Food Services

Jon Webster, executive director of hospitality services announced today that Joe Sidoni, longtime associate director of catering in Food Services, has accepted a new role as the food and beverage director at Drumlins Country Club. Paula Elerick will step into the catering position vacated by Sidoni in the Syracuse University Food Services department.

The move is a result of the Auxiliary Services department’s effort to effectively share resources between campus food service operations and Drumlins. Drumlins recently insourced its food and beverage operations after relying on a third-party operator for many years. The new system required a seasoned management presence to develop the program, the success of which will benefit both Drumlins members and the broader Syracuse University community.

“This is a move that will allow for Drumlins to realize the true potential of their food and beverage program while simultaneously increasing the operational efficiency of our department as a whole,” said Webster. “It’s about putting our people in places where they will succeed and utilizing our staff’s diverse skill sets to operate all aspects of the business in a manner that best serves our customers and the University.”

Sidoni will assume responsibility for food and beverage operations at the country club, home to Bistro 1926, a poolside “snack shack,” and a robust catering and events operation.

Elerick, who started her tenure at Syracuse University in September, brings over 20 years of catering experience to the University’s Catering Services team, most notably at Turning Stone and Sodexo. Most recently, she was the Regional Director of Operations for Sodexo’s college and university accounts in the Northeast. She will oversee a re-structure of the University’s catering department, which has seen demand for its services return to pre-pandemic levels this fall.

Webster acknowledged that this is a particularly difficult time for Catering Services. Demand has risen as the entire Food Services team has faced the same labor shortage as their peers throughout the industry. He envisions a “re-set” for the department. Looking forward, the next step will be searching for and hiring a chef dedicated solely to the University’s catering services.

“In order to better serve our campus and to take care of our employees, we’re going to look at everything we do and make sure we’re doing right by all of our stakeholders,” Webster said. “Our goal is to offer top-quality food and customer service at all of our outlets, and these steps will help get us there.”

Food Services has hired a new executive chef with deep roots in the Central New York region. Chef Eamon Lee brings over three decades of experience in the food services industry to the University. In the near term, Eamon will look to create a culinary training program for the Food Services department. He will also be listening to student, staff and faculty feedback as his team crafts menus and concepts for the University’s dining centers, cafes, and catering and concessions operations.

“Eamon has a depth of experience, passion and energy we are lucky to have at Syracuse University,” says Jon Webster, executive director of hospitality. “He has worked in food service operations of all sizes. He has deep roots in and a strong passion for all things Syracuse.”

Read the full interview at Syracuse University News.

Three recent additions to the Auxiliary Services are helping the unit adapt to increased responsibilities and enhance the experience of campus community members.

Executive Chef Eamon Lee

First to come on board is Food Services’ new executive chef, Eamon Lee. Eamon brings over three decades of experience in the food services industry to Syracuse University. A Central New York native, Eamon started his career in high school at age 16 as a dishwasher and cook at The Wellington House in Fayetteville, NY. He has worked at several iconic CNY establishments, including the Brewster Inn and The Lincklaen House in Cazenovia and in 1995, he was the opening sous chef at The Arad Evans Inn.

After a short stint in Manhattan, he returned to Syracuse and accepted his first executive chef position at 238 Bistro (now Bistro Elephant) in Armory Square. In 1999, he became the Executive Chef at the Century Club of Syracuse, where he remained for 10 years.

In 2008, he took his career to foodservice distribution, where he remained until the executive chef position at the University opened. In the short term, Eamon will look to create a culinary training program for the Food Services department. He will also be listening to student, staff and faculty feedback as he crafts menus and concepts for the University’s dining centers, cafes, and catering and concessions operations.

“Eamon has a depth of experience, passion, and energy we are lucky to have at Syracuse University,” said Jon Webster, executive director of hospitality. “He has worked in food service operations of all sizes. He has deep roots in and a strong passion for all things Syracuse.”

When not working, Eamon enjoys the outdoors and traveling with his wife Amie, herself a Syracuse alumna, and biking, canoeing, bee keeping, foraging, gardening, fly-fishing, or building fine furniture.

Chris Coonrad, General Manager of Food and Beverage at the Dome

Christopher Coonrad began his tenure as General Manager of Food and Beverage at the Dome in September 2021. Chris came to Syracuse University from a position with Aramark at the Lakeview Amphitheatre. He also traveled to assist with the food and beverage operations of Citi Field (home to the New York Mets), Fenway Park (Boston Red Sox), PNC Park (Pittsburgh Pirates), and other Aramark properties. He has spent his career primarily in the Northeast and New England areas, where he operated the food and beverage operations at several ballparks and arenas.

In his new role, Chris will partner with Athletics and Facilities to establish short- and long-term goals to enhance the game day experience at the Dome.

“Chris comes from Aramark, an industry-leading stadium management company,” said Webster. “He brings best practices, creativity, and passion to our Food Services team, which will help us create the best game day experience we can for fans of Syracuse University.”

Chris lives in Camillus with his wife and daughters. In his free time, he enjoys boating in the Finger Lakes and fishing on Lake Ontario.

Gina Robb, Director of Administration for Auxiliary Services

Gina will begin her role as the Director of Administration for Auxiliary Services on October 18, 2021. A new position, the role was created to lead and direct all Auxiliary Services internal personnel services.  Gina will work collaboratively with the Office of Human Resources and divisional managers to oversee staffing, professional development and payroll operations as well as identify, develop and implement individual and organizational training and development initiatives.

Gina joined Syracuse University in July 2018 following a long career with the Anheuser-Busch InBev corporation. She holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Business Administration/Marketing and a Masters of Business Administration from Le Moyne College and began her professional career as a sales and marketing analyst for the local Anheuser-Busch wholesaler, T.J. Sheehan Distributing Inc.

During her tenure at Anheuser-Busch InBev, Gina held many leadership positions including Recruitment Supervisor, Plant Training Manager and Assistant Manager of the People Department. As the Plant Training Manager, Gina established a successful and sustainable educational partnership with Onondaga Community College to build a training and development program for skilled maintenance technicians for Anheuser-Busch InBev’s Baldwinsville Brewery manufacturing facility. Her time at Anheuser-Busch InBev also included work as the brewery’s staffing and recruitment specialist and labor relations liaison.

Gina will report to Auxiliary Services’ Executive Director for Budget and Operations Jennifer Uryniak.

“We are looking forward to Gina utilizing her extensive human resources background as well as some sales and marketing experience to support Auxiliary Services,” said Uryniak. “The unit is in the process of implementing continuous improvement efforts, and her skills are perfectly aligned to get us to the next level.”

Ryan Novak ’11, owner and operator of the Chocolate Pizza Company, says that his classes in entrepreneurship and supply chain—and time spent as a kicker on the football team—taught him the skills needed to become a successful business owner.

Chocolate Pizza Company products can be found in the newly renovated Schine Dining area. Read the full story about Ryan on syracuse.edu.