Thomas McNaughton, Co-Executive Chef + CEO
Thomas McNaughton, founding partner, co-chef and CEO of Flour + Water Hospitality Group, grew up in Southern New Jersey. He started working in local kitchens at the age of 15. He graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, then gained valuable experience working for Bay Area restaurants La Folie, Gary Danko and Quince. On his culinary journey, he also worked at a number of Michelin-rated restaurants in France, Germany and Italy, falling head over heels in love with the hand-rolled pastas of Bologna and the nonne that produce them.
Thomas is relentlessly driven by the community of farmers, craftsmen and “creatives” that call the Bay Area home. Always collaborative in nature, Thomas feels his number one job at FWHG is to nurture a culture where all team members feel heard, inspired and work in an environment that allows their individual talents to excel.
Ryan Pollnow, Co-Executive Chef + Vice President
Ryan Pollnow, co-chef and vice president of the Flour + Water Hospitality Group, discovered a love for cooking and the micro seasons of the Bay Area while growing up in Northern California. Ryan completed culinary school in Sonoma County while working at restaurants and wineries to further develop his acumen in the field. He continued his education abroad at renowned restaurant Mugaritz in northern Spain before returning to the Bay Area. Traveling for culinary inspiration has always been an important part of his growth, and his time in Italy left a significant imprint on his love for seasonal cooking. Ryan led each FWHG kitchen individually as Chef de Cuisine before transitioning into his current role overseeing all culinary operations as co-executive chef.
Rachel Orner, Chef de Cuisine
Originally from Philly, where she graduated from Drexel University, Rachel has lived in the Bay Area for 10 years. Working in the kitchen at SF institutions such as Delfina and Flour+Water has cultivated her passion for Italian food with Bay area ingredients. She has been with the Flour + Water Hospitality Group since 2017 and now leads our kitchen as Chef de Cuisine of Penny Roma.
Kristina Farino, General Manager
Kristina moved to San Francisco in 2009, working in restaurants throughout the city, while obtaining her degree in Sociology. She joined Flour + Water in 2013 and immediately fell in love with the unpretentious and authentic approach to the dining style this restaurant helped pioneer in San Francisco. Kristina continues to grow within the company in an immensely impactful and rewarding way, working to reimagine the restaurant industry as a more equitable and inclusive workplace for all, both within the Flour + Water Hospitality Group and the city of San Francisco as a whole.
Yaya Carreno, Assistant General Manager, Flour + Water and Penny Roma
In her leadership role supporting both Flour + Water and Penny Roma, Yaya Carreno draws from a long-held passion for making people happy through genuine hospitality and great food served in a welcoming and fun setting. Each day, Yaya is fueled by her love of making connections with guests and coworkers, leading with empathy and compassion to cultivate meaningful relationships. Growing up between Tecate and San Diego, Yaya was always surrounded by the scents and flavors of her Abuela’s home cooking. While Yaya didn’t enjoy cooking herself until meeting her partner, she now thrives from preparing her Abuela’s most famous dishes, an act of care that she absorbed from her upbringing. Yaya initially cultivated her career in the restaurant industry in San Diego, throwing herself full-force into the work. Since relocating to San Francisco, Yaya’s experience at Flour + Water Hospitality Group has taken her from serving at Flour + Water to a managerial position at Flour + Water Pizzeria, and now into her current role on 20th Street. Yaya is excited to show up for her team and guests every day with an unwavering commitment to creating a safe space for everyone.
Laura Oikawa, Executive Sous Chef
Originally from Orange County, Laura moved up to San Francisco in 2016 to attend the culinary program at City College after graduating from Cal State Fullerton. Instead of completing the program, she jumped right in and started cooking, hopping around before settling in at Central Kitchen (the Flour + Water Hospitality Group restaurant previously housed in the Penny Roma space).
Despite taking several months off at a time to travel Mexico and South America (with some European countries sprinkled in) she always found herself back on 20th Street at both Flour + Water and Central Kitchen. When she’s not cooking, eating or reading, Laura is dreaming and obsessing about food. Laura dreams of one day opening her own tiny restaurant somewhere outside the city.
Erik Hernandez, Sous Chef
A native of Puebla, Mexico, Erik’s family moved to San Francisco in 2008 and he began working at Flour + Water after they opened their doors in 2009. Erik’s first exposure to kitchens was during weekends in high school when he would spend time with his mother in the Dough Room at Flour+Water learning how to make pasta. Upon graduation he began working on the line at Salumeria (now Flour+Water Pasta Shop) and quickly graduated to prep and butchery work, then nightly services at Central Kitchen. These days, much of his time is spent at the helm of our whole animal butchery program.
