Willy Burger is pleased to welcome our newest executive team member, Mr. Alden Pond.
The new excitement at Willy Burger is easy to see, especially with the new addition of Vice President of Operations and Exec. Chef, Alden Pond.
Alden brings a wealth of experience and culture to Willy Burger as well as a sincere passion for food, people, and creativity.
Alden Pond started his culinary career in Dallas working a summer job at Tin Star restaurant. The days were long, hot, chaotic, and overwhelming. And he loved it! His introduction to the industry had him hooked and he learned valuable lessons that he has carried ever since.
He earned his bachelor’s degree from Stephen F. Austin University and then moved to Austin in pursuit of a career in food. He enrolled and graduated from Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Academy with a fervor for flavor.
He then spent years working and journaling around the Hill Country with invaluable experiences at an eclectic mix of restaurants including the likes of Korean Food Trucks and Tex-Mex spots to illustrious establishments such as the Hyatt Lost Pines Resort and the famed Driskell Hotel.
Pond spent six super years at the Alamo Drafthouse in San Antonio where he served in a director role in food and bev, and where he was mentored by co-owner (and fellow SETX native), Brandon Arceneaux. He thoroughly enjoyed learning, working, and refining multiple skills as the Alamo Drafthouse grew in multiple successful locations throughout the years.
He then opened a Cajun seafood restaurant in the south side of San Antonio along with Arceneaux, called C’BEAUXS. He ran the restaurant kitchen for three years before moving back to Southeast Texas where he married his wife, Sabrina, and embraced the sweet family life, raising their adorable daughter, Izabel.
For more than five years, he served as General Manager for Chili’s Bar & Grill in Port Arthur. In December of 2021, Pond joins our team under the Neches Restaurant Group. He will no doubt bring a keen sense of small restaurant business love; and he’ll bring authenticity, humanity, and artistry to Willy Burger as well as the operational efficiencies, structure, and knowhow of the corporate and franchise world.
Alden has had a lifelong love of food, and he comes by it honestly. His father, Paul Pond, and mother, Lila, instilled a passion for travel, cooking, creating, and fellowship. He has fond memories of journeying with his father and stopping at dives and hole-in-the-wall diners in search of those hard-to-find special bites. Alden recalls living in Hawaii and receiving random BBQ joint t-shirts and restaurant novelties as foodie gifts from his father. He reminisces about a summer he spent in Europe, immersing himself in the cultures and tasting everything savory and sweet from San Sebastian, Spain to the streets of Paris and the pubs of Great Britain.
His diverse set of skills, worldly and culinary experience, corporate food success, and affable personality will make an inspiring impact on our team and our customers. We welcome Alden to the world of Willy and we look forward to what’s next for food, fun, and flavor!
