Thomas Melvin

Chef Thomas, a native of Indiana, embarked on his culinary journey at the young age of fourteen in a local restaurant, taking the role as dishwasher and eventually working every role within the restaurant. While his early experiences in the kitchen may not have seemed significant at the time, they laid the foundation for a career marked by continuous growth and learning.

Driven to excel as a chef and leader, Thomas dedicated himself to his work and immersed himself in the history of his craft. His career path led him through diverse experiences at establishments such as Royal Oak, Country Club of Indianapolis, Canterbury Hotel, Mo’s a Place for Steaks, and Prime 47. As Corporate Executive Chef at Prime 47, he opened new concepts and mentored chefs across five locations in Indiana, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

In 2014, Chef Thomas took the helm as Executive Chef of Union 50 in the Massachusetts Avenue corridor of Indianapolis where his creative vision flourished – punctuated by Union 50 being named on OpenTable's list of 100 Hottest Restaurants in America for 2015 and 2016. After three years of elevating gastropub food in ways never before seen in the city, his creative drive and desire for constant improvement led him to Vida in Lockerbie Square. Vida, a restaurant intentionally designed to showcase a chef’s vision, was a natural home for Thomas’s decades long pursuit of interpreting midwestern cuisine through a global lens. In the 8 years since, his leadership and dedication to craft have earned recognition from local diners and international audiences alike. His work has been celebrated not only within Indianapolis but also on a national stage, highlighted by two James Beard Foundation semifinalist nods for Best Chefs: Great Lakes in 2022 and 2024.

Outside of his demanding restaurant schedule, Chef Thomas cherishes time with his wife Amanda and their two children, Grant and Stella. Together, Thomas and Amanda founded Stella's Solemates Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to fundraising for Down Syndrome Indiana and other organizations that advocate for the education and inclusion of individuals with special needs.