At the heart of every kitchen is a flame — bright, restless, and enduring. In Columbia’s food and beverage industry, that flame is passionate Missourian John LaRocca.
Over the decades, LaRocca’s career has spanned family-owned restaurants, corporate hotel chains, private clubs, and higher education. But it all started when he was just nine years old, washing dishes in his father’s restaurant.
“My dad owned a couple of Italian restaurants in St. Louis, so I started with washing dishes and kind of worked my way up. I did a little bit of everything,” says LaRocca. “In high school, I realized I was pretty good at it, and I was always having a great meal, so I pursued the hospitality industry.”
LaRocca, who had been studying at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, moved to Columbia, where he studied hospitality management at the University of Missouri while his newlywed wife pursued a nursing degree. Shortly after her graduation, LaRocca accepted a position with Marriott Hotels in St. Louis. He describes this as the turning point when his career began to take off, leading to seventeen years with Marriott and frequent relocations across the country.
“This was back in the ’80s and ’90s, and back then, [transferring] was how you were able to get promoted,” LaRocca explained. “Each time I transferred, I would see if I could take on additional responsibilities that would make me more valuable to the company. Eventually, I got pretty well-rounded in the food and beverage world.”
Three daughters later, while living in Washington, D.C., LaRocca realized it was time to return to his stomping grounds in St. Louis so his children could spend more time with their grandparents. For seven years, the family stayed rooted while he advanced in his career at a St. Louis hotel and a private country club. But his career carried a momentum that made it hard to stay in one place for long.
“I got a phone call from a headhunter who was looking for someone at the University Club in Columbia,” he says with a grin. “I told him, ‘I don’t know anybody, and I’m not interested. St. Louis is our home, and we really don’t want to leave again.’ But he was persistent. And I did a little research and realized it was a cool opportunity.”
For ten years, LaRocca served as general manager at the University Club — a position that offered continual learning opportunities and demanded several responsibilities with the primary objective of leading a team of professionals in running the University Club’s dining room, banquets, and University Catering.
During his tenure, he also invested in the next generation of hospitality leaders. Partnering with the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR), MU’s Hospitality Management Program, and the University Club, LaRocca oversaw a year-long internship that immersed students in every department — culinary, catering, banquets, sales, event planning, and dining room — before allowing them to specialize. Interns gained firsthand experience serving groups ranging from a handful of guests to 3,000 people at events like tailgates and brunches.
“I’ve always believed in giving back to my industry,” says LaRocca, regarding working with passionate students.
It was no surprise that, when LaRocca “retired” in 2017, he assumed a role as president of the Missouri Restaurant Association (MRA). Already active as a volunteer and vice president, he was a natural fit, particularly given his passion for education. At MRA, he supported ProStart, a two-year nationwide high school culinary program that teaches teens the ins and outs of the food service industry.
The Missouri ProStart program has approximately 6,000 enrolled students — the third-highest enrollment in the country — and LaRocca emphasizes its mission of getting people interested in and involved in the hospitality industry at a younger age. It also often provides a clear pathway for high school students to secure stable employment immediately after graduation, without the need to pursue higher education.
“There are kids who have trouble finding their way, but when they get into the hospitality industry — for a lot of them anyway — it just clicks for them. They find their little niche. They learn teamwork. They learn people skills. They learn showing up on time and covering their partner’s back, and how to do things that they would’ve never dreamt of.”
LaRocca has yet to fully retire and is still taking on a number of projects after hanging up his apron on the ProStart program after seven years. Now, he serves as a food and beverage consultant, helping owners of wineries, brew pubs, and restaurants, as well as their investors, maximize profits through high-quality food, beverages, and service.
“Since retiring from the University Club, I started having people contact me with their restaurant or event center issues, asking me to come take a look. So I started a company, and I still do some consulting — though I am somewhat particular now and take jobs that fit into my lifestyle.”
Though he currently lives in St. Louis, he maintains close ties to Columbia by hosting COMO Magazine’s monthly gourmet newsletter, The Dish, and supporting scholarship fundraisers with groups such as the Mizzou Hospitality Management Program.
“Next year, [for our fundraiser trip] we’re going to do a food and wine tour in France, traveling through Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Paris,” LaRocca says. “I love those fundraising trips and leading groups through different areas, discussing, for example, the culture or how Missouri wines were instrumental in keeping the wine industry in Europe going several years ago.”
With a laugh, LaRocca admits he “really sucks” at retirement. But that’s only because the passion that’s guided him since he was nine refuses to burn out. Plus — good wine, good food, and good people? Who could walk away from that?
Eat Like LaRocca
- Pork Belly Bun at Le Bao Asian Eatery
- Sin City Sushi Roll and Jina’s Balls at Jina Yoo’s
- Reuben sandwich at The Heidelberg
- Lasagna at Pasta La Fata
- Whatever Chef Adam Wells-Morgan recommends at Flyover
Other Go-Tos
- Sycamore
- Tellers
- 44 Canteen
- Irene’s
- Sparky’s
Words he lives by
- “You’re only as good as your last meal service.”
Always Craving
- Italian and Mediterranean
Secret Ingredient for Success
- For restaurants: Creativity and innovation
- For himself: A super supportive wife
