After searching for a rewarding adventure, a cook’s opening at the Sheraton Resort in Fredericksburg, VA, opened the door to Robert Bratton’s lifelong love of the culinary arts.

Robert began culinary school just out of architecture and business classes at Northern Virginia Community College and Old Dominion University. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park NY, in 1993, Robert started his journey through the art of baking and pastry in Orlando, FL.
Upon moving to the Mid-Atlantic area and tackling R.J. Bentley’s Restaurant in College Park, MD, Robert succumbed to his time old love of the sea tradition, taking the reins at Cantler’s Seafood in Annapolis, MD. After perfecting Maryland blue crabs and blue point oysters, his cream of crab soup won Best in Maryland in 1996.

Robert next had the opportunity to head up Vivace Enoteca, an Italian tapas style restaurant in Washington, DC. Gaining local acclaim for the innovative small plate style of Italian food presentation and amassing the largest solely Italian wine list in Washington, Robert headed off to Bethesda Country Club after 2 years in Washington.

While enduring the stoves at Bethesda, opportunity availed itself in the form of a $1.5 million dollar kitchen renovation that was a chef’s dream. While coordinating the design of Bethesda’s kitchen with Savoy Brown Consultants, a RATIONAL Clima Plus Combi oven was installed. With strong factory support and a highly qualified and direct approach to end-user assistance, Robert moved on to Rational Cooking Systems, after 4 years at Bethesda. Robert spent 3 1/2 very successful years with RATIONAL Cooking Systems Inc. as their Mid-Atlantic Sales Manager and Executive Chef, including Worldwide Sales Manager of the Year.

Working with kitchen equipment for foodservice institutions from hotels and catering, corrections, health care, schools and universities to multi-unit franchises and single proprietor restaurants, Robert was increasingly asked to provide additional, general assistance to customers’ foodservice operations.
In April of 2004, Innovative Culinary Solutions (ICS) was formed. ICS focuses on the “Inside of the Foodservice Box Review, with Outside of the Box Results”. ICS emphasizes Menu development and Design, Front and Back of the House Operations as well as Training, Financial Management, and Food Safety. ICS develops feasibility and demographic studies for new, renovating, or concept designs to establish the viability of foodservice operations.

ICS and Savoy Brown Consultants have formed a partnership to offer foodservice customers a complete package to not only design/ build operations, but help ensure they are well operated facilities and profitable operations.

Robert and his wife Barrie have been married for eight years and are the proud parents of daughter Sarah, who is five years old.