Travis R. RutherfordEstate & Household Management · Operations
Updated August 2026

Travis R. Rutherford

Operations and private-service leader with 15+ years running complex operations: household and estate management, food and beverage operations, vendors and procurement, budgets, facilities coordination, and the teams behind them.

Email
info@travisrutherford.com
Phone
(818) 726-0248
LinkedIn
/in/rutherfordtravis
Location
Los Angeles, CA (willing to relocate)
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Core Competencies

Estate & Household OperationsHousehold Staff LeadershipVendor & Contractor ManagementProcurement & Inventory ControlBudget ManagementEvent Operations (to 250 guests)Food & Beverage OperationsFood & Labor Cost ControlProduction PlanningFacilities & Preventative-Maintenance CoordinationSOP Development & TrainingProcess ImprovementTeam Leadership (to 28)Compliance & Food Safety

Professional Experience

Lead Production Cook
SuperFD | EcoCaters, Los Angeles, CA
Mar 2024 - Jul 2026
  • Led a team of five in high-volume production of 500+ meals per day across buffet service, prepackaged retail, grab-and-go, and in-flight formats.
  • Owned organization, cleanliness, and food-safety compliance across all prep and storage areas.
  • Built the prep, labeling, and storage systems the line ran on.
  • Role ended when the company closed in July 2026. No-fault separation.
Founder & Director of Operations
Troublemaker Chocolate, Los Angeles, CA
Dec 2020 - Jun 2025
  • Founded and ran a bean-to-bar company end to end, from sourcing and supply chain through finished product and retail.
  • Sourced from domestic and international suppliers; set pricing and owned financials, staffing, and production planning.
  • Sold across direct-to-consumer, retail, and wholesale channels. The company did not reach profitability and closed in 2025 for lack of runway.
Chef / Kitchen Manager
Flintridge Riding Club, La Cañada Flintridge, CA
Mar 2022 - Dec 2023
  • Reopened a club cafe that had been closed for two years; rebuilt the menu, hired and led the staff, and managed ordering and service standards.
  • Improved operational efficiency enough to make one staff position redundant and removed it from the roster.
  • Role ended when the club contracted its kitchen services to a larger food service company.
Estate Manager / Head of Household
Private Estate (HNW Client), Los Angeles, CA
Aug 2020 - Jan 2022
  • Directed full household operations as the sole full-time salaried manager, including a staff of six part-time employees, scheduling, and vendor relations.
  • Managed a $450,000 staffing budget and a $52,000 annual food budget plus per-event budgets; handled procurement and inventory.
  • Planned and executed private events up to 250 guests.
  • Delivered bespoke service to exacting standards, including strict dietary requirements, with complete discretion.
Founder & Chef
Chef Know-It-All, Los Angeles, CA
Jan 2016 - Jun 2021
  • Built and ran a boutique culinary-instruction and bespoke catering business serving VIP clients in their homes.
  • Developed the curriculum and taught culinary fundamentals to hundreds of clients in person and online; owned marketing, enrollment, and retention.
  • Pivoted to bespoke private meal service during COVID, keeping the business running.
Grill Chef
San Vicente Bungalows, West Hollywood, CA
May 2019 - Jun 2020
  • Ran high-volume production of up to 350 covers per day at an invitation-only members club.
  • Trained staff and standardized station systems and workflows.
Kitchen Operations Manager
The Eveleigh, West Hollywood, CA
Apr 2014 - Mar 2017
  • Led 28 staff across seven teams on a daily from-scratch operation.
  • Cut food cost from 26% to 18% over two years; standardized recipes, systems, and training documentation, and implemented a waste-recovery program.
  • Scheduled and supervised preventative maintenance with outside service vendors (coordination, not repair).
  • Launched an artisanal bread line adding roughly $2,000 per month in revenue.
Sous Chef
Hatfield's, Los Angeles, CA
2011 - 2013
  • Point of contact for reps, purveyors, and contractors; trained and managed staff including two sous chefs.
  • Progressed from Garde Manger to Entremetier to Chef de Partie to Sous Chef.
Earlier Experience
Chef Instructor, Sur La Table · Chef de Partie, Trois Mec (Chef Ludo Lefebvre) · Sous Chef & Kitchen Manager, AXE Restaurant · Chef de Partie, Red Medicine
2011 - 2021
Physical Medicine Journeyman
United States Air Force
2006 - 2008
  • Served in physical medicine; disciplined, systems-minded work in a structured, high-accountability environment.

Certifications & Education

Certified House Manager
Sage Haus, 2026

ServSafe Food Protection Manager
Certified

Valid U.S. passport and driver's license

Associate of Occupational Studies, Culinary Arts
Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, Pasadena, CA (2010)

Business & Management coursework
University of Asia and the Pacific

Languages
English (fluent) · Tagalog (conversational) · Spanish (beginner)

Availability

Available immediately for full-time work. Open to relocation, domestic or international, at my own expense. References available on request.