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Exclusive Chefs

Our Team

About us

Signature dishes, made fresh. Taste the Exclusive Chefs difference.

Chef-created menus, suited to your specific tastes. Whether for a cozy special occasion or a major sporting event, our promise is superior food quality, and a warm, one of a kind experience.

We at Exclusive Chefs Las Vegas are passionate about food, and believe fine food is to be shared, savored, remembered & craved.

Let us help you plan your next event. Using our special skills & resources, we’ll put together a feast that will excite the senses & make you the toast of the town.

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Pasta decoratione - pasta station
meat and patatoes on a platter

Meet Our Team

Professional

“Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.”

-Aristote-

michaelshs

Michael Richardson

Corporate Chef

There is poetry in my food, food in my jazz, jazz in my poetry.

veronica

Veronica Nohpal

Event Coordinator / Mixologist

Have a rich appreciation of the ingredients.

dennihhs

Dennis
Hicks

Owner/CEO

Simplicity is the key of good food.

wendy

Wendy Rios

Executive Chef

There is health in food and beauty in health.

lesliehs

Leslie
Sellers

VP Sales & Venues

The business brand, the competition, and the goals.

Wendy Cooper

Chef

Wendy is a classically trained chef and a natural borne artist whose very first job was in fast food, In-n-out. Lucking out on working for one of the best companies in the nation set high standards for Wendy, highlighting the importance of quality, amazing work environment and leadership. She did pursue her artistic passions through the arts of beauty, with MUAH and body painting live on stage at fashion shows as well as showcasing her commissioned artwork inside Ceasar’s Palace. She carried her arts with Le Cordon Bleu, graduating with honors. While attending she took opportunities working with VIP catering for EDC and other festivals with high volume scratch cooking as well as parties and demos with exclusive chefs. Traveling has been her hobby and became an influence in her culinary palette, collecting flavor profiles. She interned for nordic style chef Blaine Wetzel at The Willows Inn, Lummi Island. The food was sourced straight from the island and sea for intimate 20 course dinners with ingredients foraged the same day. It was a deep dive into slow cooking and sustainably sourced ingredients with close to zero waste. Something extremely different than desert life. She came back to Las Vegas to finish her internship at Bouchon, and cooked for Thomas Keller. Being offered employment in both, she stayed with Bouchon until her bicycle accident took her out of any work, breaking her collarbone. This called for a slow down in career and health, radically changing lifestyles. Her endurance created a simple solution, to let food and movement be thy medicine. A big trust in yourself to rehabilitate made her realize that food and health go hand in hand. After that, she practiced molecular gastronomy for then start up company, Verano brands, infusing cannabis products for consumers. Her work there as kitchen specialist included R&D work and product to shelf development. After having her third child, Wendy decided to stay at home, coincidentally at the beginning of a world wide pandemic. Shortly after she rejoined exclusive chefs bringing new experiences and philosophies. Scratch cooking is not only good, but good for you and your environment. There is health in food and beauty in health.

Veronica Nohpal

Restaurant Manager / Mixologist

Veronica has been in the hospitality industry for over 25 years. She started as a server and then bartending but soon rose quickly in the ranks eventually managing at Lake Arrowhead Resort. Veronica is proficient in training, scheduling, restaurant operations company policy and contracts. She has run operations for renowned companies such

as The MGM, Mandalay Bay, and the Palazzo. Veronica has catered to exclusive guests such as Mayweather, Joe Rogan, Eddie Griffin and the Raiders She has worked alongside Scott Pajak, a winning chef on the show Chopped, where she gained a full working knowledge of cuisine and kitchen management.

Leslie Sellers

Operations/Sales and Marketing

As a 3rd generation entrepreneur, Leslie has 35 years of hospitality, property management, and catering and event experience in the
b2b and b2c luxury markets in southern California, Seattle, and
Las Vegas. Her extensive background and results in Sales and Marketing as an award-winning director of Sales and Director of Property Management led to leading a project of 600 apartment unit conversions spanning 8 properties in Los Angeles and Orange County California that were operating in the red to profitable in the black in 6 months’ time. In 1997, Leslie pioneered and successfully marketed the concept of exclusivity for hosting select corporate and social events in coastal private mansions and estates for UHNW clients which enabled her to build a portfolio of multi-million dollars private properties on referral that attracted the attention of local and national high-profile corporations and clients.
Her specialties besides improving performance on the revenue and profit side and increasing market share include driving high levels of guest service, team building, revenue management, sales and catering in pre-openings, conversions and transitions.

Michael Richardson

Corporate Chef

Chef Michael has had a long and successful career in hospitality spanning over 45 years. His early career was spent in the Navy and later graduating at UCLA. He has worked alongside and been mentored by some of the top minds in the hospitality industry such as Wolfgang Puck, Paul Prudhomme, Alice Waters, Jonathan Waxman, Tim Quinn and Robert Mott. These influencer prepared Michael in running 5 star/5 Diamond hotels and resorts. He maintains exemplary skills in executing budgetary guidelines, training and supervising staff and providing a quality of excellence to multi-unit hospitality programs consisting of hundreds of team members and 10 restaurants at Universal Studios. He has extensive knowledge in team development and training, food production, cost control, revenue and profit analysis.

Dennis Hicks

Owner / CEO

Dennis is the recipient for the 2020 Top 100 Food and Beverage Leaders Award and a career spanning 34 years. He is a graduate from the Culinary Institute of America and as a classically trained Chef is well versed in menu design, food quality control and assurance. He is a Navy Veteran serving during the Gulf War where he demonstrated exceptional communication, problem solving and negotiating skills. Dennis is an entrepreneur possessing skill in strategic planning, marketing and promotion. His experience in improving the overall operation and revenues has made him an important asset to Fortune 500 companies, award winning restaurants, hotels and private clubs, such as Belo Mansion, Excalibur Hotel and Casino, Arnold Palmer Golf, Tuscany Golf Club, Lake Mead Cruises and Ameristar Hotel and Casino.