About Michael

Hometown:
Fairfax, VA

University Partner:
Cornell University

Degree:
Hotel Administration, Restaurant Operations Concentration

Grant Partner:
Union Square Hospitality Group

Senior Mentor:
Randy Garutti, Chief Operating Officer, Shake Shack

"The internship is an opportunity that doesn't exist within the organization any other time of year, and the Steamboat Foundation family and experience is inimitable; nothing else brings students of such drive and caliber together for ten weeks and awards the same opportunities for personal and professional growth."

Scholar Background

Michael started cutting, chopping, prepping and plating in a restaurant kitchen at the age of 15. Since then, he has earned an Associate’s Degree in the Culinary Arts from the Culinary Institute of America and worked in restaurants and vineyards in New York City; Washington, D.C.; Birmingham, Alabama; and New Zealand. Now a student at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, he is pursuing the management and entrepreneurial side of the foodservice business.

Internship Description

Michael helped with nearly every aspect of the Shake Shack rollout--from design to construction to operation. In the field, Michael worked with Senior Mentor Randy Garutti, his management teams, and construction teams in the build-out, launch, and training of the Theater District and Upper East Side Shake Shacks. While in the office, Michael was helping with designing both kitchen and dining rooms for upcoming Shacks, building models for supply chain management, and completing a substantial revenue analysis of hourly, daily, weekly, and categorical performance of five Shacks.

Where are they now?

Michael is currently working at Eleven Madison Park. He was hired by Union Square Hospitality Group immediately following his graduation from Cornell in December 2010.