Food-and-beverage professionals are filling new roles across the country. Here's a round-up of recent announcements.
Fairmont Dallas
Fairmont Dallas named Jean-Francois Fortin the hotel’s new executive chef. Fortin has more than 22 years in the industry, most of which has been spent at Fairmont hotels across North America. His career began in 1998 as chef de partie at Fairmont Le Château Frontenac in Quebec City, and he served as sous and executive chef for a variety of Fairmont hotels, including Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac, Fairmont Hotel Macdonald, Edmonton, Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, Fairmont Algonquin St. Andrews, Fairmont Chateau Montebello and at Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.
Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa
Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa in Lahaina, Hawaii, appointed David Flegel the resort’s new executive chef. Flegel has more than two decades of experience in the culinary field. Most recently, he worked at the Hyatt Regency Lake Washington in Seattle. He previously worked at the Hyatt Regency Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands, the Hyatt Regency in Santiago and also trained chefs and staff in some of Hyatt’s European hotels. He also filled roles at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Jakarta and the Hyatt Regency Calgary.
Quirk Hotel Charlottesville
Hector Pabon is the new executive chef at Quirk Hotel Charlottesville (Va.). Pabon has worked nearly 20 years in the foodservice industry and extensively for Hyatt in Tampa Bay and Clearwater Beach, Fla.; Atlanta; and most recently Santa Clara, Calif. A native of Puerto Rico, Pabon moved to Orlando to start his culinary training at the Le Cordon Bleu Academy in 2001.
The Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale
The Ritz-Carlton, Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) kicked off the new year with the appointment of Jonathan Teague to food & beverage director and Christian Velez as pastry chef. Teague’s career in the hospitality industry began as a bar manager at restaurants in Panama City, Fla. That job was followed by general manager of the BeachClub at WaterColor Inn & Resort in Santa Rosa, Fla. Velez has held the title of pastry chef at a number of hotels and resorts across South Florida, with more than a decade of experience in the pastry industry. Velez began his career at Gianni’s at the Versace Mansion on Miami Beach followed by the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Fla., where he served as assistant pastry chef.
Lake House on Canandaigua
The Lake House on Canandaigua in Canandaigua, N.Y., hired Nicholas Massimilian as food-and-beverage director. Massimilian joins the hotel with more than 14 years of hospitality and restaurant management experience. Previously he managed operations and customer experience at The Strathallan Hotel and Spa, then continued his career in Buffalo as the general manager at Morton’s The Steakhouse. Most recently, he oversaw all aspects of the hospitality program for the Rochester restaurant REDD Rochester.
Virgin Hotels Las Vegas
Bringing more than 20 years of culinary experience to Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, David Werly has been tapped as the executive chef for the casino resort, which is slated to open in early 2021. Werly most recently served as the assistant executive chef of food and beverage at Aria and Vdara in Las Vegas. He also was the culinary director for Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas and executive chef of Le Cirque at Bellagio Resort. Between his stints in Las Vegas, Werly managed all food-and-beverage operations as executive chef at The Setai Miami Beach in Florida.
Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & Club
Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort & Club in Dana Point, Calif., named Jean-Pierre Dubray executive chef. With more than 40 years of culinary experience, Dubray most recently served as executive chef at The Resort at Pelican Hill in Newport Beach, Calif. Before that, he held positions at various Ritz-Carlton hotels for over 20 years, including executive chef at both The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco and The Ritz-Carlton, Rancho Mirage in addition to executive sous chef at The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, all of which are located in California.
Bottleworks Hotel
Geronimo Hospitality Group named Ricky Hatfield the executive chef at Bottleworks Hotel, a 139-key boutique hotel in Indianapolis. The Hoosier native joins the Bottleworks team with extensive experience as an executive chef at several restaurants in Indianapolis, including Skyline Club on top of the OneAmerica Tower, CharBlue Steak & Seafood and Peterson’s Restaurant. Most recently, Hatfield served as the executive chef at Ellison Brewing Co.
Marriott Dallas Uptown
Joining the Marriott Dallas Uptown team is Juan Pablo Silva as executive chef of Good Graces, the hotel’s restaurant. Silva has helped manage the culinary program for the largest Ritz-Carlton in the world, The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi Grand Canal in the United Arab Emirates, where he served as the executive sous chef. After three years in Abu Dhabi, Silva worked at the The Ritz-Carlton, Dallas, as executive sous chef and executive chef.
Solage, Auberge Resorts Collection
Solage, Auberge Resorts Collection in Calistoga, Calif., named Monica Zanotti wine curator. Zanotti brings 15 years of wine service expertise at luxury hotels and restaurants as well as sales and retail experience. Zanotti joins the hotel from Meadowood Napa Valley, a Relais & Chateaux property. Her career started in sales and marketing before transitioning into hospitality through a five-year position as wine director at Cavallo Point Lodge in Sausalito, Calif.
THesis Hotel Miami
Josh Elliott is the new executive chef at THesis Hotel Miami in Coral Gables, Fla. Before joining THesis, Elliott served as the executive chef at Toro Boston, a Spanish tapas restaurant and bar. He has held positions at Eos Restaurant at the Viceroy Hotel, db Bistro Moderne in the JW Marriott Marquis, Hilton Cabana’s signature restaurant L’echon Brasserie, and served as executive chef at the Raleigh Hotel in South Beach, Miami.