OUR TEAM
Threefold is the work of three longtime friends — Matt Vawter, Sean McGaughey, and Melissa McGaughey — whose careers first crossed in Colorado kitchens and have now come full circle.
CHEF MATT VAWTER
The 2024 James Beard Award winner for Best Chef: Mountain Chef Matt Vawter was raised in Summit County, Colorado, and began his culinary journey at the Colorado Mountain College Culinary Apprenticeship Program in Keystone. In 2007, he joined Fruition restaurant in Denver, and in 2014, he helped open Mercantile Dining & Provision at Union Station. Drawn back to his mountain roots, Vawter returned to Summit County in December 2020, opening Rootstalk in Breckenridge. Rootstalk offers an approachable, technique-focused, ingredient-driven dining experience that evokes the feeling of coming home. In 2022, Vawter and partners opened Radicato, a modern Italian restaurant celebrating seasonal, technique-driven cuisine inspired by Italy's rich culinary traditions.
CHEF SEAN MCGAUGHEY
With 20 years in the hospitality industry, Sean has built a diverse career, from managing a 3-Michelin Star kitchen to recipe development, culinary directing for award-winning cookbooks, and owning two successful restaurants. Locally, Sean spent over five years as Executive Sous Chef and eventually Head Chef at SingleThread before co-launching the Quail & Condor project with his wife, Melissa, during Covid in 2020. He played a key role in spearheading the popular Friday pop-ups at the bakery in Summer 2021, leading to the opening of Troubadour Bread & Bistro in 2022, which earned its first Michelin star in 2026.
CHEF MELISSA MCGAUGHEY
Melissa has spent 15 years in the hospitality industry, from starting as a young baker with her grandmother to leading large pastry programs for renowned names like Bien Cuit in New York and Gjusta in Los Angeles. A graduate of pastry school, she opened her first bakery at age 23 in Denver before winning the Food Network’s Holiday Baking Championship in 2019. Melissa is also passionate about brand development, retail restaurant design, and leadership training. Since moving to Northern California, she has worked at SingleThread as the Hotel Pastry Chef and baked for farmers’ markets, hotels, and wineries. In 2020, she and Sean bootstrapped Quail & Condor, a thriving retail bakery. Together, they opened Michelin-starred Troubadour Bread & Bistro in 2022.
Christie Duckworth
General Manager
Aaron Beatty
Lead Bread Baker
Alma Ramirez-Tapia
Lead Pastry Chef