Chef Rich Achaia is a graduate of the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. Chef Achaia has always had a passion for cooking, beginning at a very young age in his family kitchen with his mother and sister. Born of Egyptian, Lebanese and Greek decent, food has always been a huge part of his upbringing.
“I just remember talking about what we were going to eat for the week or planning menus for family parties, I was only 7 years old, but I guess I was cheap labor”, he recalls. As a result, he became a chef and pursued his goals in the culinary field.

 

Chef Achaia began his culinary career at the trendy Las Olas Café and then helped open Big City Tavern in Las Olas. Chef Rich has also worked for the Broward Convention Center. In 2005, Chef Rich had decided to become chef /owner at Dolce Amore Café in Delray Beach, Fl. Dolce Amore Café was a not only a restaurant, it was a unique dining concept unlike many other places. It offered everything from cooking classes to private chefs and catering. After four years at Dolce Amore, Chef Achaia received an offer to become the Corporate Chef for Penthouse Media Group, where he handled all the corporate catering and private events.

 

In addition, Chef Achaia helped open the Miami Culinary Institute with James Beard Award Winner Chef Norman Van Aken in 2012. “It was unlike anything I had done before, opening two restaurants and a culinary school all under one roof.” Having worked in the restaurant, catering & hospitality business for several years, chef Rich began to want more than working for someone else. He formed Achaia Events, LLC, in which the main focus was catering. Based out of Ft. Lauderdale, the company was geared towards small intimate parties as well as large scale events. Achaia Events is the official caterer to the NHL’s Florida Panther’s.

 

In addition, Chef Rich is a member of the Advisory Board at the Art Institute of Ft. Lauderdale as well as a member of the ACF (American Culinary Federation). He has been featured on Fox & Friends, Sun Sentinel, Palm Beach Post and News 12 WPB.