Behind the Tab: From Michelin-Star Kitchens to Fueling GoTab’s Growth in Colorado

In every episode of Behind the Tab, we spotlight the operators, partners, and team members who bring GoTab’s mission to life. This week, we’re excited to feature someone whose journey embodies what it means to be industry adjacent—still deeply connected to hospitality, but channeling that passion into helping operators thrive in new ways.

Luke Coan, GoTab’s Regional Director of Growth based in Boulder, Colorado, is the definition of a modern hospitality professional: equal parts culinary craftsman, operational problem-solver, and creative technologist. His path to GoTab is anything but linear—and that’s exactly why it’s so compelling.

A Culinary Origin Story Built on Creativity, Adrenaline, and Adaptation

Luke grew up in the Chicagoland area and entered the restaurant world in his early twenties. What he found was instant alignment. The pace. The pressure. The creativity. The camaraderie. It all clicked.

Working in James Beard Award–winning and Michelin-starred kitchens, Luke moved quickly from cook to sous chef to executive sous chef. Food wasn’t just a job. It was a craft, a community, and in many ways, an identity.

He loved the challenge of the seasonal menu, thrived in environments where every plate, every second, and every detail mattered. And he loved being surrounded by people who brought that same intensity and pride to the work.

Over time, Luke discovered that he wasn’t just excited by cooking. Opening new concepts. Designing systems. Hiring and developing teams. Finding solutions when the pressure was highest. Whether opening an upscale seafood restaurant inside a Kimpton Hotel, building concepts in Florida and Colorado, or serving as a catering and event chef for One-Off Hospitality, Luke found joy in constant reinvention.

But after more than a decade of long hours and constant pressure, Luke felt what many in hospitality feel but rarely acknowledge: burnout. He had moved to Colorado for the outdoors but found himself inside a kitchen 16 hours a day. So he stepped back. Not to leave the industry entirely, but to figure out what staying connected on different terms might look like.

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The GoTab Spark: A Happy Hour, a KDS Webinar, and an A-Ha Moment

Luke didn’t discover GoTab in a formal interview room. He discovered it at a happy hour hosted by The Golden Mill in Golden, Colorado, a longtime GoTab operator with a self-pour wall and multi-vendor food hall.He met a few GoTab employees. He talked to operators. He asked questions. He listened.

Then, back home, he watched GoTab’s webinar, “KDS Screens Don’t Need to Suck.” As a self-described “old-school, paper-tickets-only” chef, Luke wasn’t expecting much. But what he saw floored him. Here was a KDS clearly designed by people who had actually worked in restaurants. Real-time delays. Guest-facing expectation-setting. Server-facing station status. Internal communication streamlined into the actual workflow. Luke was sold, not just on the tech, but on the philosophy behind it. “There’s always a solution,” he said, describing both his culinary mindset and GoTab’s approach to innovation. That alignment mattered. So he connected with GoTab’s VP of Growth, Mateen Habib. He went through the interview process. And he earned his first role at GoTab as an Account Executive before quickly rising to Regional Director of Growth.

Bringing Michelin-Level Problem-Solving to Hospitality Technology

Today, Luke leads GoTab’s growth efforts in Colorado, working directly with operators building some of the most creative concepts in the Mountain West.

His favorite part? The consultative relationship.

He understands what operators go through because he has lived it. He knows the late nights, the staffing challenges, the ticket times, the 86 lists, the printers, the dishes, the adrenaline. That empathy fuels how he listens, how he advises, and how he collaborates. As he shared on the podcast, one feature he wishes he had during his kitchen days is GoTab’s real-time KDS communication:

• Instant delays sent to guests ordering by mobile
• Real-time station pacing shown to servers
• Faster, clearer communication between teams without shouting across the kitchen

For someone who once had to sprint through kitchens to update teams mid-rush, this isn’t a small thing—it’s transformational.

For Luke, stepping out of the kitchen didn’t mean stepping away from hospitality. He still loves being on-site with operators, walking spaces that haven’t yet opened, hearing their ideas, and helping them shape service flows from the ground up.

Whether it’s a food hall, a taproom, a self-pour beer garden built inside an old gas station, or a multi-level entertainment venue, Luke loves watching concepts evolve from vision to reality. Helping that process: removing friction, customizing workflows, giving operators back time, is what keeps him inspired.

Will He Ever Return to Running a Food Concept?

Maybe. But if he does, it won’t look like a traditional restaurant. Luke is an avid backpacker who hiked the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine—145 days of mountains, solitude, and community. Before the trip, he dehydrated 350 meals himself, sparking a dream to one day create his own packaged meal company for hikers. He even secured a commissary kitchen, a freeze dryer, and branding before realizing that full-time food production brought him right back into the grind he worked so hard to escape. That said, the dream’s still alive … maybe just without the endless freeze-dryer cycles.

A True Reflection of the Hospitality Spirit

Luke brings the soul of a chef, the adaptability of an operator, and the curiosity of an entrepreneur to everything he touches at GoTab. His story is a reminder that the hospitality industry doesn’t leave you, it grows with you. And people like Luke help ensure that operators have partners who understand the reality behind the tech. We’re proud to spotlight Luke, to share his journey, and to celebrate the people who help make GoTab operate differently, because they’ve lived the difference firsthand.

Catch the full conversation on the Behind the Tab Podcast.

🎧 Stream on Spotify | 📺 Watch on GoTab's YouTube Channel👂Listen on Apple Podcasts

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