Piada Spotlight | Ashley McClung

Meet Ashley McClung – Piada Rocky River’s Sr. Chef with a knack for teaching and training. Ashley has been with Piada for NINE years and also serves as one of the company’s New Restaurant Opening (NRO) Captains. What started as her first job in college has developed into roles at the North Canton, Cuyahoga Falls, Akron & Rocky River locations. Over the years, Ashley has tasted the menu, but firmly believes that one should add avocado to every Hot Chicken BLT Piada!

Ashley has always loved learning and education, which is why she went to college to be a high school science teacher! Hailing from Canal Fulton, OH, Ashley says, “I love chemistry and physics. I even ended up teaching at the high school I went to!” Because she was so passionate about the people, she continued working at Piada part-time while teaching, but when a promotion to Chef was offered to her, she dove headfirst into a full-time opportunity in the restaurant industry.

When asked what she loves the most about her job at Piada, Ashley says, “I get to teach, and I get to train as an NRO Captain. I love that about my job!” Because she’s inherently an educator, Ashley also says that this opportunity to train has helped her find her “forever friends.” In fact, one of her best friends is someone that she trained with years ago at the Canton location, and her sister, Rachel, also an NRO Captain, is now a chef at the new Mayfield Heights location – the teaching trait is in the family!

As someone who enjoys helping others, Ashley said that her favorite thing about Piada’s culture is the aspect of teamwork – “I can’t do my job without the help of so many people. [By helping someone else], I want to hope that they can do that for someone else too.” And as for advice for someone who wants to grow, Ashley says, “Any opportunity that sounds fun, say yes. You can only fail if you don’t try!”

When you spend as much time mentoring others as Ashley has, she says you learn a lot of patience. Teaching is a natural instinct for her and using those teaching skills at Piada solidifies her ability to have more patience. As a self-proclaimed “people person,” Ashley says that making others happy motivates her and helps her knowing that she contributed to someone else’s good mood.

When she’s not at work, Ashley is now a Lakewood resident, and loves the proximity to her family and an array of local activities. Lakewood has great breweries and when she’s not rolling Piada’s, she enjoys riding her bike downtown and to the beach! Finding creative outlets is also important to Ashley, so sometimes you might catch her writing some poetry or painting while listening to some super vibey music from Frank Ocean.

The exuberance that Ashley possesses translates to her life motto: “Let the fire within you warm those around you.” She continues, “When I believe something, I am 100% in it. If I elevate other people and lift them up, I also elevate myself in the process. It makes me feel good to make other people feel good.” True to our core values, Ashley McClung is certainly a passionate chef!

If you’re looking for a career with huge growth potential, head to careers.mypiada.com.