From writing cookbooks to running popular storefronts, Bryant grads are making their mark in the food industry. As you enjoy the holidays with family and friends and gorge on your favorite festive dishes, check out these five alums who have taken their foodie flair and transformed it into successful careers:
Kenneth Oringer ’87: Backed by his time at Bryant as a Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management major to, shortly thereafter, his studies at the Culinary Institute of America, Oringer is now a Boston-based chef who, in 2024, partnered with award-winning pastry chef Monica Glass to open Verveine Bakery and Cafe in Cambridge. A James Beard award-winning chef, Oringer is also the founder of Boston restaurants Coppa, Toro, Little Donkey, Uni, Faccia a Faccia, and Bar Pallino. In 2023, he wrote a gluten-free cookbook with his daughter. From triple chocolate brownies to cheesy quesadillas, each recipe has been kid-tested and approved by America’s Test Kitchen Kids’ at-home kid recipe testers. verveinecafe.com
Erika (Soucy) Orlandella ’06: While at Bryant, Orlandella earned her degree in Marketing. Today, she and her husband are the owners of Cape Cod Winery — a small, family-run business in East Falmouth, Massachusetts. The business’s array of red, white, rose, sweet, and sparkling wine options lean into nautical and local themes (Nantucket Sound Red, Shipwrecked, Cape Cod Cran, Mermaid Bubbly). Whether you’re a short drive from the winery and decide to visit in person, or you live a bit farther and choose to sign up for the company’s wine club membership, Cape Cod Winery has a little something for everyone to sip. capecodwinery.com
Eric Bonin ’08: Mango. Peach. Chocolate. If there’s a yogurt flavor you like, Bonin’s company likely has it. Founder and CEO of Pillars Yogurt, Bonin’s all-natural, non-GMO Greek yogurts are made with a custom blend of prebiotics and probiotics to boost wellness. The company’s mission is to create delicious and nutritious products to power daily adventures. At Bryant, Bonin earned his degree in Finance, participated in the Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization, and served as president of the Finance Association. Pillars Yogurt, which Pasture Brands acquired in April, is available in more than 5,000 stores across the country — including Whole Foods Market, Target, Wegmans, and Hannaford. pillarsyogurt.com
Lisa (Tarkiainen) Steele ’87: Residing in central Maine on a small farm, Steele is a fifth-generation chicken keeper, founder of the brand Fresh Eggs Daily, and author of six books on raising backyard flocks (chickens, ducks, geese). In 2020, Steele — who majored in Accounting while at Bryant — wrote a cookbook published by HarperCollins, which includes more than 100 recipes to use eggs in unexpected ways. From toasty baked egg cups to popovers with blueberry butter and jam, the cookbook is filled with hearty, savory dishes. In 2024, Steele launched a new recipe site called Coop to Kitchen where she shares recipes from her cookbook and TV show, “Welcome to My Farm.” fresheggsdaily.blog
Melanie (Parciak) Goggin: ’03: Majoring in Marketing while at Bryant, Goggin is the owner of Mel’s Downtown Creamery, which has locations in Pawcatuck and Colchester, Connecticut. Open daily year-round, the creamery is a ’50s style ice cream shop and features ice cream cakes and pies in addition to its selection of 30-plus premium ice cream flavors. Stop by for sweet treats that include the campfire s’mores, extreme chocolate, or coffee toffee yogurt. The shop is known for its Big Kahuna challenge — a not so easy task where one person must eat a massive sundae (eight scoops of ice cream, seven toppings, one banana, one brownie, a mound of shipped cream, and four cherries) in 20 minutes or less. Fun fact: Not only has the Big Kahuna been featured on “Man Versus Food,” but English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran once took on the Big Kahuna at Mel’s. melsdowntowncreamery.com
