How Millenia Has Used the Ingredient of Trust to Create a Catering and Venue Empire

PHOTOS BY JORDAN RANDALL | DEVELOPED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MILLENNIA CATERING

Food doesn’t define Chef Lo.

He’s gleeful to talk about crafting SPAM Mai Tai cocktails for a celebration with Ripley’s Believe it or Not, and just as excited to recall the atmosphere his team creates each year for a buffet style spread served at the 50-yard line inside “The Swamp” football stadium for the University of Florida’s Athletic Hall of Fame event.

It’s also second nature for him to artfully describe the gorgeous Barolo beef short ribs in rosemary jus with pommes puree and spring vegetables he put together for an intimate gathering, but what satisfies him the most is earning people’s trust by bringing their vision to life and ensuring they are seen, heard and valued through the entire process.

That’s why of all the decorated chef’s accomplishments, Sourikone “Lo” Soukhavong—a graduate of the distinguished Johnson & Wales University College of Culinary Arts—reflects most proudly on moments where his team skillfully creates the space for lifelong memories to unfold.

“I can’t dismiss the Lakeland Regional Health 100-year anniversary gala (in 2015). It’s probably the most pressure we’ve ever been under…and you don’t get to celebrate another 100 years because you’re not going to around 100 years later,” the affable 46-year old Laos native says. “We were still trying to make a name for ourselves and at that event were all of the big sponsors and investors and the leaders of the hospital…and I just remember the amount of staff we had
and the level of detail that went into that event.”

When you talk with Chef Lo, it’s easy, even without tasting his creations, to understand how he went from a young service captain at The Lakeland Yacht Club to a culinary instructor for the Radisson Hotel and then Chef de Cuisine for Gaylord Palm’s Florida. He’s attentive, communicates in a warm and thoughtful manner and often redirects conversations about the success of Millenia Catering back toward the people who have helped him build what has become Millenia Hospitality Group, which now includes Dr. Phillips House in downtown Orlando, Idlewood Venue in Bartow, The Manor on Lake Juliana, and the management of White Horse Ranch Venue in Lakeland.

“Success is best when it’s shared,” he says, referring to a leadership principle often touted by Bill Marriott, chairman emeritus of Marriott International.

In an era dominated by online foodie forums and Food Network, it’s easy to assume that executive chefs always fancy themselves to be at the forefront of the action, but Lo says he’s happy to show up in a t-shirt and blow leaves or clean bathrooms to get a venue ready for showtime.

“I tell my team all the time to just refer to me as ‘the janitor,’” he says with a smile.

His humble insistence on servant leadership is not a facade. It is actually deeply rooted in his family’s incredible story of resilience and overcoming, proof of how the American Dream is still woven into the fabric of our communities.

Born in Vientiane, Laos, in 1978, Lo, his mom, his dad and his sister fled the communist war a year later, arriving in Bartow as refugees with nothing.

Taken in by a sponsor family from McLeod Memorial Presbyterian Church, Lo remembers sleeping on that family’s couches and floors before his hardworking parents saved enough to purchase a 500 sq. ft. trailer, which served as their home for more than a decade.

“That really is my fire,” Chef Lo says, noting that he encourages young people to believe in themselves and chase their dreams in a culture where it sometimes feels like politics and policies are snuffing out the “I can do anything” mindset.

It took years to adjust to the language and culture, but in Polk County Lo and his family found a true home, and he eventually graduated from Bartow High School and attended Polk State College.

He discovered a passion to pursue culinary arts during his time working at Lakeland Yacht Club, and he says the strong support some of Lakeland’s most established families gave him was pivotal to his ascent. He fondly recalls serving up appetizing food and drink at private dinner parties for the likes of the Barnett, Dockery, McKeel and Munson families.

In 2007, Chef Lo took his academic and real-time experience in the industry and launched Millenia Catering in his now homebase of Orlando.

The leadership team at Millenia Hospitality and Venue Ventures Group loves catering to the needs of every client. From top to bottom. Chef Lo Soukhavong and Hannah Cummings, regional director of Millenia Hospitality. Jay Johnson, service director of Millenia Hospitality. Gwen Allen, co-founder of Venue Ventures Group. Hayley Bosmeny, account executive at The Manor on Lake Juliana. Lely Chafee, account executive at Dr. Phillips House.

The company puts on more than 400 weddings and events annually in Central Florida. In 2022, Chef Lo decided to expand the impact and opportunity of the business by partnering with long-time friend and previous employee Gwen Allen to form Venue Ventures Group.

That has created a pathway for venue ownership for leaders in the company Gwen and Lo believe “have what it takes to figure it out and do it with grit and grace” in the catering and hospitality industry.

In 2023, Southeastern University graduates Drew and Christine Hagemeister—who worked with Millenia for nearly a decade—became managing partners of Windsor Manor in Augusta, Ga. Nestled in the woods, couples can plan unforgettable all-inclusive events at the 1921 Tudor-style venue.

In 2024, Venue Venture expanded into Pennsylvania, with the purchase of The Inn at Barley Sheaf Farm in Bucks County, Pa. in partnership with longtime industry friends Ahmad and Teresa Elsayed. The historic gem includes 16 luxury bed and breakfast suites and an award-winning fine dining restaurant on a property that can host 250 guests.

“I would like to see more people take risks with the skillset that they have…and if they’re missing the financial piece, that’s where I would like to step in,” Chef Lo says. “I’m content with where I’m at personally, but this creates the opportunity for the next venue with a managing partner who wants to join us and propel our future growth together.”

Hannah Cummings, regional manager and director of Millenia Hospitality Group, started working for Millenia as an intern while attending University of Central Florida’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management.

She fell in love with the way Millenia prioritized people throughout its process, and her own experience has turned her into a brand evangelist who is helping Chef Lo continue to expand the company’s footprint.

“He does have a vision and he brings people with him. He genuinely cares, not only about our family…but he is so humble and he has never asked me to do something that he would not be willing to do,” Cummings says.

Looking across the table at Lo, she thanks him for believing in the team Millenia has built its success on.

“Thank you for taking that chance on us. You risk it in every aspect, of entrepreneurship and hospitality, by putting your trust in individuals,” she says. “He truly puts people first.”

Lo talks with gratitude about many individuals who have been instrumental in Millenia’s success, including Allen and Cummings, as well as Service Director Jay Johnson.

Lo instills five core principles into his staff to ensure every guest feels “seen and known” at events.

Look every guest in the eye and smile

Always acknowledge a guest when passing by
Look sharp
“Discover the light” by having hospitable conversations
“Make it right,” knowing you are empowered to immediately correct mistakes

This training cultivates a level of genuine service that is increasingly rare in the industry. Hannah recounts the story of Johnson, who Lo says serves as the company’s “operational glue”, lifting an elderly woman in a wheelchair to assist her at a hospital luncheon—a demonstration of the staff’s willingness to put others first.

Yes, the team Millenia loves to serve up everything from salads in martini glasses and craft massive donut walls and it is evident they are led by a highly gifted French trained chef with a South East Asian background—but the best events are about the food, the service and the people.

For Lakelanders planning their once-in-a-lifetime events, Millenia Hospitality offers not just exceptional food, but the assurance that their celebration is in the hands of a team that deeply understands the value of human connection and care.

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How Millenia Has Used the Ingredient of Trust to Create a Catering and Venue Empire

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