Meghan Synco goes hard in the paint.
The Oklahoma native is the first woman to take the helm of Loud City Hospitality, the food service brand at Paycom Center. Her story is the perfect expression of one of my most closely held beliefs: when you’re a talented, hardworking professional with a heart for service, you’re unstoppable.
To hear her tell it, this is all just the result of keeping her head down and doing the work, though she’s careful to point out mentors and opportunities along the way. Unlike many chefs who chase culinary careers across major food cities, her path stayed close to home. Raised in Mustang, she received her associate degree in culinary arts at OSU Institute of Technology at Okmulgee before earning a bachelor’s degree in hospitality administration and management from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater.
Her early jobs looked like the ladder many hospitality workers know well: “I did the Oklahoma staples,” she said with a laugh. “Sonic, Buffalo Wild Wings, Oklahoma City Golf & Country Club. You work your way up.”
Those years built a foundation that later allowed her to oversee multiple kitchens across Oklahoma City restaurant groups, including more than a dozen concepts during her time with Hal Smith Restaurant Group. That scale prepared her for something even bigger.
When the executive chef role overseeing food operations at the Thunder’s Paycom Center opened, the timing felt almost cosmic. “A lot of the stars had to align,” she said.
One of the rungs on her career ladder was with Whiskey Cake, where she worked with Chef Kenneth Hardiman, who became a mentor to Synco. He would go on to work for the Milwaukee Bucks, where he took over the executive chef role. Now in a leadership position with Levy Restaurants, the national hospitality company specializing in sports and entertainment venues which oversees Loud City Hospitality, he encouraged her to apply.
She started the role on January 26, stepping into a position responsible for coordinating food operations across roughly a dozen kitchens inside the arena.
Running food service for an NBA arena requires more than culinary skill. On game nights, thousands of guests move through the building in waves, expecting everything from quick snacks to premium dining experiences. “You have to take an arena this big in chunks,” she explained. “Excellent executive sous chefs, wonderful supervisors, clear commu-nication, that’s how you make it work.”
Preparation begins days in advance. Teams coordinate menus and prep lists, build inventory and production schedules, and stay one step ahead of the next game or event. For Synco, the most important work happens off the line. “I’m really focusing on team building,” she said. “Getting people to buy into the way we manage, which, for me, is mentorship and positivity.”
That leadership philosophy reflects a broader shift happening across the culinary world. For decades, professional kitchens were defined by harsh hierarchies and explosive tempers. Today, many chefs — especially women rising through leadership roles — are trying to reshape that culture. “We don’t have to yell. We don’t have to throw pans,” she said. “You can push for excellence without pushing people past their limits.”
Synco fits perfectly into the roster of a corporate team known for its sterling reputation, culture of inclusivity, and deep commitment to community. It’s not that the Thunder organization puts its culture above even its status as the reigning National Champions. Rather, it reflects the belief that these wins roll in because of the strength and depth of the culture.
Despite her grueling schedule, she finds time to champion the next generation of local hospitality pros. She mentors students in Edmond Santa Fe High School’s restaurant management program, whose team recently won the statewide ProStart comp-etition and will soon head to Baltimore to compete in the national invitational. “It’s about building the future of hospitality,” she said. Playing the long game, building a deep bench — it’s a page out of the Presti playbook.
Looking back, she says the career path makes more sense in hindsight than it did while she was living it. “When you’re in it, you don’t realize it’s happening,” she said. “You’re just showing up, doing the work, taking care of your people. Sometimes you move up, sometimes you move sideways, and you often wonder if you’re making the right move.”
Eventually, after years of stacking wins, she now leads one of the largest hospitality operations in Oklahoma City, fueling thousands of fans as they cheer on the Thunder for yet another win. She’ll turn 40 later this year, and still has many years to make an impact. “Our boys are always talking about how they’ve got that dog in them, and I feel that too.”
This article appears in Celebrating 60 years of the Festival of Arts!.