Meet the Team

Max was born on Vancouver Island, raised in Victoria, and has been living in Kelowna since 2016. Max has been working for Argus Hospitality for the past 6+ years, starting during the 90^th anniversary of the Hotel Eldorado. Max quickly moved up through the ranks, starting as a banquet server, moving into a banquet captain role soon after, from there he managed the Lakeside dining before taking a fulltime role as the Eldorado Resort Banquet Manager. Now he has moved into the role of Food & Beverage Manager at the Kelowna Airport properties of the Four Points and Hampton Inn & Suites. Max loves his newest role as it give him the creative freedom to share his passion for all things food and beverage related and use his extensive background to ensure seamless service in all aspects of the hotel operation.

Max is a passionate craft beer connoisseur and a dedicated basketball fan. In his free time, you can find him riding his single speed around town to all the newest breweries for "research", hiking along the many beautiful Okanagan trails with his canine companion or simply just relaxing with friends and family watching a Raptors game. Max loves talking anything wine, beer and spirits with his guests, come on by and see what he has to say. Cheers!

Chef Slavo Grunwald was born and raised in Poland and immigrated to Canada in 1998- which landed him first in Toronto, Ontario where he spent 22 years building his career and raising his family with his wife. He studied at the Collegiate of Gastronomy in Poland, graduating in 1989 and received his Red Seal Certification in Toronto in 1998. In 2016, Slavo and his wife moved West and now call Kelowna home. 

With over 30 years of culinary experience, Chef has worked at some of the largest hotel and conference centers in Canada and has vast working knowledge in many diverse food cultures such as Euro, Asian and Mediterranean. Patrick Lin, John Higgins and Frederic Hoffmann are all mentors which have helped chef along the way. He has a love for good quality food, using locally sourced items and a big focus on consistency. 

Chef spends most of his time on the line working with his team and is constantly training to ensure his team is set up for success and delivering upon his expectation.  With a larger-than-life personality, Chef Slavo is full of cheer, energy and motivation.  He is fluent in three languages, English, Polish and Greek.  

Chef Slavo started at Gulfstream in August of 2019 and made an immediate impact with his team, the food quality and the consistency in his food product.  Chef is very passionate about food, service delivery and presentation.  When not at work, you will find Slavo spending time with his family, riding his bike or watching his favorite sports teams play.

Jean-Philippe Maltais started cooking at an early age in his native Quebec, mostly for school or charity events. After completing his cooking course at École Hotetlière de Quebec, Jean-Philippe did a six-month apprenticeship in France under the team of a two-star Michelin Jean Schillinger in Alsace. Then, the move to Vancouver where he performed for three years at the renowned Café de Paris, followed by a one year stay at Restaurant La Régalade under Michelin star rated Alain Rayé. Jean-Philippe then followed former Café de Paris owners in their venture in Kelowna, Bouchons Bistro for three years. Followed 12 years of running the kitchens of several restaurants: Kelowna Yacht Club, Shannon Lake Golf Course, Michael Brook Golf Course, and two years as Chef de Cuisine of Globe Café and tapas at Big White ski resort. Jean-Philippe loves quality cuisine.

Wyatt Cooper-Brown came to Kelowna from Ontario with passion, professionalism and the drive to build a good foundation for life in the Okanagan. With his extensive industry experience ranging from back of house to front of house, Wyatt brings excitement and life into every moment. His previous experience includes Oak+Cru at the Delta Grand Okanagan and Lakeside Dining at Hotel Eldorado.

His involvement in the industry started during childhood, beginning cooking for himself at a young age and even sneaking into local pubs in the evening to try his hand at Karaoke. Today, you can find Wyatt skiing the slopes of Big White, wine and whisky tasting, golfing or curating an evening experience at the Gulfstream.

Wyatt has been an avid skier for 15+ years, taught English overseas and even hosted a podcast interviewing Canadian celebrities.

"Gulfstream is the first restaurant many people see and visit in Kelowna so I enjoy crafting an inviting and informative experience for guests to remember."

Sara brings over 15 years of sales, client and event management experience in the hospitality and tourism industry.  Overseeing all corporate, government and association and SMERFE clients, delivering unparalleled service excellence.  Sara's true talent lies in her ability to build strong professional relationships with all her clients, fostering loyalty having them return year after year. 

Sara has a passion for the Okanagan and enjoys spending time with her family, especially watching her children play sports and the outdoor experiences the Okanagan has to offer.  Sara can fluently speak Italian & Swiss German.