Ryan got his start in foodservice like many do, he started out as a server in a bustling New York City restaurant in Times Square. Since that time, Ryan has gone from working in operations to planning and designing for complex construction projects for clients in New York City and all over the world.

A creative problem solver at his roots, Ryan attended the University of Hartford’s Hartt School where he earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Following nearly a decade of working in and around New York City’s finest establishments, Ryan stepped into a design role at Patina Restaurant Group. In this role, Ryan managed the design & construction process for nearly every single PRG construction project—design-build, phased construction, renovations, and routine maintenance.

Ryan was often responsible for defining the initial scope of projects, fielding/evaluating vendor proposals, and ultimately managing each project from the beginning all the way through to construction, permitting, and close-out. He was also typically the central point-of-contact for the project team—designers, engineers, contractors/vendors, landlords, the health department and over government agencies, all in addition to internal stakeholders and executives.

Ryan joined Ricca Design Studios in 2018 and leads Ricca’s New York City studio from Pittsburgh. He brings operational expertise, creative solutions and detail-oriented project management to all projects—those in New York City, the rest of the US, or across International waters.