Roberto Fortuno is a culinary‑rooted brand and operations leader, Culinary Director and Founder of RF Food Consultancy LLC in Dubai, helping restaurants, hotels, cafés, cloud kitchens and food manufacturers build commercially robust, guest‑centric food concepts.linkedin
Over more than two decades, he has grown from kitchen supervisor and sous chef roles in the Philippines and GCC into executive and multi‑brand leadership across Americana, The Bakery Company, Mama Tani Café, Glee Hospitality, Solterra Middle East, The Ritz‑Carlton DIFC, Kitopi, Bidfood Middle East and now his own consultancy.linkedin
Career focus and narrative
Roberto operates at the intersection of brand development, multi‑unit F&B operations and culinary consulting, translating business objectives into clear culinary roadmaps for entrepreneurs, operators and investors.linkedin
His journey spans pre‑opening projects, cloud and central kitchens, menu engineering and Asian/plant‑based product strategy, giving him a holistic view of how kitchen performance, supply partnerships and brand positioning connect.linkedin
Operational scope and responsibilities
As Culinary Director / Consultant Chef at RF Food Consultancy LLC, Roberto leads end‑to‑end support for clients—from concept creation and menu design to product innovation, kitchen setup and performance optimization.linkedin
He draws on experience as Executive Development Chef and Category Specialist at Bidfood Middle East, where he handled Asian and plant‑based portfolios, supplier negotiations, product training and key account relationships across the UAE.linkedin
Previously, at Kitopi, he was Onboarding Executive Chef and later Senior Executive Brand Chef, spearheading the introduction and management of dozens of licensed brands such as IHOP, Applebee's and Papa John's, and directing a team of area brand chefs across multiple markets.linkedin
Earlier leadership roles at The Ritz‑Carlton DIFC, Solterra Middle East, Glee Hospitality and Mama Tani Café strengthened his background in pre‑opening, HACCP systems, menu engineering, cost control and day‑to‑day kitchen orchestration in premium and lifestyle environments.linkedin
Team leadership and culinary ethos
Roberto’s leadership style blends hands‑on culinary craft with strong strategic and systems thinking, using KPIs, menu engineering and structured training to keep operations efficient while protecting food quality and brand identity.linkedin
His experience across bakery, café, restaurant, hotel and cloud‑kitchen formats enables him to mentor teams that can deliver both refined à la carte offerings and scalable multi‑brand production without compromising consistency or safety.linkedin
Destination positioning and industry presence
Across his roles, Roberto has contributed to positioning properties and portfolios as attractive dining and lifestyle destinations, aligning brand stories, menus and service standards in markets across the UAE and wider GCC.linkedin
Today, through RF Food Consultancy LLC, he remains active in the regional culinary community, supporting entrepreneurs and operators with concept development, menu innovation and operations advisory that strengthen the broader F&B landscape.linkedin
To get featured and get published, contact us: wa.me/971557052486
0 Comments