Tony Marinho

A Bit About Me

From a very young age I fell in love with restaurants and the hospitality industry. I knew I was destined to be a part of it and throughout my life I worked very hard to excel in it. 

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Everyday after Kindergarten class I used to join my mom in the kitchen of the Catholic school she ran the hot lunch program at. On the weekends, I used to beg her to allow me to help with catering events she ran. I could not get enough of being in the kitchen. As soon as I could legally work, I knew the food industry is where I belonged. Throughout high school I worked in a few different restaurants and pizza shops, counting down the days to graduation so I could move on to culinary school. 

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The summer of my senior year, I moved to Pittsburgh to attend the Art Institute of Pittsburgh to study Culinary Management. I absolutely loved everything about college and quickly became a standout student. The great part about being a culinary student is the ability to cook large amounts of food in class. I used this food as currency for knowledge from starving college students in the other design programs at my college. Not only did I graduate at the top of my culinary class, but also with hands-on knowledge in interior design, graphic design, and industrial design. 

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After a fundraised trip to Europe to work in restaurants and attend The World Culinary Olympics, I decided to move back to Pittsburgh to start my own business. My best friend and I started "Street Foods PGH" a mobile food vending business serving street food from around the world. After our first winter of pretty much no opportunities to vend in snowy Pittsburgh, we decided to start a mobile catering company. We cooked fresh food out of our mobile kitchen with amazing hospitality and a eye for detail. After a year of various events, we quickly became a success. From catering countless weddings, to large scale film productions, I created very strong and meaningful relationships and lasting memories by serving high quality food and providing detail oriented hospitality. 

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Life had other plans for me. My father had a terrible accident and I decided to sell my business in Pittsburgh and move back to Bethlehem, PA to be with my family. The Lehigh Valley was always a special place to me and I was excited to be back. I tossed around the idea of opening a restaurant and went down that path or a few months until COVID19 put an end to that. I took a pause in my life to figure out whats next...

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It clicked! I love helping people and want to open restaurants, why not do both! Curated Hospitality Consulting was born..