Sam Bracken started his career in the hospitality industry in 1987, in Beaver Creek, Colorado working at the resort’s first restaurant, Legends. Following that, Sam went to work as Sous Chef and Chef De Cuisine at some of Colorado’s finest restaurants including the Minturn Saloon, Kevin Taylor’s, The Moondance, and The Fort Restaurant in Morrison. After receiving a formal degree in the culinary arts in 1994 from the Colorado Institute of Art, Sam went on to work as Executive Chef at Chive’s Bistro in Denver. He and his wife Lisa opened a fine dining restaurant in Lake City, Colorado in 1998 and won best new restaurant on the western slope in 1999. After moving back home to Oklahoma, Sam and Lisa opened The Canebrake Resort and Spa in 2007. The Canebrake was an award winning property for its food, hospitality, and facility. The couple sold the property in 2022. Most recently, Sam was the Food and Beverage Consultant for the design and build out of The Hotel Indigo in Tulsa’s Blue Dome District, and Bradford House in Oklahoma City.

It has been a priority to Sam to share what he has learned throughout his career with the next generation of hospitality professionals. To that end, he has been very involved as a chef-mentor and teacher with the culinary programs at Indian Capital IT in Muskogee, and OSU IT in Okmulgee where he continues on the board of advisors. Sam is a current board member of The Oklahoma Restaurant Association, a Certified Sommelier with the Master Court of Sommeliers, and an active supporter of the Oklahoma Pro Start program

As a member of the Spark team, Sam brings the knowledge to help clients with menu and venue design, staffing, construction, property pro forma, and customer service performance.