If you are a "foodie," you may be taken aback by the resemblance between Jim McHugh, the new manager/chef at Jim Thorpe's Memorial Hall and celebrity chef Robert Irvine, host of the Food Network's Restaurant Impossible series.

Like Irvine, McHugh is on his own "Restaurant Impossible" quest; his mission is to reinvent Jim Thorpe's Memorial Hall and turn it into a go-to destination for weddings, conventions and a variety of large catered events.McHugh's challenge is to breathe new life into the venue that both exudes civic pride and is part of Jim Thorpe borough's history. Memorial Hall is owned by the borough of Jim Thorpe."The big news is that Jim Thorpe's Memorial Hall is under new management," said McHugh. "People need to know this."The McHughs were aware that Memorial Hall had lost some of its shine in the past few years, and he is bent on a total makeover from decoration to food."Since we have taken over the facility, we have modified our menu. We are offering outside catering services. We are going to offer funeral luncheons, business luncheons." By we, Jim is referring to his lovely assistant, his wife, Sherry.While Jim manages the facility and the kitchen, Sherry is in charge of decorations."My wife and I have been working together. She is doing the decorating: flowers, crystal, candles, table coverings and painting."Jim Thorpe Memorial Hall has two floors, each with 7,800 square feet of usable space. Most functions are held on the upper floor, while the lower floor, designed as a roller skating rink, is a great space for birthday parties or as an overflow space for conventions like the recent Home Expo.The main hall accommodates up to 500 people. When arranged for a wedding with table seating and a dance floor, it can comfortably handle about 350 guests."My goal is to make this operation profitable again," McHugh said. "Six or seven years ago, Jim Thorpe's Memorial Hall was the premier place to have a wedding. They had an 18- to 24-month waiting period. Folks would modify the wedding date based upon the availability of the hall.McHugh, a native of Jim Thorpe, met Sherry while he was studying business management on a football scholarship to James Madison University in Harrisburg, Va.They moved to Florida and were among the first couples to be married at Disney World."We had our wedding at the Grand Floridian-outdoors and overlooking Cinderella's Castle. It rained most of the day but cleared just in time to set up for a sunset wedding ceremony.""That's where we got our start," Jim said. "Sherry coordinated the flowers, the housing, the transportation the entire wedding. When we started talking to the borough council about taking over the operation, it seemed like a natural fit."Jim calls himself a "self-taught chef.""I started cooking to help the family. My mom worked two jobs, So I helped feed my three younger sisters."Jim was in ninth grade and took a "where's the beef" approach to cooking with standards of steak sandwiches and hamburgers. His father, Don McHugh, owned Dever's Bar and Grill in the Jim Thorpe Heights."When I was going to college, I got tired of eating fast food and I started getting more involved cooking at school," he said. "I watched the Food Network like sports buffs watch ESPN."The McHughs have operated a private catering business in Jim Thorpe for 15 years.Jim Thorpe's Memorial Hall was dedicated in 1983. Built at a cost of $800,000. It is part of the Jim Thorpe Memorial Park complex, which includes pavilions, playground equipment and a basketball court.Memorial Hall includes two levels of open space, a large kitchen, and a bridal room for a reception dinner and for the wedding party to refresh themselves before they meet the wedding guests."I tell the staff to make everybody happy," said Jim, "because each event is a showcase for us, and each guest will tell other people. I want them to tell their friends that Jim Thorpe's Memorial Hall is outstanding."