San Diego State University College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts

HTM Alumnus Kevin Chow Returns to SDSU

2010 alumnus returns for a day of guest lectures, presentations, and an alumni panel

HTM Alumnus Kevin Chow Returns to SDSU

January 7, 2019

By Amanda Osborn

Kevin Chow graduated from the Robert L. Payne School of Hospitality and Tourism Management in 2010. In his time at SDSU Chow was a co-founder of Foodies, an organization on campus for students who love food and want to learn more about it. He also served as the president of the National Society of Minorities in Hospitality, SDSU Chapter.

After graduating, Chow moved to Las Vegas to be an assistant general manager for Buca di Beppo, and was then promoted to general manager in 2012. In 2014 he was offered a position in Hawaii working with Handcrafted Restaurants. He currently works in restaurant development and leads 15 management team members along with 150 employees at Monkeypod Kitchen by Merriman. He continues to give back to the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management as well as the SDSU Chapter of the National Society of Minorities in Hospitality.

“What got me back is giving back,” said Kevin Chow about being a donor to the HTM program.

Chow had a full itinerary during his two days on campus. His first event was a business owner panel along with a dinner at Café 21 on Wednesday, Dec. 5. On Thursday morning, Chow went to breakfast with the Foodies where he discussed his career journey.

Chow agreed to participate in guest lectures throughout his day on campus. Using real-life examples from his current job, he presented on how to manage large groups of people. He also shared his current business plans to help students see that the work they are currently doing in classrooms is preparing them for life after graduation.

Before heading back to Hawaii, Chow spent time chatting with students on the HTM couches, and at a commencement ceremony for December 2018 HTM graduates.

For more information on the Robert L. Payne School of Hospitality and Tourism Management visit htm.sdsu.edu.

The content within this article has been edited by Lizbeth Persons.

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