Tommy Lonergan

I am young professional with a passion for the food service industry. I knew from a young age that I wanted my career to revolve around food. I got my first industry job when I was 15 years old at a local family run Italian restaurant. While attending high school I worked full time and learned everything I could about what all goes into running a restaurant. When it came time to graduate high school I decided to take a non-traditional route to further my education and attended Northern Illinois University, outside of Chicago. I graduated with a bachelors degree in business administration and minored in food science and hospitality management. While attending college I worked full time at Ruby Tuesday, where I learned how a corporate style, high-volume kitchen is run. After graduating in December of 2011, I was promoted to culinary manager and managed the kitchen at one of the highest volume Ruby Tuesdays in the Midwest. In 2012 I decided it was time for a change and packed my car with whatever I could fit and headed west with no plan, no job, nowhere to live; only a dream. I landed in Vail, Colorado, one the most beautiful places on the planet. During the job hunt I came across an opening at Vail Valley Medical Center for an Executive Chef Manager with a company called Sodexo. I knew right away that this was exactly what I had left home to find. I joined the team in January 2013! My Team and I serve over 500 meals per day to patients, staff and locals. We pride ourselves on providing the most affordable meal in Vail, while using the freshest ingredients and preparing everything from scratch. It's not your typical hospital food!