Where are They Now? Michael Vetro

By Trimella Chaney

Periodically, we focus on people from our region who have ventured out into the world and are making a difference. In this issue, we check in with Michael Vetro, formerly a Watauga County resident, who is sharing his talents at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Michael Vetro in the St. Jude Kitchen

Many area theatre goers, especially those in Watauga County, may remember a teenaged Michael Vetro belting out “Put on a Happy Face” as Albert in the Watauga High School production of BYE BYE BIRDIE. Vetro might also be remembered for the popular eatery he later founded in Boone, NC, Vidalia Restaurant. Now, as Executive Chef and Director of Food Services at St. Jude Hospital in Memphis, TN, Chef Michael Vetro continues to share his culinary talents and spread joy for others.

There is only one St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. St. Jude partners with affiliates in the U.S. and worldwide, and together they fight to end catastrophic childhood diseases. When patients from other countries first arrive at St. Jude, they are so excited to have American burgers, fries, and Cokes. But after about two weeks, patients get homesick for the food from their home countries. This provides a stimulating challenge for Vetro and his staff of 100. The nurses or clinicians contact the Chef with the information of what foods the child is missing, and the staff goes to work to provide the comfort of native food for the patient.

This interaction with families from all over the world is one of the most gratifying and stimulating aspects of Vetro’s position. “I find it fascinating to meet people from different cultures and backgrounds.” One story Vetro shared was of an Indian mother who felt completely helpless watching her sick child. Her comment to the staff was, “The doctors and nurses are doing all they can for my child. The only thing I can do is make food for him.” Hearing this, the staff brought her to the St. Jude kitchen and allowed her to prepare food for the comfort of her child.

Another example involved a young boy who was in palliative care and wanted to have a special cake. “The culinary team goes to great lengths to fulfill requests,” says Vetro. “One day a patient and sibling from South America wanted to make one of their favorite dishes, a tres leches cake. The chefs sourced the ingredients, invited the family to the kitchen, and helped them bake and eat the cake together as a family.” Vetro admits that this particular story touched many hearts. “Food is a commonality. It brings us together.”

Chef Vetro is currently working on a national initiative with a committee of chefs and manufacturers to develop menu concepts for the healthcare segment. They are hoping to change the reputation of hospital food. This is a cause Chef Vetro is passionate about and will no doubt affect a nationwide change.

How did this all-American Watauga County boy become a successful nationally-known chef? “Reflecting on my childhood delivers clues I should have seen all along,” Vetro explains. “My Scottish and Italian grandparents made simple but delicious meals I create to this day.” At age eight, Vetro learned to grill. By fifth grade, he was copying recipes from celebrity chefs and making dinner for his family. For Junior Prom, he cooked dinner for 15 people at his house.

“Any culinary disasters?” I asked. He laughed and admitted that he has difficulty cooking at home. “I don’t have the proper tools. And I make five gallons of something no one likes!” But at St. Jude, the catering services he oversees, the main café (serving 2,500 lunches per day), and the bistro (serving breakfast, lunch, juices, and smoothies) have no complaints.

When asked how he had landed at St. Jude, one word summed it up: Family. Vetro and wife Camille made a choice to sell their very successful Vidalia Restaurant in Boone and move to Memphis when they started their family. They wanted their children to know and have memories of their great-grandparents. Chef Vetro appreciates the work/life balance he is afforded in his current position. Unlike previous positions in other organizations, he has weekends and holidays off to enjoy with his wife and three daughters. In fact, the day I interviewed him for this article he was enjoying a tea party with his children. What does one serve a nationallyknown chef at a tea party? “My kids like to cook and eat their own creations,” he says. “Crinkle cookies, nachos, smoothies, muffins. It depends which one is the chef that day.” Using his tea party experience, he tells me that cupcake and cookie decorating is a regular event with the children at St. Jude.

At work, patient happiness is not Chef Vetro’s only focus; each month he calls a “huddle” of his staff and they celebrate the birthdays of that month with singing and dancing. The joy he feels for his work and the joy he creates for others is readily apparent.

As Michael Vetro’s former High School theatre teacher, I can recall the lyrics that he once sang in a long ago solo and realize that today, he is living those lyrics: “Spread sunshine all over the place and Put on a happy face!”

Ms. Trimella Chaney is a veteran theatre arts teacher and founder of the Theatre Arts Department at Watauga High School. She currently teaches at Appalachian State University in the Department of Theatre and Dance, and is a local community theatre director.