Concord Hospitality Names Dean Thompson Executive Chef For Renaissance Raleigh Hotel (Award-Winning Chef to Compete for Top Chef in N.C.)

Officials for Concord Hospitality Enterprises, one of the top-ranked hotel operators in North America, today announced the promotion of Dean Thompson to executive chef for the Renaissance Raleigh Hotel, in the company’s headquarters of Raleigh, N.C. Previously, Thompson served as the hotel’s executive sous chef, under Dean Wendel, Concord’s recently appointed corporate director of food and beverage.

Thompson is a Johnson & Wales University graduate and native of nearby Cary, N.C., where he developed an appreciation for the finer points of southern cuisine, which has catapulted him to the top of his craft. Earlier this year, Thompson and his team won the 2013 “Fire in the Triangle” championship. He will compete for the Top Chef of North Carolina title November 20 through 23 when the best chefs in the state converge on the Renaissance Raleigh Hotel for the competition dining series, Final Fire.

“Chef Thompson helped open the hotel and establish its restaurant, Flights as one Raleigh’s most vibrant dining rooms to celebrate regionally-inspired cuisine,” said Wendel. “He has a passion for great food, an impressive culinary pedigree and an authentic perspective on the culinary traditions that are his heritage. He’s the perfect choice to lead the food and beverage effort at this exceptional hotel and the team that serves it.”

Prior to opening the Renaissance Raleigh, in 2008, Thompson was the sous chef for the Hope Valley Country Club. Previously, he served under Chef Jules Ramos at Mills Tavern, at the time rated one of the “75 Hottest Tables from Boston to Beijing” by Conde Nast Traveler and The Boston Globe. During college, he worked at Mediterraneo Caffe under Chef Gianfranco Campanella.

“Because we have some of the best stewards of some of the richest farmland right at our doorstep, we’re able to showcase North Carolina’s bounty and culinary traditions in a way that rings true for local guests, but is also up-to-the-minute for the visitors coming to Raleigh from all over the world,” said Thompson. “With every meal and every banquet, we’re able to shed new light on southern cuisine and southern hospitality.”

About Renaissance Raleigh Hotel
The AAA Four Diamond award winning Renaissance Raleigh Hotel is ideally located in the midst of the city’s highly acclaimed downtown development, North Hills. The hotel offers 233 rooms and suites as well as two restaurants, Flights and Mia Francesca, led by an award-winning culinary team and earned the 2013 Trip Advisor Award of Excellence.

About Concord Hospitality
Concord Hospitality Enterprises Company, an award-winning hotel management and development company based in Raleigh, N.C., manages more than 90 hotels offering more than 13,000 guest rooms in 21 states and two Canadian provinces. The company operates hotels and resorts under such well-known industry elite brands as Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, Starwood, Wyndham, InterContinental Hotels Group, and Choice Hotels, as well as select independent boutique hotels. Formed in 1985, Concord recently was listed as one of the top management companies in the nation by independent sources, and has received some of the industry’s most prestigious honors including Developer of the Year for Marriott, Hyatt and Choice Hotels. Concord also is an eight-time winner of Marriott’s Partnership Circle award and in 2013 was honored to be the recipient of Marriott’s inaugural Spirit to Preserve Award. Concord properties are some of the most awarded hotels in the country, having won nearly 100 top honors in the past two years alone. For more information, visit www.concordhotels.com.