Alec Montgomery is an entrepreneur and hospitality professional with a love for service, yoga, and making people laugh. Outside of work, he’s into shuffle dancing, DJing, and being a supportive friend. He grew up in Lakeview East, Chicago, as the youngest of four in a family with strong cultural traditions. From his siblings and parents, he learned humility, adaptability, and the drive to keep improving.

His childhood wasn’t without challenges. Moving between two households and feeling isolated in school pushed him to find his voice early. That determination led him to his first job at Stan’s Donuts & Coffee in 2016 while still in high school. By 2018, he was a supervisor, starting a path in hospitality management that would define his career.

At first, Alec studied Aviation Flight Science at Western Michigan University, even earning his private pilot’s license. But after two years, he returned to Chicago to study Hospitality Management at DePaul University. While juggling full-time work and classes, he built a strong foundation in restaurant operations, developed his wine knowledge, and graduated Cum Laude. By 2021, he was running the Gold Coast Stan’s as General Manager.

From there, his career accelerated. By 24, he was District Manager, overseeing 17 locations, including licensed branches inside Mariano’s stores. He restructured underperforming shops, improved operations, and created the company’s General Manager training program, which is still used today.

After nearly a decade with Stan’s, Alec moved into full-service restaurants to take on new challenges. Even so, his heart will always have a place in the coffee and donut world where his journey began.