO
- With over twenty years of experience in the food and beverage industry, Bruce Knight knows precisely what it takes to operate a top-notch food service organization. read more >
- Rana Mansour, VP of Operations
- Bringing a unique blend of health care expertise, operations experience and communications skills to every project she oversees, Rana Mansour stands as an exemplar of the contemporary management professional, demonstrating a range of talents and perspectives as accomplished as it is diverse. read more >
- Michael Weldon, Culinary Director, Gourmet Programs
- With a background that includes hotels, restaurants, corporations, food service management, and experience gained from working alongside some of the most renowned names in the culinary world, Michael Weldon is uniquely positioned to meet the challenges provided by a groundbreaking organization like Fresh Dining. read more >
- Raffi J. Asadourian, Culinary Director, National Programs
- As one of the most highly-regarded chefs to emerge from the Los Angeles culinary scene over the last decade, Raffi Asadourian brings a combination of rigorous training, farsighted leadership and an impeccable palate to the position of Chef de Cuisine at Fresh Dining. read more >
- Rito Vital, Culinary Director, Special Programs
- From his roots in the rich culinary traditions of his native Mexico to his experience at the upper reaches of the Los Angeles restaurant and catering industry, Rito Vital's extraordinary range of influences shapes his unique contributions as Culinary Director of Specials at Freshology. read more >
Advisory Board
- David Kramer
- David Kramer has consistently been a top producing agent representing Buyers and Sellers of major estates and unique properties throughout the Westside for 20 years. His expertise and talent have made him a recognized leader in the real estate industry. read more >
- Karl Hingel
- freshdining™ has retained the advisory services of Karl Hingel for the purpose of assembling, examining, evaluating and documenting the fresh business processes and procedures. read more >
- John P. Roberts, Senior Vice President, Interactive & Digital Media, GSN
- The visionary behind the launch of GSN’s groundbreaking interactive television services, John P. Roberts, GSN’s Senior Vice President, Interactive and Digital Media is recognized throughout the industry as an iTV pioneer. read more >
Fresh Experts
- Nicholas J. Yphantides MD, MPH
- Noted author (My Big Fat Greek Diet), consultant, speaker, healthcare executive and family practice physician and and community advocate. read more >
- Dr. Farid Zarif, Director, Nutrition/Dietetics
- Dr. Farid Zarif, MPH, ND, PhD, resident Nutritionist and Director, Nutrition and Dietetics at Fresh Dining™, Burbank, California, is the founder The Zarifian Method©. read more >
- Edward Jackowski, Ph.D.
- Fitness innovator, author and motivational speaker, Edward Jackowski, Ph.D. holds his B.B.A. from Baruch Business College and his Masters and Doctorate in Behavioral Management from International University for Graduate Studies. read more >
- Dr. Kelly E. Williams, MD
- Dr. Kelly E. Williams earned her medical degree from University of California and completed her residency at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. Dr. Kelly E. Williams is currently practicing in Laguna Hills. read more >
- Dr. Charles L. Blum, DC
- Dr. Blum is a chiropractor practicing in Santa Monica, California since 1981 treating women during their pregnancy as well as children. read more >
- Dr. Walker Ozar, DC
- Dr. Ozar started his practice at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Two years later, he founded Beverly Hills Posture and Rehabilitation Institute. read more >
- Dr. Nicole Williams-Alexander, MD
- Dr. Nicole Williams-Alexander earned her medical degree from Howard College of Medicine and completed her residency at UCLA in Family Medicine. read more >