Transformed Culinary Kits

Our kitchen team was thrilled to learn and engage with the Cooks Training 101. Our cooks enjoyed the simple learning formats and easy to follow QR code training videos. Their new learned cooking skills are already positively impacting our residents dining experience and the quality of the meals they are cooking!

To whom it may concern: I first began working with Darrin Leonardson in 2007 prior to opening The Bellettini Retirement Community in Bellevue, Washington. This is considered one of the premier senior housing communities in the Northwest. Darrin was the Executive Chef and did a great job in both pre and post-opening of the kitchen. The concept was to have both a bistro/café and full-service restaurant that were open to the public. This was not the norm in the senior housing industry but Darrin embraced this idea, developed a plan and executed it very well to rave reviews in local media outlets. Shortly thereafter Darrin came to the home office to head up Leisure Care’s national food and beverage department. I worked closely with Darrin during this time as we partnered to improve our senior housing operations, worked on philanthropic efforts in Seattle and implemented new company initiatives. Darrin is a collaborative leader who always has the company's best interests in mind. I have always appreciated Darrin’s great attitude, energy, enthusiasm and passion for whatever he is doing. Darrin is a great person and leader. He has the ability to get people excited who will follow his lead. He will jump in with both feet, determine what needs to happen and work tirelessly to get the desired results. He will make a great addition to any team that he is on.

Darin Leonardson brings equal parts team member and team leader to his roles. It's an excellent blend, helping his operations reach stretch goals and remaining personable and available to the needs of the moment. Chef Darin carries true inspiration about his food, the people who prepare it and the guests who enjoy it. He is a careful listener who turns his insight into improvements. Always invested in learning more, he gives his food and his team his all. He's focused on the work, but also on promoting an environment where it's fun and motivating to do the work.

Darin Leonardson's passion for food and entertaining is only rivaled by his commitment to his family and coworkers. After working with Darin for a couple of years, I was completely spoiled by his wonderful cooking, but it was his passion for food and lifestyle innovation that I most remember.

Please consider this as a professional and personal endorsement for Darin Leonardson. He is a remarkable servant leader, who with limited resources can impact so many lives in an inspiring way. His passion for hospitality and those we serve is unparalleled. Darin has a practical and collaborative approach to solving business challenges and positively impacting the bottom line. I am truly thankful to have had the opportunity to work with him and highly recommend him for a company that will embrace his creativity and commitment to excellence.

Darin and I worked together at Leisure Care/One-Eighty for several years, and during that time, Darin's focus and commitment to our Senior Living Communities made a huge impact on the residents day-to-day lives. Darin took the lead on the opening of our community in Bellevue, WA which featured a full size, open-concept kitchen that not only catered to the residents, but also the local community. His patience, confidence, and sheer culinary knowledge were instrumental in developing a cohesive and positive team. Whenever you are breaking the traditional mold of how things are done, you need creativity, determination, and a willingness to do whatever it takes; all qualities which Darin personifies. He is one of those leaders who people automatically gravitate toward, and he instills an instant loyalty to those around him. If you want someone who can lead, mentor and grow your success, Darin is the guy you want by your side.

Darin is an incredibly talented professional. He started working with me at the executive chef at one of our community restaurants. He completely exceeded our expectations every day. He never settled for what was expected. He always made things better - from the quality of food served to the way he treated his team to the satisfaction of his customers. He was promoted to work in the corporate office where he had the opportunity to influence a broad audience. He really help set the vision and the direction of the food and beverage program at the company as well impacting the chefs we hired throughout the organization. In addition to the technical skills that Darin brought to the table, he was a leader and a positive influencer in the company. His integrity is second to none. I hope that our professional paths cross again!