John Kessen
John has been in the restaurant business for more than 2 decades. He began this voyage in Minneapolis at Cafe Un, Deux, Trois. Back East, he began working at one of Boston’s finest restaurants, L’Espalier. In 2008, alongside his business partners he opened Hungry Mother. John ran the dining room, welcomed countless guests, and created fond memories. In future years, he then opened State Park, Mamaleh’s, and Vincent’s née Café du Pays. John has many interests outside the restaurants, including foreign languages, travel, gardening, and music. He is an alumnus of Yale University and holds a Masters in Music from the University of Wisconsin. John plays the French horn, is the stage manager, and sits on the board of the New England Philharmonic.
Alon Munzer
Alon’s grandparents, as well as his great aunts and uncles, owned diners in Fairfield County, Connecticut, and although he was too young to remember his grandparents’ place, restaurants are in his blood. At 13, Alon was a busboy at a local Italian restaurant in Monroe, CT. Throughout his years attending Northeastern University Alon supported himself by waiting tables and bartending. Post graduation, alongside his wife and various business partners he opened Rachel’s Kitchen, Hungry Mother, State Park, Mamaleh’s Delicatessen and Vincent’s née Café du Pays. When not at work, Alon loves making his wife laugh and his two daughters giggle.
Rachel Sundet
Chef Rachel Sundet’s first job in a restaurant kitchen was at the beloved Cambridge institution, Upstairs on the Square, with Amanda Lydon and Susan Regis. She was immediately hooked. After culinary school in London, she moved west to Seattle, where she worked at Brasa Restaurant and Macrina Bakery. She returned to the East Coast and after a stint on a goat farm with her husband, Tyler, landed at Hungry Mother, where she worked as the pastry chef for 5 years and met her future business partners. Together, they opened State Park, Mamaleh’s Delicatessen and Vincent’s née Café du Pays. In 2015, Sundet was named a StarChefs Rising Star Pastry Chef and Boston Magazine‘s Best Pastry Chef. Daughter #2 to two psychiatrists, she moonlights doing therapy and mediation. She’s got a curly fourth toe, which she managed to pass on to both her son and daughters.
Heather Mojer
Heather was born into the restaurant industry, her life and food service became intertwined at an early age. While her mother managed the bar, Heather spent much of her time in the family’s restaurant, playing as a child, and eventually working once she was of age. This early experience enticed her to earn a Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Food Systems from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Through college, Heather worked at a student-run collective and also as a barista at a high-end shop. After graduation, she accepted a bartending position at Hungry Mother where she met her future business partners. Together, they opened State Park, Mamaleh’s Delicatessen and Vincent’s née Café du Pays. Heather has been the beverage director for all three concepts as well as general manager at State Park, but is currently Director of Procurement.
Rachel Miller Munzer
Rachel has worked in most roles of the restaurant business, from valet to dishwasher to expeditor to mother hen to CEO. Some of which, while completing her degree in business management at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Post graduation, alongside her husband and various business partners she opened Rachel’s Kitchen, Hungry Mother, State Park, Mamaleh’s Delicatessen and Vincent’s née Café du Pays. If she were stuck on a desert island she would want her two daughters and handy husband there, a yoga mat and an infinite supply of popcorn, eggs, and cereal.
Tyler Sundet
Chef Tyler Sundet’s culinary career began with a job as a dishwasher in his hometown of Volga, South Dakota when he was just thirteen years old. From there it was off to culinary school in San Francisco, followed by stints in locales like Seattle, Cape Cod and, ultimately, Cambridge. Sundet alongside his wife, worked at Hungry Mother for four years. Together with his business partners, they opened State Park, Mamaleh’s Delicatessen and Vincent’s née Café du Pays. Tyler was the proud 3rd place finisher in the South Dakota milk tasting competition circa 2003, and he still has the ribbon! Also, the father of 3 human babies and a neurotic Goldendoodle.
Evan Harrison
Evan started working in restaurants in his hometown of Sherman, TX while in high school in the late nineties. He has worked nearly every position in a restaurant from the front to the back of the house. At the age of 23, while finishing his undergraduate degree in literary studies at the University of Massachusetts, Boston he worked his way up from food runner to bar manager and, ultimately, acting general manager at The Independent, a beloved neighborhood bar in Somerville, MA. Since then he has been the bar manager or lead bartender at several reputable Boston-area bars, including Deep Ellum, Brick and Mortar, and Highland Kitchen, all of which have received the high commendation of Esquire Magazine’s “Best Bars in America”. Alongside his now wife, and business partners Evan opened State Park, Mamaleh’s Delicatessen and Vincent’s née Café du Pays.