Executive Chef Mike Marques (pronounced “marks”) came to Coastal Carolina University just over a year ago on Oct. 1, 2018. He is responsible for overseeing the culinary execution of 14 dining locations and more than 400 employees who provide meals for the campus community.

Marques was born, raised, and inspired to be a chef while growing up in Rhode Island. He attended Johnson and Wales University in Providence, R.I., where he earned his associate degree in culinary arts and bachelor’s degree in food and service management. He arrived in the Grand Strand in 2002; he’d had enough of shoveling snow in New England. Before coming to CCU, Marques honed his culinary chops working at several hotels, restaurants, and golf/country clubs including the Members Club at Grande Dunes in Myrtle Beach.

As executive chef, he makes sure all his employees follow CCU's dining hall standards regarding sanitation, safety, and recipes. Marques often steps in to help cook on the line when needed to quickly service the community and help his team.

“Our promise to the students is to deliver food that will fuel their academic success,” said Marques. “Our team makes sure our program is successful each day, and this is not done by just one person.”

Marques aspired to be a chef since he was 12 years old. He says he would often pop his head into his grandmother's kitchen to see what she was cooking next. His biggest inspiration in cooking is his grandmother, a hard-working mother of seven children. His grandmother worked in various places in Rhode Island such as the Elbo Inn, where she was an operator, and La Hacienda restaurant in Middletown.

“My grandmother was a proud and strong woman; she didn’t take lip from anyone,” said Marques. “She taught me a strong work ethic and passion for food, and these beliefs have followed throughout my career. She still reminds me daily.”

Though he has a lot on his plate, Marques still makes sure his staff is well trained and always ready to help when needed. He says that every employee learns differently, so he has to work closely with them to make sure they are prepared for their pursuit of excellence. With all this responsibility, Marques still finds time to engage with students outside and inside of the classroom.

“I participate in our monthly focus groups, open to all students, as well as our monthly RA panels,” said Marques. “I also execute events in our dining locations to engage with students while they taste a dish I've created.”

In collaboration with registered dietician Molly Ford, Marques hosted a cooking demo in Tradition Hall on Sept. 25. He visited a freshman residence hall and showed first-year students how to make fresh, healthy meals in the residence hall kitchens. He also participated in the local farmer's market that came to Prince Lawn last month to show students how easy it can be to cook healthy.

Marques bought fresh ingredients from a local vendor, prepared salsa, and brought it back to Prince Lawn for students to sample. He says both events were great opportunities to speak with students about what they want to learn to cook in the future and how to prepare organic, healthy meals.

Marques is a facilitator for the Hospitality, Resort and Tourism Management (HRTM) 282, a survey class about food and beverage management.

When asked his favorite dish to cook, Marques’ go to is hardwood smoked pork. He enjoys adding different woods to the smoker, which add depths of flavor that seasoning alone can’t.

Marques says he wanted to work at CCU long before he was hired. After 12 years of working hard, watching, and waiting for an opportunity, when the position finally opened, he applied and was ecstatic to be offered the position.

“It is like family here. From the faculty, to the staff, to the students, it just feels like home,” said Marques. Chef and his wife, Becky, have three children named Kayla, Emma, and Noah, along with two dogs, Ari and Teddy.

In the future, Marques plans to feature more local products on the menus in the dining halls. He takes customer feedback into serious consideration and wants to have more food trucks around campus. He is also starting a guest chef series on Nov. 1 to spice up the variety of food in the dining halls.