Cameron Mitchell Restaurants announced the promotion of Ian Rough to Vice President, Executive Corporate Chef. After 23 years with the company, Rough will now lead culinary strategy, menu development and chef training across CMR’s award-winning family of restaurant concepts.
Rough fell in love with the restaurant industry at age 15, when he began working as a dishwasher and pantry cook. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, Rough spent three years on the road with a drag racing team as a private chef. He then joined CMR as a line cook and quickly rose through the ranks at a variety of concepts, including Martini Modern Italian and M at Miranova. Rough was an integral member of the grand opening team for Marcella’s Short North, which led to his transition to home office as a regional chef. Since then, he has held several key leadership roles within the organization, most recently serving as a corporate chef for the nationally acclaimed Ocean Prime brand.
Throughout this role, Rough was an instrumental part of Ocean Prime’s growth coast-to-coast, including concept development and market research. He has traveled with CMR’s menu development team across the country for inspiration and played a key role in developing menus for CMR’s diverse portfolio of award-winning concepts, using those experiences to inform successful expansion, development and creativity.
In his new role as Vice President, Executive Corporate Chef, Rough will oversee culinary operations for all concepts, guide regional chef teams, support new restaurant openings and continue cultivating innovative culinary experiences that define the CMR brand. He is passionate about being a hands-on leader and looks forward to mentoring the culinary team across all concepts.
“Ian is the embodiment of what it means to grow with Cameron Mitchell Restaurants,” said Cameron Mitchell, founder and CEO of Cameron Mitchell Restaurants. “Over 23 years, he has progressed from line cook to vice president by pairing extraordinary culinary vision with an unwavering commitment to mentoring the next generation of chefs. His leadership will continue to elevate every concept in our portfolio and shape the future of culinary culture.”
Rough’s impact has been widely recognized over the years. In 2011, he received the prestigious Cameron Mitchell Award at the company’s annual Leadership Conference for his outstanding contributions and values of genuine hospitality.
“Stepping into this new role is the proudest achievement of my career,” said Rough. “I’m honored for the opportunity to shape the future of Cameron Mitchell Restaurants’ culinary direction while continuing to mentor our associates on a larger scale.”
Outside the kitchen, Rough enjoys spending time with his two children, working on cars and exploring new culinary trends.
