Executive Chef Raúl Thomas is a New York native of Puerto Rican descent. He discovered his culinary identity at a young age, watching his mother cook the typical Puerto Rican dishes he is so passionate about.

He is a graduate of the New York School of Food and Hotel Management and over the past 24 years has enjoyed working as a Chef at the Marriott Marquis in New York City, cooking for many celebrities, world leaders, performers and luminaries. His roots in Atlanta stemmed from an invitation to join Georgia State University as an Executive Chef and that was followed by the opening of his own restaurant.

Chef Raúl has competed in many food competitions both in New York and Atlanta. Most recently, he competed and won Men Cooking for a Change (New York), March of Dimes Cook Off (Atlanta Ga.), Real Men Cook of Atlanta and DeGustar (Atlanta) 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.

Chef Raúl is also the founder and owner of RT Hospitality Group where he operates Raúl’s Catering Service.

Chef Raúl’s versatility has expanded to the recent release of several cooking videos. Most recently, his show Comida Latina, Comida, Criolla was picked up on the Latino division of OpenVision Networks, where his remarkable talent, enthusiasm and passion for food can be seen globally.

Learning to cook with Chef Raúl is an experience that you will never forget. He is known for his emphasis on Latin Fusion cuisine, however his expertise spans to other cuisines.

His multiple talents as a chef, restaurateur, food consultant and video author is evident wherever he goes and watching an innovative food demonstration by Raúl is always a special treat.