Cary Granakis
Cary brings over 20 years of restaurant experience as part of the team working with the students in the Culinary Institute. As a former teacher he is skilled in curriculum delivery and focuses on all aspects of the training. Cary is passionate about providing positive support to the students.
Todd Whitman
Chef Todd teaches the fundamentals of cooking and the nuances of preparing French Cuisine. With over 20 years of experience in a variety of restaurants, under various Chefs, Todd is eminently qualified to prepare our students for any position in the kitchen. Chef Todd is also a Serve Safe Proctor.
Chef Todd was born in 1980 and grew up on the west side of Cleveland, the youngest of ten children. Growing up, Todd did not have consistent parental support and guidance and at the age of 12 spent a year in Juvenile Detention.
Several years later he began working with the Cleveland Rib Burn Off and then traveled across the country with the Great American Rib Cookoff which was first exposure to the culinary industry. Back in Cleveland, he worked at a family owned Italian restaurant. These two experiences inspired him to set his career goal to work in a restaurant environment.
During his teenage years, Todd began using drugs and drinking alcohol. At age 20, Todd was incarcerated. After his release he continued to use drugs and drink and by the age of 35, with a wife and 8 children, Todd decided to fight his addiction and asked for help. He was admitted to the CATS Treatment program and worked in the kitchen where his mentor, Mr. Brown, suggested he apply to attend the Edwin’s Culinary Training program. This was a turning point in his life.
In January of 2016, and in recovery from alcohol and drug addiction, Todd started the program and graduated six months later. Edwin’s assisted with job placement and he became a line cook at Parker’s downtown under Chef Andrew Gorski. He worked there for two and half years being mentored by Chef Andrew and grew in his skill and knowledge.
When Sérénité Restaurant opened in 2018, he was asked to join the team to work the students and to continue his culinary education. Todd jumped at the opportunity to be mentored by and work with Chef Gilbert while combining his passion to help those in recovery from addiction.
Since coming to Sérénité, Chef Todd has established 12 step programs around the community and has worked with inmates at Mansfield Correctional Institution to support their recovery. He has been a speaker at many events and is committed to sharing his story to inspire others to remain in recovery. He was named Executive Chef in May 2020 and is delighted to have the opportunity to fulfill his dream of being an Executive Chef and support those in recovery.