Meet The Team
Food And Drink Innovation
At FDR. . .Where Taste Trends Begin
Founded in 2009 by Richard Keys and Scott Randolph, the Food & Drink Resources (FDR) leadership team has decades of experience in food and beverage innovation. The goal is to connect resources – people, concepts, and companies – in the pursuit of bringing food and beverage innovation to life.
FDR stays in front of trends to bring fresh ideas to our clients. The work results in menus, products, and concepts that excite your customers and strengthen brand differentiation. Not only do we come up with the ideas, but we also ensure our recipes and processes are replicable and profitable. That’s the FDR difference.
RICHARD KEYS, CO-FOUNDER & ENTREPRENEUR
Richard has spent decades traveling the world to work and play in the food and drink arena. He spent most of his professional career in manufacturing operations and developing sales channels on a global platform. Today, Richard focuses on developing new business opportunities and overseeing operations at FDR.
SCOTT RANDOLPH, CO-FOUNDER & CHEF
Scott began his career at age 15 as a prep cook in an old-school Italian restaurant. From there, he graduated from culinary school, owned three restaurants in Destin, Florida, and became an award-winning corporate chef. Scott has worked for a variety of culinary organizations including Cuisine Solutions, LSG Sky Chefs, and TGI Fridays. At FDR, he focuses most of his time in the kitchen and on building client relationships.
RANDY GIER, MANAGING PARTNER
Randy Gier has spent his entire career in the food business – since he first set foot into a job at Dairy Queen at 15 years old. Since then, Randy has developed and launched hundreds of products in both packaged goods and restaurants, including Pizza Hut and Yum International. He has a Finance MBA from the University of Chicago, and he has spent 20 years in various finance, operations, marketing, R&D, and strategy positions.
KATIE SUTTON, CHEF & VP OF CULINARY INNOVATION
Katie has more than 25 years of experience in food/beverage and has held a variety of positions including private, restaurant, and executive chef, catering company owner, and director of research and development. Katie has a Bachelor of Arts in Hotel Restaurant and Institutional Management, a degree from The French Culinary Institute in New York, and is a Certified Level 1 Sommelier from the International Court of Master Sommeliers. At FDR, Katie oversees culinary services and product development and serves as a chef brand ambassador for clients.
DEBBIE WEN, VP OF GLOBAL SOURCING
Debbie received her B.S.B.A. in International Business and Economics at the prestigious University of Denver, Daniels College of Business. Debbie has over 15 years of experience in sourcing, exporting and manufacturing goods for the multi-unit restaurant industry around the world. Debbie also has experience supporting promotional and marketing events. Debbie oversees FDR’s Global Sourcing, Importing, and Exporting Division.
DANNY ROMERO, RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT CHEF
Danny is a graduate of Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts and assists the FDR chef team in the kitchen while running and facilitating the FDR Headquarters. He has experience in many areas of foodservice and has worked as a prep cook and head cook at a number of Denver restaurants.
CARMEN MORGAN, SR. DIR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Carmen has spent the majority of her career working side by side with chef and culinary leaders in an array of brands ranging from smaller family-owned concepts to multi-unit national brands. Carmen has a passion for helping to connect chef, procurement, and marketing teams with the right suppliers and products to create crave-able, memorable food and beverages that keep people coming back for more!
PONCH ROMERO, FACILITY MANAGER
Alfonso "Ponch" Romero assists the FDR Culinary Team in the kitchen while running and facilitating the FDR Research & Innovation Center. Ponch has experience in many areas of foodservice and has worked in numerous restaurants throughout Southern California. As FDR's newest team member, his attention to detail and dedication makes him a valuable asset.