About Us
Sri Divel | PRINCIPAL
With an operator’s heart and a marketer’s mind, Sri Divel has dedicated her career to elevating brands, celebrating food experiences, and helping businesses achieve measurable success in an ever-evolving hospitality landscape.
With more than two decades of diverse and impactful experience in the hospitality industry, Sri Divel has cultivated an impressive career encompassing all aspects of the food and beverage space. A classically trained chef, she graduated from the celebrated Art Institutes of California and achieved a Level One Sommelier rank with the Court of Master Sommeliers. Her passion lies in telling the stories behind food experiences—celebrating the dedication, creativity, and labor of love brought to life by the teams that envision and create them.
Sri was one of the original Food and Beverage Trainers for the prestigious Montage Hotel in Laguna Beach, CA, where her leadership helped the property earn its first-ever Mobil 5-Star recognition. She was later an integral part of the opening team for Montage Beverly Hills, further solidifying her role as an industry leader. Following her success with Montage, Sri transitioned to serve as Vice President & Operating Partner at Salt Creek Grille, where she played a key role in training, branding, sales, and marketing, helping to shape and grow the brand.
Building on this wealth of experience and expertise, Sri created The Culinary CMO, a specialized marketing company dedicated to elevating food and beverage brands through innovative strategies and operational insight. Sri's unique perspective as both a former operator and marketing expert has enabled her to work with Top 100 Fast Casual Brands such as Pokeworks and Nekter Juice Bar, where she also served on the Board of Advisors for Pokeworks and Hook & Hand Rum. Her current portfolio includes clients like Mama’s Comfort Food & Cocktails, Dos Amigos Cantina, Salt Creek Grille OC, Preston’s Steakhouse, and Arrowhead Grill.
Sri was honored to be selected to represent the ‘Foods of Garden Grove’, working closely to reimagine and revitalize the program, highlighting the rich culinary diversity and entrepreneurial spirit of the community. Additionally, as an ambassador for Archway Printing Solutions, Sri has brought innovative full service solutions to the QSR industry, helping businesses succeed through impactful strategies and tailored marketing resources in digital and print.
Sri is also a proud member of Les Dames d’Escoffier, a distinguished organization of women leaders in the culinary industry who empower others through leadership, mentorship, and education.
creating The Culinary CMO
The Culinary CMO was born out of necessity in the wake of COVID-19, when the food service industry faced some of the most stringent regulations in the nation. As a restaurateur in California, I witnessed firsthand the challenges operators were facing—whether it was navigating occupancy limits, safety protocols, or shifting regulations. I quickly realized that there was a significant gap in the marketing world. Restaurants needed a marketing partner who truly understood their struggles, who could speak their language and help them effectively communicate their message across all channels. The process of marketing—branding, photography, video content, and storytelling—was grueling and required expertise and experience that many agencies simply didn’t offer. I often hit dead ends when reaching out to agencies that didn’t understand the urgency or limitations of working in the restaurant business. That’s when I decided to create The Culinary CMO. We are different because we understand the grind of opening doors, the anticipation of serving guests, and the work that goes into building a brand that resonates. It’s something you can’t fake, and we’re here to support operators with the marketing expertise they need to succeed.