Sean Willard
Menu Engineer
Sean Willard is a seasoned Menu Engineer dedicated to assisting restaurateurs and hospitality operators worldwide in the creation of optimized menus. His approach melds the precision of science, the finesse of art, the insights of data, and a wealth of industry experience to empower restaurateurs in crafting menus that not only bolster profitability but also elevate the overall guest dining experience.
With a distinguished academic background from Cornell’s Hotel School and an extensive tenure within the restaurant industry spanning over two decades, Sean brings a wealth of knowledge and practical expertise to the realm of Menu Engineering. His journey into this specialized field was cultivated under the mentorship of the late Gregg Rapp, a luminary in the discipline who laid the foundations for many of the methodologies and principles still revered today.
Gregg Rapp, Menu Engineer
in the field
Gregg Rapp, Menu Engineer
1958 - 2020
The restaurant industry's Original Menu Engineer--Gregg Rapp, Menu Engineer-- is and will long be remembered as the world’s leading expert on Menu Engineering. Rapp, who for 38 years dedicated himself to revolutionizing menu design and technology worldwide, sadly passed away in late 2020, after a courageous battle with cancer for more than two years.
As a lauded maverick in his field of menu design and technology, Rapp was often featured nationally at conferences, symposiums, and seminars, speaking on menu psychology, sustainability practices in food service, hospitality, culinary arts, business innovation, and public health. He spoke regularly to graduate students at Cornell University, Duke University and Culinary Institute of America. The foremost expert in his industry, he appeared on ABC, CBS and NBC as well as in Time and INC. magazines, The New York Times, Business Insider, Los Angeles Times, and The Wall Street Journal.
The list of Rapp’s clients who called on him to revamp their menus included restaurants and hotels worldwide, from small bowling alleys and diners to premium destinations - Walt Disney resorts, Spago, Caesar’s Palace, Commander’s Palace in New Orleans, Peninsula, Four Seasons and Marriott Hotels, Princess Cruises and Holland America. His thousands of clients also included numerous well-known chains, such as Subway, Olive Garden, Arby’s, Chili’s, Taco Bell, California Pizza Kitchen, TGI Friday’s, and Dave and Buster’s. A committed volunteer, Rapp also worked with the Los Angeles school district, searching for ways to make healthy lunch choices appeal to students’ appetites.
Rapp has been honored with a scholarship established at his alma mater, Washington State University, which will help fund students at WSU who are studying menu engineering and design as a career. Donations may be made at GreggRappScholarship.com or through the Washington State University Foundation for the "Gregg Rapp Menu Engineering Scholarship." Donors may also contact WSU Foundation's Gift Accounting Office at 509-335-1686 or by email at gaog@wsu.edu
