Faces of Upper Crust – Josh Topasna
In our “Faces of Upper Crust” series, we’re sharing the stories of team members who embody what we stand for. Today, meet Joshua Topasna, Regional Manager, who’s spent seven years building community through food.
For Josh Topasna, food has always been about connection, culture, and care.
“I love to eat, so making tasty, healthy food comes naturally to me,” he says. “I also love to make other people happy with delicious meals.”
It’s the kind of perspective that aligns perfectly with Upper Crust’s purpose: fostering connection through the power of food. And for Josh, that understanding runs deep—straight back to family.
Lessons From Dad
While Josh learned the technical side of cooking through years working various front-of-house and back-of-house roles—what he calls being a “jack of all trades”—his real culinary education came from someone closer to home.
“A lot of my passion comes from my dad,” he explains. “He taught me an incredible amount about the relationship between food, family, and culture.”
That lesson—that food creates meaning beyond nutrition, that meals build bonds that last—is something Josh now passes forward in his work. It’s visible in how he leads his teams, how he engages with clients, how he thinks about the role food plays in building community.
Living What He Teaches
As a father of three, Josh doesn’t just talk about the importance of food and family—he lives it. Most of his free time goes to his kids, taking them on outdoor adventures: hiking, sledding, fishing, camping, tubing, and regular trips to the farmer’s market.
This is the kind of leader we value at Upper Crust: someone who understands that authenticity matters, that you can’t foster genuine connection with others if you’re not living those values yourself.
Growth Through Investment
Seven years into his tenure with Upper Crust, Josh reflects on what’s made the difference in his career growth.
“Since starting with this company, I’ve learned so much about food and cooking from other chefs and even students,” he says. “Adam, Bob, and everyone in corporate has invested in me to be successful in my region, and I am extremely appreciative for the opportunity to shine and be a leader to our staff here.”
That mutual investment—companies caring for their people, people showing up for their teams—creates the foundation for everything else.
Expanding Horizons Through Food
Ask Josh about his favorite cuisine to prepare, and he’ll tell you Asian—but then he’ll keep going. Latin. Greek. Italian. He approaches cooking with genuine curiosity and a desire to introduce students to flavors they might never have tried.
“I like to introduce new cuisine to people who may not have experienced it before,” he explains. “All of our students are great to work with and genuinely appreciative of what we provide for them.”
We’re fortunate to have leaders like Josh Topasna on our team. His story reminds us why we do this work and what becomes possible when you invest in people who share your values.
We show up. With people like Josh leading the way.