Piada Spotlight | Michael King

Meet Senior Chef Michael King! At only 20 years old, Michael has become quite a leader at Piada, training and teaching team members everyday. He began working at Piada Akron at 16, and has since made the move to Pittsburgh to continue supporting and training the Pittsburgh team.

Michael was born in Russia and adopted at age 2 alongside his two brothers. From a young age he had an interest in cooking, always wanting to help while watching his dad cook. Michael takes joy in preparing food for others and says "Now it's my time to cook for my dad. I am big on taking care of others."

When asked about his experience with Piada, Michael said "This company quite literally raised me. Piada helped me fix my life and I have grown so much." When he started working for Piada in Akron, he remembers thinking "I really love Piada. This is going to be the spot. That store will always have a special place in my heart." Michael grew within his role at Akron and had the opportunity to move to Pittsburgh and continue to lead and grow that market.

Michael's leadership skills and knowledge have been a huge asset to the Piada team. He says "I always wanted to be a teacher and a chef, and now I get to do both. It is rewarding." Working alongside his team is one thing Michael enjoys most about his job. He says "The team will only support you as much as you support them. You can't run a restaurant alone."

Michael would say he doesn't have one life motto, but believes that "You don't know your limits until you surpass them." Spoken like a true leader who wants to push his team to be the best. He says "It's just pasta. You can care and want to see the growth and great things for your team, but don't let the noodles and sauce destroy you."

Michael recommends spicy ranch on most items, but if he had to recommend his favorite item from Piada, it would be the Basil Pesto Pasta with steak - a must try!