Prepare for an inspection
Mock audits, gap reviews and practical corrective-action planning.
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Expertise.
Preparing F&B Operations
Tell Us About
HACCP · QA · Licensing
Expertise.
Compliance. Confidence.
Stronger Operations.
Food safety consulting for Chicago restaurants, hotels and food businesses. Get practical support with HACCP plans, inspection readiness, staff procedures and licensing preparation.
Safe Plate is now accepting new client engagements.
HACCP Manager
Cert #HACCP03699
Retail Food Safety
Cert #000036459921
PCQI Training Completed
Cert #0000212703
About the Consultant
Chef Kostas Chaidas
Founder & Principal Consultant — Safe Plate
Executive Culinary Leader · Food Safety Consultant · HACCP & Preventive Controls
Chicago, Illinois
More than 28 years in professional culinary operations — from luxury hospitality in Greece to executive culinary leadership and food-safety consulting in Chicago, including 18+ years advancing through senior roles across Hyatt Hotels properties.
Today I combine that leadership with advanced food-safety expertise through Safe Plate — HACCP, preventive controls, licensing, sanitation, and inspection readiness for restaurants, hotels, manufacturers, and independent food businesses.
28+
Years Culinary & Hospitality
18+
Years at Hyatt Hotels
3×
Manager of the Quarter
$14M+
F&B Revenue Managed
Career Timeline
1998–2010Greece
Culinary Training & Sous Chef
Hilton Athens, Hyatt Regency Thessaloniki & Luxury Resorts Across Greece
2011–2022Chicago, IL
Sous Chef → Executive Sous Chef
Hyatt Regency Chicago
2022–2024Chicago, IL
Executive Chef
Hyatt Centric Chicago Magnificent Mile
2024–2025Chicago, IL
Executive Chef & QA Leadership
A Premier Chicago Restaurant Group
2025–2026Chicago, IL
Executive Culinary Outlet Director
Hyatt Regency Chicago
2026–PresentChicago, IL
Founder & Food Safety Consultant
Safe Plate
Working with Safe Plate
Start with your operation’s needs.
Build your food safety program
HACCP documentation, SOPs, monitoring records and staff implementation support.
Discuss this supportOpen or change an operation
Licensing preparation and food-safety planning for new services, processes or equipment.
Discuss this supportWhat happens next
- 01
Tell us what you need
Share your business type, city, timeline and any relevant inspection findings.
- 02
Agree on scope
Confirm the deliverables, responsibilities, fees and schedule in a written proposal.
- 03
Put the plan into practice
Work through the agreed review, documentation or training, then identify next actions.
Does a consultation guarantee approval?
No. Safe Plate provides preparation and consulting support. Regulators and certification bodies make their own decisions.
What should I prepare before we speak?
Have your menu or product list, process outline, business location and relevant deadlines ready. Send confidential documents only after agreeing on an appropriate way to share them.
How are fees and deliverables decided?
The operation, complexity and agreed scope determine the proposal. Confirm travel, revisions and any third-party charges before accepting an engagement.
Service BlueprintComplete Suite of
Complete Suite of
Food Safety & Smart Operations
A comprehensive approach to protecting your establishment. Select a service below to explore the full scope.
Need help choosing your food-safety tools?
Include equipment selection, operational setup guidance, and staff training in your consulting scope. Purchase equipment directly from your chosen suppliers.
Specialized Automation OpportunitiesComing Soon
Preparing F&B Operations
for the Next Generation
Safe Plate is evaluating technology providers and implementation pathways for specialized foodservice automation. These future services will connect culinary workflow, food safety, compliance, training, and measurable operational performance.
Automated Beverage Systems
Cold beverages, coffee, smoothies, specialty drinks, dispensing controls, cleaning workflows, and menu standardization.
Smart Vending & Micro Markets
Refrigerated, frozen, ambient, and hot-food unattended retail with temperature, labeling, stocking, and corrective-action controls.
Sushi & Rice Production Automation
Rice washing, mixing, portioning, shaping, rolling, and cutting systems integrated with sushi-rice acidification and pH controls.
Service & Delivery Robotics
Food running, bussing, and internal transport workflows evaluated for safety, sanitation, traffic flow, and staff handoff.
Robotic Cooking Stations
Automated frying, cooking, holding, and dispensing systems assessed for process control, cleaning, alarms, and operational readiness.
Automated Meal Assembly
Portioning, tray assembly, commissary, catering, and prepared-meal systems evaluated for throughput, consistency, allergen control, and traceability.
Coming-soon categories are under evaluation and are not currently represented as manufacturer-authorized services. Availability will depend on client needs, site conditions, vendor review, qualified installation, and applicable regulatory approval.
Our TeamCulinary Expertise Meets
Culinary Expertise Meets
Nutritional Science
A rare combination of executive food safety authority and science-informed nutritional analysis — giving your business compliance support from kitchen to label.
01
Kostas Chaidas
Principal Consultant
Executive Chef & Food Safety Expert
Kostas brings more than 25 years of executive culinary and hospitality-operations experience that anchors Safe Plate's work in HACCP development, regulatory licensing, and multi-outlet F&B compliance. His background includes executive-chef leadership at Hyatt properties and a premier Chicago restaurant group, where as Quality Assurance Director he developed wholesale-program HACCP plans, Reduced-Oxygen Packaging and sous-vide strategies, and GMP-driven operations — guiding teams through NSF and regulatory audits, sanitation programs, and staff training to provide an operational foundation for food-safety consulting, audit readiness, and brand-standards compliance support.
Key Credentials
HACCP Manager — Cert #HACCP03699
Food Safety HACCP for Retail — Cert #000036459921
PCQI Online 2.0 — Cert #0000212703
Executive Chef, Hyatt Hotels
Culinary Arts Graduate — O.T.E.K. School of Tourism and Hospitality Professions, Macedonia, Thessaloniki, Greece
02
Aliki Stamati
Biological Sciences & Nutrition Labeling Research Associate
B.S. Candidate, Biological Sciences — University of Illinois Chicago (Expected December 2026)
Aliki brings laboratory, research, and biological-science experience that supports Safe Plate's work in nutrition labeling, biological hazard review, allergen research, and pathogen-risk assessment. Her background includes microbiology-related laboratory work, specimen handling, and biological data analysis, providing a scientific foundation for food-safety research and compliance support.
Key Credentials
B.S. Biological Sciences — UICExpected Dec. 2026
A.S. — Oakton College, Honors / STEM AwardDec. 2024
Medical Laboratory Assistant — UI Health Pathology Labs2026–Present
Biology Lab Assistant — Oakton College2022–2025
Basic Life Support (BLS) — American Heart Association
OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens — American Red Cross
Nutrition & Labeling Services
Nutrition Analysis
Macronutrient (carbohydrates, proteins, fats) and micronutrient (vitamins and minerals) profiling based on your customer recipes for packaged food products.
FDA Label Compliance
Ingredient declarations and allergen disclosures per 21 CFR.
Nutrition & Marketing Claims Review
Evaluation of whether a food qualifies for regulated nutrient content and marketing claims — e.g., "low sodium," "low fat," or "excellent source of" — based on your customer recipes.
Sushi Rice pH Measurement
pH testing for sushi bars to verify sushi-rice acidification meets health-department requirements.
Engagement LevelsProfessional Food Safety & Operations
Professional Food Safety & Operations
Solutions, Scoped to You.
Safe Plate sells expertise and scope — not a one-size-fits-all menu. Starting ranges are shown below; every engagement is customized after a complimentary consultation.
Targeted
Single Service
For focused, one-time needs
Starting at $750per engagement
Targeted consulting for a specific compliance need
Mock inspections, training, or SOP review
Scoped to one defined objective
Project Support
Food Safety Compliance Project
Restaurants, cafés, commissaries, catering & retail
Custom Quoteper project
Multiple services bundled to fit your operation
HACCP, licensing, SOPs, training & audit readiness
Scoped to facility size and menu complexity
Advanced
Manufacturing / Advanced Compliance
HACCP, ROP, Sous Vide, GMP & preventive controls
Custom Quoteper project
Complex regulatory & manufacturing projects
ROP, Sous Vide, GMP & preventive-controls programs
Manufacturing licensing & inspection readiness
Equipment selection guidance can be included in your agreed consulting scope. Equipment and supplies are purchased separately by the client, directly from suppliers.
Every operation is different. Final pricing is based on facility size, menu or process complexity, regulatory requirements, number of locations, and project scope. Contact Safe Plate for a complimentary initial consultation and customized proposal.
Verified CredentialsTrained. Experienced.
Trained. Experienced.
Prepared.
Every recommendation backed by nationally recognized certifications and decades of hands-on experience in premier hospitality operations.
Verified
HACCP Managers Certificate
TAP Series, LLC
Cert #
HACCP03699
Credit Hours
16 Hours
Completed
04/10/2026
Valid Through
04/10/2031
HACCP Manager Training Completed
Verified
Food Safety HACCP for Retail Food Establishments
360 Training
Cert #
000036459921
Credit Hours
16 Hours
Completed
03/25/2025
Retail Food Establishment Certified
Verified
PCQI Online 2.0
AIB International
Cert #
0000212703
Credit Hours
15 Hours
Completed
07/27/2026
Preventive Controls Qualified Individual
Verified
Certified HACCP Principles and GMPs for Pure Juice Industries
eHACCP.org
Cert #
PbuVDHVClm
Credit Hours
18 Hours / 1.8 CEUs
Completed
10/08/2026
International HACCP Alliance-accredited course completed
Now Accepting New Clients
Tell Us About
Your Operation.
Share your operation, location and the support you need. We will review your inquiry and discuss the scope, timing and next steps.
Consultations and new client engagements are now available.
980 N Michigan Ave, Ste 1090 #368588, Chicago, IL 60611
Safe Plate Consulting provides consulting, preparation, and compliance support only. Final approvals, licenses, certifications, and inspection outcomes are issued solely by applicable regulatory authorities. We do not guarantee agency approval, inspection passage, or any specific regulatory outcome. Safe Plate Consulting is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or a representative of the FDA, USDA, NSF, EcoSure, UIC, or any state or local health department unless expressly stated. Manufacturers and operators remain responsible for label accuracy and regulatory compliance. Safe Plate Consulting LLC was formed on September 4, 2026.
Safe Plate ConsultingFood Safety
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