Our Team
Three operators who have built, run, and turned around some of the most demanding concepts in the country — bringing Michelin-pedigree culinary direction, multi-unit financial discipline, and people-first leadership to every business they touch.
The founder of Counter Culture, and a seasoned multi-unit operator whose career spans Michelin-recognized concepts, high-volume dining groups, and single-location independents across Los Angeles and beyond.
From leading a team of 115 at Funke to managing P&L across three cities at Sushi By Scratch Restaurants, Oliver has spent ten years building the people, systems, and cultures that turn struggling operations into profitable, guest-first businesses.
His approach is rooted in a simple belief: when the people are right, the numbers follow.
Oliver Clowes
Robert Podeyn is Counter Culture's COO and a hospitality operator whose career spans high-volume fine dining, intimate omakase concepts, and multi-unit restaurant groups across Los Angeles.
From nearly tripling projected event revenue at Yume Sushi Bar to delivering all-time prime cost performance at Toscana Restaurant Group, Robert has spent over a decade bridging ownership vision with ground-level execution — building high-performing teams, overhauling operational systems, and holding full P&L accountability across every concept he has touched.
He brings the rare ability to walk into any hospitality business, see exactly what it needs, and build the infrastructure that makes improvement stick.
Robert Podeyn
Chef Samuel Mumford is Counter Culture's Culinary Director and a 2022 San Pellegrino USA Finalist whose career reads like a masterclass in range.
From leading the butchery program at Gwen, one of Los Angeles' most celebrated meat-driven concepts, to retaining the Michelin star at Pasta Bar while executing a 12-course tasting menu nightly and building a scratch pasta program from the ground up.
As Executive Chef at Nerano in Beverly Hills, Chef Sam took full ownership of menu curation, kitchen culture, and operational efficiency, bringing the same fine dining precision he had developed across high-volume kitchens managing teams of 85.
He represents something rare in hospitality; a chef who is equally at home designing a menu that earns Michelin recognition while building the operational infrastructure that makes a kitchen run profitably at scale.
