Our Team
Thomas McNaughton, Co-Executive Chef & Founding Partner
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 & Partner
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.
Amanda Flores, Director of Operations
Amanda first joined Flour+Water in 2016 as the General Manager and is creating even more of an impact in her new role as Director of Operations for the Flour+Water Hospitality Group as a whole. With 15 years of boutique restaurant operations experience, Amanda is committed to the growth and development of the hospitality industry in the 7×7 of San Francisco and beyond – consistently focusing her efforts on cultivating an outstanding employee experience and restaurant culture. She shares her immeasurable passion for food and wine with the team and guests alike and can be found enjoying crudo and agnolotti at the Flour+Water bar.
Mac Malone, Director of Events & Marketing
Mac experienced her first training in the art of Southern hospitality, working at her dad’s neighborhood pharmacy at a young age in Nashville, TN, where she was born and raised. After earning a Hospitality Management degree in South Carolina in 2014, she landed in San Francisco for an internship with the local food and wine festival, Eat Drink SF, and quickly became obsessed with the Bay Area’s restaurant scene. She now holds an integral part of the Flour + Water Hospitality Group overseeing our events and marketing department, where she focuses on building the Flour + Water brand.
Sam Bogue, Wine Director
Sam Bogue began his career in hospitality bussing tables throughout high school while growing up in Boulder, Colorado. A part time job for some quick cash took a serious turn when he landed a job polishing glassware at the revered Frasca Food & Wine, drawing inspiration from esteemed Sommelier, Bobby Stucky. In 2012 Sam moved to San Francisco to pursue his love of the hospitality industry, and on the recommendation of a close friend set his sights on working for Flour + Water. After nearly a decade of curating wine lists, educating staff, and traveling across the globe to different wine regions, Sam believes in one simple truth: wine should be fun, not fussy. Sam is a certified Sommelier, 2016 Zagat 30 under 30 honoree, and 2019 Star Chefs Rising Star.
Derek Woodley, Chef de Cuisine
While Derek was exposed to the food service industry at a young age via his father’s catering company, he had fully intended to follow much of his family’s footsteps into a law enforcement career. After taking his first cooking class, his instructor noticed his natural talent and supported him in obtaining a scholarship to study culinary arts in Italy.
Derek spent a whole of seven months traveling Italy, where his love for the cuisine further blossomed. His passion for food and leadership are essential to Flour + Water, his creativity is expressed through many dishes featured on the nightly menu. His mom and grandpa inspire him to bring his best to the restaurant everyday.
Rory Kolstad, Executive Sous Chef
Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, Rory’s interest in the culinary world was ignited at a young age when he was asked by his mom, a talented cook, to help with prep tasks at home. Though his first real restaurant job was at a small barbecue joint, it was Rory’s experience at Gregory Gourdet’s Departure that gave him the confidence and skillset to turn his passion into a career. Seeking a change of scenery in 2022, he decided to look for new opportunities in the Bay Area and, luckily for us, landed at Flour + Water. One day Rory hopes to open his own small restaurant that operates as a wine bar by day and tasting menu concept by night.
Elijah Baccus, Sous Chef
Hailing from Port Angeles, Washington, Eli’s first foray into restaurants was at the age of 20 as a dishwasher at Pok Pok in Portland, Oregon. After earning a cook position there, he moved to Gregory Gourdet’s Departure where he worked alongside Rory as a line cook. Since making the leap to the Bay Area in hopes of immersing himself in the world of wine, Eli has been a key member of our team since 2022. Find him at the Russian River on his days off with a giant grin on his face and a glass of Soiled Body wine in his hand.
Gabby Petrocelli, General Manager
Gabby is a Southern California transplant who’s been in the service industry for over a decade. Having Italian roots paired with a love for individualism and loud music, Flour+Water naturally turned into her home away from home. If she were a pasta shape, she’d be mezzelune – structured, filled with awesome, and a little rough around the edges. Gabby’s passion for hospitality, food & music are translated into the memorable meals experienced at Flour + Water today.
Andy Poole, Shift Supervisor & Music Director
Hailing from the high desert of Eastern Oregon and the rolling hills of the Willamette Valley, Andrew cultivated his passion for wine and agriculture from a young age. He spent several years eating and drinking his way through Italy while studying Italian and teaching English. San Francisco has been home since 2011, where he worked at Jardinière for four years before landing at Flour + Water in early 2016. Andy moved into management in 2021, where his personality and style have contributed immensely to building the community on the Flour + Water block.
