TAMPA, Fla. (October 30, 2017) – The 137-room Epicurean Hotel located in the trendy Hyde Park historic district of South Tampa recently announced promotions of four employees: Shawn Routten to director of operations, Genevieve Wojick to front office manager, Teresa Riccardi to front desk supervisor and Ellen Macleish to Sous Chef.
Shawn Routten, the new director of operations, has been with Epicurean Hotel’s parent company Mainsail Lodging & Development for nine years. In this position, Routten oversees day-to-day operations of both the room and food and beverage departments, and supports the culinary and spa teams, as needed. Routten started as a front desk agent at Mainsail Suites & Conference Center in 2008 and worked his way up to opening the Epicurean Hotel in 2013 as front office manager. Routten is a graduate of Florida International University.
Genevieve Wojick has been promoted from assistant front desk manager to front office manager, now responsible for daily oversight of the hotel’s front office operations. She started at the Epicurean Hotel three years ago as an Epicurean Host. Prior to joining Mainsail, Wojick graduated from Florida State University and held front desk positions for The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans and the Innisbrook Golf Resort in Palm Harbor.
As the Epicurean Hotel’s new front desk supervisor, Teresa Riccardi supervises front office staff and implements and supports hospitality practices. Riccardi also handles any guest-related issues and the check-in process to ensure guest satisfaction. For the past year, Riccardi has worked as manager in training at Scrub Island Resort, Spa & Marina, a Mainsail Lodging property located in the British Virgin Islands. Her other industry experience includes concierge positions at The Promenade at the Foundry Hotel and the Renaissance Providence Hotel, both in Rhode Island. She graduated from Johnson & Wales University with a degree in Hotel & Lodging Management.
Ellen Macleish has been promoted to the position of Sous Chef, responsible for overseeing kitchen staff and assisting in planning and directing all food preparation at the hotel’s dining outlets. Chef Macleish first joined the Epicurean in May 2015 as line cook. Previously, Macleish was with Reef Steak & Seafood Restaurant in Clearwater Beach as a garde manger. Macleish graduated from Keiser University in Culinary Arts and was nominated for Epicurean of the Year 2016. In a previous career, she spent years as a Broadway singer and acting and voice coach, and received a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts and French from New York University and a Master of Arts in English and French from Wellesley College.
“This team we have formed at the Epicurean is truly sensational and we’re proud that we are able to promote them all from within,” said Kevin Scott, general manager. “These employees are the spirit of the hotel and are responsible for our continued success, so we’re thrilled to see them succeed and grow with us.”
The food-focused Epicurean Hotel features a state-of-the-art culinary classroom known as the Epicurean Theatre; Élevage, a restaurant where classic recipes are re-imagined; EDGE rooftop bar; Chocolate Pi pâtisserie; Bern’s Fine Wines & Spirits wine shop; Evangeline full-service spa; and 5,200-square feet of flexible event space. The Epicurean Hotel was developed in collaboration with Mainsail Lodging & Development and the legendary Bern’s Steak House and is the first newly constructed hotel property in the United States to join the prestigious Autograph Collection® of Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR).
For more information on the Epicurean Hotel, visit www.epicureanhotel.com.
About Mainsail Lodging & Development LLC
Mainsail Lodging & Development is a Tampa-based hospitality company that develops and operates lodging products in the Southeastern US and the Caribbean. Their properties include Scrub Island Resort, Spa & Marina (ScrubIsland.com), a private island resort in the British Virgin Islands and member of Autograph Collection® of Marriott International; Mainsail Beach Inn (MainsailBeachInn.com), a boutique beachfront hotel on Anna Maria Island, Florida; and the boutique food-focused Epicurean Hotel (EpicureanHotel.com) in Tampa, Florida. The company also operates corporate housing throughout the Southeast, exclusively managing the Florida market for Oakwood Worldwide® under both its ExecuStay® (ExecuStay.com) and Oakwood® (Oakwood.com) brands, while also operating ExecuStay in Georgia, portions of Alabama, and The Carolinas. Mainsail is developing their fourth hotel, Waterline Marina Resort & Beach Club on Anna Maria Island, Florida, which is under construction and slated to open Fall 2017. Two additional Florida hotels are planned for 2018 and 2019, respectively – Fenway Hotel in Dunedin and Luminary Hotel & Co. in Fort Myers. Just north of Tampa in Pasco County, Mainsail Lodging is also developing a 128-room Residence Inn in conjunction with an indoor sports complex. Mainsail Lodging’s corporate charity is Feeding Tampa Bay – the largest food rescue and distribution organization in the community. Mainsail actively supports the cause through a variety of employee and guest programs ranging from packing and sorting at the warehouse to annual events including Epic Chef Showdown.
About Bern’s Steak House
Internationally known for its vast wine collection, perfectly aged steaks and famous dessert room, Bern’s Steak House offers a world-class, incomparable dining experience. When Bern Laxer opened in 1956, he envisioned Bern’s as Art in Steaks. Today, son David Laxer and Chef de Cuisine Habteab Hamde continue Bern’s tradition of excellence with a gastronomic adventure that includes prime dry-aged steaks cut-to-order, 21 choices of caviar, fresh seafood and vegetables in a setting like none other. Housing the World’s largest wine collection of over 500,000 bottles, Bern’s offers 7,000 selections to its guests. In 2016, Bern’s won the Outstanding Wine Program Award from the James Beard Foundation. In 2014, Bern’s was named an Outstanding Restaurant Semi-finalist, one of twenty in the country, and additionally, SideBern’s, Bern’s sister restaurant and its Executive Chef Chad Johnson, also of the Epicurean Hotel, were named a 2012 and 2014 Semifinalist for Best Chef: South. For more information on Bern’s Steak House and its subsidiaries, visit BernsSteakHouse.com.
About Autograph Collection HotelsThe Autograph Collection is an evolving ensemble of strikingly independent hotels. Exactly like nothing else, each destination has been selected for its quality, bold originality, rich character and uncommon details. From near to far, iconic to historic, the result is an array of properties that is nothing less than unique, nothing short of collectively exceptional. For more information and reservations please visit www.autographhotels.com, or explore our social media channels to learn more about championing the independent spirit.
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