The restaurant industry has been a part of Mary’s life since she was young. Her older brothers worked as line cooks. She’d visit them at their restaurants (and still does so to this day) and see the skills they acquired and the community they built. So began her career in restaurants to pay her way through college at an upscale Italian spot. Eventually graduating to the best restaurant in Columbus, she acquired her degree from Ohio State University, then moved to Chicago with $1,000 and the hope of working in an art gallery.
But, the restaurant industry in Chicago brought a whole new passion for studying beverage, the value of ingredients, and the beauty of local vendors bringing fresh produce in through the back door. The chaos of high-volume service and chef-run kitchens became a language—all while keeping it fun.
“I became an expert people reader. Anticipator of needs. Problem solver extraordinaire. A swiss-army knife who proved time and again to be invaluable in training and continuing to elevate steps of service and standards.”
Her career booming and passion blooming, she hustled, learned, and continued to expand her understanding of wine, acquiring her level one sommelier. Using the history of the back bar, she always relished the opportunity to sell through a story: how IPAs emerged from preserving ales to sail to India, or how Green Chartreuse cannot be replicated (it is a secret kept by monks). Each beverage was a chance to bring her passion for the business to guests and coworkers alike. This unapologetic excitement for knowledge was contagious.
On the verge of a major career achievement, opening the Austin Soho House as bar manager, a 6-week trip abroad became a year in Thailand thanks to the pandemic. Taking everything she’d learned about people, connection, hard work, and the kind of problem-solving only found in restaurants, she acquired new skills like scuba diving, Muay Thai, exploring, and, of course, trying all the food.
After a year of reevaluating her priorities, upon returning to Chicago, Mary quickly sought stability. Her Eat, Pray, Love moment brought clarity. She shifted from slinging fancy cocktails and running restaurants to delivering sales pitches in her first corporate sales job. In an unfamiliar business world, at a time already filled with uncertainty and constant flux, she felt prepared by the moxie and grit instilled in her from working in an often thankless industry.
Eventually arriving at SpotOn, she found the alignment she was looking for. Dedicated to bringing solid restaurant management system solutions to hospitality professionals, she hears their challenges with empathy and brings personality to the conversation to build a foundation of trust. For Mary, it’s all about making restaurants more profitable and less chaotic. She goes to bat for her clients—and is always down to swap industry battle tales along the way.
