Troy Fleischhaker was born in Regina, Saskatchewan. Perhaps not the first city that comes to mind when thinking of global food, yet it was there that Troy developed his passion for unusual flavours and cooking. He remembers sitting at his mother's side when she cooked when he was a child. Troy's mother, who was originally from Mexico, used a variety of herbs, spices, and Mexican chiles in her meals. She was a natural in the kitchen. The diverse smells, foods, and sensations would all make an indelible imprint on him. Troy knew he wanted to cook from a young age.

Troy started his culinary education under Swiss chef Henry Vultier in Banff, Alberta, and then obtained his Red Seal from S.A.I.T. in Calgary. Yet, the memories of his early days spent observing his mother in the kitchen continued to beckon him, inspiring him to discover how to blend regional ingredients and flavours.. 

Troy refined his skills in Melbourne, Edinburgh, and Beirut in an effort to gain more international experience. Working with a workforce of just under 100 people, Troy assisted in managing five restaurants in Beirut under the direction of chef Athanasios Kargatzidis. Troy improved both his profession as a chef and his consulting abilities during this period by honing his talents in menu planning and kitchen operations.

A few years after returning to Canada in 2008, Troy founded Happy Salt Consulting in Calgary. Happy Salt provides consulting for restaurants and owners in the areas of food programs and restaurant development. However, the desire to keep learning about food and flavours from faraway places never subsided. Recently, Chef Troy has been fortunate to travel to incredible destinations working with Mark Barnett Television Productions as head chef for the CBS Television Network's highly successful "Survivor" series. Troy incorporates his passion for foreign experiences into creating unique and innovative menus for his Happy Salt clients.

In 2018, Chef Troy launched his concept, Cruz Tacos, in Calgary, where he gained recognition in Air Canada’s Enroute magazine “Top 30 Restaurants in Canada”.