Hugh Mangum

The Climb

Culinary school gave Hugh Mangum the formal entry point; the years on the road as a touring musician in a rock band gave him the operating discipline that kitchen work often demands. The move from performance to production is less a break in practice than a shift in medium: repeated exposure to pressure, timing, and long stretches of output became part of how he later approached food. In 2012, co-founding Mighty Quinn's Barbeque and overseeing the food set the terms of the next phase. That role asked for more than taste; it required the ability to turn a concept into a working operation and keep it moving. Mangum’s path there reflects a common trade pattern: recipe knowledge alone is not enough without structure, repetition, and the ability to scale a process without losing control. Co-founding Rise Doughnuts extends that same maker’s logic into another format. Across both businesses, Hugh Mangum’s work stays centered on building from the ground up, with craft carried by repetition, systems, and the willingness to keep refining the product as the operation grows.

Today

Present work for Hugh Mangum sits at the intersection of buildout and maintenance: keeping an idea useful after the first version is already in the world. The throughline is not reinvention for its own sake, but the practical discipline of carrying a concept forward, adjusting as needed, and staying accountable to the craft that supports it.

Signature

Hugh's signature dishes include Bisket.

In Their Words “Second career. I started off in music and was a touring musician in a rock band.” “I went to culinary school, fell in love with food and it became my passion.”

FAQ