OUR TEAM

Soranie Hirpo joined AQUA by El Gaucho with a career shaped by professional kitchens and genuine hospitality instinct. She grew up in East Lansing, Michigan, where her first culinary education came from her mother’s restaurant. After six years as a Culinary Specialist in the U.S. Army, earning several awards and the honor of cooking for a three-star General, she moved into restaurant management at HopCat and Arbor Brewing Company before joining Fire & Vine Hospitality in August 2022 at Walla Walla Steak Co. She arrived wanting to be part of a great team and grow as a bartender. What followed was something bigger.

With encouragement from her leaders, Soranie set her sights further, and her promotion to General Manager of AQUA reflects both the strength of that ambition and the trust she’s earned along the way. She carries the full range of the house with her: deep respect for back-of-house craft, a genuine love for hospitality, and front-line experience from working both sides of the pass.

Off the floor, Soranie’s life runs wide and full. Her family’s nonprofit, Waljaalladhaa, built a school in Dogano, Ethiopia, honoring her late grandfather’s legacy and providing education and supplies to children in the village he supported for years. She lives in Seattle with her partner and step-pup, Lola, and on her days off you might find her on the golf course, around a campfire, or at home with her guitar.