Feenie’s interest in cuisine started during a high school exchange program in Europe. At 20, he attended the Dubrulle International Culinary and Hotel Institute of Canada in Vancouver, the country’s leading culinary school. Following graduation he became Sous-chef in some of the region’s top restaurants, notably The Rim Rock Café and Oyster Bar in Whistler, British Columbia, and The Cherrystone Cove and Le Crocodile in Vancouver. While at Le Crocodile he began a series of work and educational travels, or stages, throughout Europe and North America. He started in Alsace with Chef Emile Jung at Au Crocodile and Antoine Westermann at Le Buerehiesel, both Michelin three-star rated restaurants. In North America he worked with America's top chef, Charlie Trotter, at Trotter's Restaurant in Chicago, and with Daniel Boulud at Restaurant Daniel and Jean-Georges Vongerichten at Jean-Georges in New York.

Both nationally and internationally, Feenie has also developed a reputation as a chef-consultant. He opened Accolade Restaurant in the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Toronto and undertook the monumental task of restructuring the dining experience at Le Régence in the Hotel Plaza Athenée in Manhattan, pulling the restaurant "right out of the doldrums" according to the New York Times. He is often called upon to represent Canada, travelling as an Ambassador for Canadian and British Columbia food products, wines and sharing Vancouver's culinary talents with the rest of the world.

In 2003 Chef Feenie opened the Lumière Tasting Bar at the entrance to Lumière, immediately sweeping the various restaurant awards for best new restaurant. In the summer of 2003 he opened Feenie's, a more casual Canadian bistro right next door to Lumière.

He has also released two cookbooks, Rob Feenie cooks at Lumière and Lumière Light, and is working on a third book.