SRQ MAGAZINE | 2026 35 Under 35 Honoree - Christine Pelosi

Christine Pelosi

GENERAL MANAGER | GECKO’S HOSPITALITY GROUP

HOW DID YOU MAKE YOUR START IN YOUR PROFESSION?

From a young age, I’ve always loved creating experiences around food. As a kid, I would play “restaurant” with my family, and as I got older, I started planning and preparing real meals for them. Each week, I’d make a grocery list and go shopping with my mom, I’d create a full menu for my family dinners and would host many parties. Seeing people enjoy the meals I prepared sparked a passion that never left me. When it came time to choose where I would attend college and what I wanted to major in, my mom said, “you’ve been doing this your whole life, why not make a career out of it?” That’s what led me to the University of New Hampshire, where I earned my Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality Management from the Peter T. Paul School of Business and Economics.

I lead by example, love with intention, and live with energy

— Christine Pelosi

During my first semester, I took a food and beverage class and participated in a course called The Gourmet Dinner, and that’s when I truly fell in love with the restaurant side of hospitality. I started working in the dining hall doing prep and dish, then spent my summers and the rest of college working as a hostess/dining room manager at a local restaurant. Those early experiences taught me the value of teamwork, service and creating memorable guest experiences, lessons that have guided my entire career in hospitality ever since.

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