MGM Springfield culinary team preps for mass hiring
Chris Smigel, assistant executive chef at MGM Springfield, moved up the career ladder at the soon-to-open casino before he was even hired. A Westfield native who got his culinary training at Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island, Smigel applied to MGM hoping for a job as a chef running one of its restaurants. Instead, he was hired to oversee culinary operations for all MGM-operated facilities on the property in Springfrield’s South End. It’s a step up for him, having worked for Hyatt Hotels for 10 years with stops Austin, New Orleans and, most recently, Cambridge. The MGM Springfield job has allowed him to buy a home and move back to Westfield.