Kelvin Walker, Cala Bella Restaurant

Chef Kelvin Walker’s passion for cooking came at early age, when he was just 10 years old and watched, fascinated, as his mother cooked every day for her family. He grew up loving food and over time he experimented with a variety of cuisines, including Indian and French. But his heart always seemed to gravitate to Italian food.

After earning his certificate in culinary arts and commercial food at Atlantic Technical College, he worked alongside some of the most promising chefs in South Florida, absorbing their techniques and cooking methods. He has honed his craft over more than 15 years, first in the kitchens of the Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa, Marriott Coral Springs and Boca Raton Resort and Club, a Waldorf Astoria Resort. He then joined the crew at JW Marriot Orlando, Grande Lakes, before moving to the Rosen Shingle Creek family as a supervisor of the fine dining Italian restaurant Cala Bella in February 2017.

His work ethic, strong leadership and knowledge of fine dining led him to a promotion as Cala Bella chef in July 2018. The character trait Chef Kelvin values most? “Punctuality,” he says. “Because if I’m on time, I can never be late for success.”