Quinn McKenna, Senior Vice President – Operations of the Lark Creek Restaurant Group, has played a vital role in upholding the company’s commitment to providing fresh all-American food and wines, and excellent service.

In order to serve as a successful multi-unit manager, McKenna says, “It is essential to secure a level of balance between the chefs and general managers’ needs for autonomy with the Company’s need of both continuity and identity." His management style seeks to emphasize support over control. McKenna notes that working in a small but growing restaurant company always keeps things fresh. “I get to have many responsibilities. In other words, I’ve had one employer, but many jobs.”

Prior to joining Bradley Ogden and Michael Dellar at The Lark Creek Inn in 1991, McKenna served as General Manager of The Trellis in Williamsburg, Virginia. He has worked closely with celebrity chefs throughout his career, such as Marcel Desaulniers of The Trellis, in addition to Ogden. "Having grown up in Williamsburg, a tourist town, I started working as a busboy at the age of 13 and was fortunate enough that Marcel and his partners opened The Trellis in 1980. I started there a few months after its opening and have been hooked on the restaurant industry ever since."

When The Lark Creek Inn opened, McKenna was intrigued by the restaurant’s dedication to providing only the freshest of ingredients. Wanting to be a part of that philosophy, he moved out to California by way of a U-Haul trailer, without any job commitment. Ultimately, McKenna took a position as a server at The Lark Creek Inn and has played a vital role in the restaurant company ever since, progressing to Manager at The Lark Creek Inn, then opening General Manager at One Market Restaurant, Director of Operations and now Vice President of Operations.

Active in the restaurant and food communities, McKenna serves on the Board of Directors of the California Restaurant Association, is a member of the American Cheese Society and the San Francisco Professional Food Society. He is a former director of the California Culinary Academy Education Foundation and has served on the events committee of the Board of Directors of the Center for Urban Education on Sustainable Agriculture, which operates San Francisco's Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market. He received a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Virginia in 1984. A former collegiate sailor, McKenna likes to spend his time on the water when away from the restaurants.