An experienced chef with a robust history of working in the food & beverage industry, Chef Miguel Figueroa brings a blend of a strong work ethic, passion for food, intense motivation, fluency in both Spanish and English, and strong interpersonal skills to his position as Executive Chef of TAP Sports Bar at MGM Springfield.

Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Chef Figueroa moved to Amherst, Massachusetts at the age of 13. His
culinary career began as a dishwasher at The Amherst Pub, where he worked long hours while completing coursework in Hotel, Restaurant & Travel Administration Program at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He later went on to graduate from Holyoke Community College with a Culinary Arts Certificate to expand his culinary acumen.

For more than 25 years, Chef Figueroa worked in a variety of dining establishments throughout western Massachusetts, including a sports bar, casual family style businesses and several fine dining restaurants. Most recently, he was Executive Chef at La Cucina di Hampden House in Hampden, Massachusetts. Prior to that, he was Executive Chef at Seamus O’Reilly’s in Holyoke, Massachusetts and Olde Hadleigh Grille in Hadley, Massachusetts.

Among his notable career highlights is Chef Figueroa’s participation in several charitable events including March of Dimes’ Chefs for Healthy Babies, Dana Farber Cancer Institute’s Chefs for
Jimmy, and Girl Scouts of America’s Fork It Over and Feast in the East, which provided
scholarship funds for local students. Chef Figueroa has also made several appearances on WWLP-TV’s “Mass Appeal” and received multiple write-ups in local newspapers including the Daily Hampshire Gazette, Springfield Republican, Hartford Courant and Masslive.com.

Chef Figueroa currently lives in Longmeadow, Massachusetts with his wife and their three kids, where he enjoys attending and assisting at his children’s youth sports events.