The Story Behind the Chef
Chef Lou Rice brings 35 years of professional culinary and hospitality experience to Performance Foodservice.
After graduating college, Lou started working part time in various local food operations and operating his own “Moonlight Catering Company." With food as his true calling, he re-enrolled in college graduating with honors from Ivy Tech State College. Fresh out of school he opened his first brick and mortar operation. Through the years Chef Lou has worked with a number of operations including family casual, bar and grill, healthcare, country clubs and white table cloth, multiple country clubs spots and even a vegetarian only operation.
A move to Missouri led to full time Culinary Arts teaching at multiple colleges in Missouri and Arkansas. Prior to joining the Performance Foodservice, Chef Lou was working with the sports division of Delaware North.
Chef Lou is the author of Ozarks Cooking, the Best of Chef Lou & a Little More, was a weekly food columnist for the Springfield News-Leader for four years and has written food and drink articles for a half-dozen regional hospitality and lifestyle magazines.
Chef Lou currently holds the following certifications:
- Certified Chef De Cuisine -the American Culinary Federation
- Certified Hospitality Educator - the American Hotel and Lodging Association
- Certified Restaurant manager – National Restaurant Association
Education:
- AAS Hospitality management – Ivy Tech State College
- BS – Psychology – Ball State University
- MA Consumer Science – Ball State University
Chapter President - Springfield / Branson Chefs Association
