Dean Thompson has been named corporate director of culinary operations at Concord Hospitality Enterprises Company.
credit: Concord Hospitality
In this new role, which was created as part of the expansion of the food-and-beverage team, Thompson will be responsible for providing mentorship, leadership and support to Concord’s more than 100 hotels across the nation. He will assist properties in establishing and refining their F&B standard operating procedures. Additionally, Thompson will assist with conceptualizing F&B spaces—from menu development to designing kitchen layouts and formulating a restaurant’s or bar’s atmosphere—as well as building and maintaining relationships with key national and regional F&B vendors.
Thompson brings more than 20 years of the experience to the role. He joined Concord in 2008 as an opening team member of the Renaissance Raleigh (N.C.) North Hills Hotel, where he eventually led the F&B team as food-and-beverage director and executive chef. During his time at the Renaissance Raleigh Hotel, he and his team were awarded two F&B Excellence awards by Concord. He was the first chef to win back-to-back regional championships in Got to be N.C.’s Competition Dining Series and, in 2018, he took home top honors in Lucy Daniels’ Cooking for a Classic.
“When I started working with Concord, we had around 50 hotels within our portfolio, and now we have more than 100 properties,” Thompson said in a statement. “I have watched the company’s product and quality evolve throughout my time here, and I feel honored to be a part of the leadership team to drive results and continuous growth and enhance our properties’ F&B offerings.”