KAPALUA BAY, Hawaii—Richard A. Holtzman, vice president, managing director at Montage Kapalua Bay, has announced the appointment of David Viviano as the new executive chef. Viviano oversees all culinary operations at the oceanfront resort on the island of Maui, Hawaii, including menu creation and kitchen operations for Cane & Canoe, Sunset Patio, and Hana Hou Bar, as well as for Mahana Market, In-Residence Dining, and private dining.
“I am delighted to welcome Chef David to our Montage Kapalua Bay ohana,” said Holtzman. “His extensive experience and background in the hospitality industry, as well as his passion for authentic Hawaiian cuisine, which he cultivated during his time on Kauai, will support our resort in its future successes.”
Viviano comes to Montage Kapalua Bay from the St. Regis Aspen Resort & Spa in Colorado, where he was the “CheF&B.” In that uniquely titled role, he oversaw all culinary operations of the resort, supervised a food & beverage team of 70+ associates, and managed a multi-million dollar operation, leading to the second highest F&B profit margin in the hotel’s history. He also devised a sustainability program that was composting 6,000 pounds per week—the highest in the area. Prior to his appointment as “CheF&B,” Viviano had been executive chef and oversaw the re-conception of the hotel’s three-meal-a-day restaurant to traditional Italian.
Viviano fell in love with Hawaii during his tenure as acting executive chef at Kauai’s St. Regis Princeville in 2012. During his career, Viviano served as executive chef of The Westin Phoenix Downtown in Arizona, in addition to his three roles in his home state of Michigan, including executive sous chef at The Westin Book Cadillac, banquet chef at MGM Grand Detroit, and chef de cuisine at Ritz-Carlton Dearborn. In addition, Viviano has experience in high-end restaurants, including Jardinière in San Francisco.
