Shores Resort & Spa Appoints New Director of Sales

The Shores Resort & Spa, the only AAA Four-Diamond oceanfront resort in Central Florida, has appointed Jason Kern as new Director of Sales, Groups.  In his new role at The Shores, Kern will direct the hotel’s sales and catering teams to increase meeting business in the corporate, association and SMERF (social, military, educational, religious and fraternal) market segments.

Prior to The Shores, Kern spent eight years at the Hammock Beach Resort in Palm  Coast, Fla. As Director of National Accounts, Director of Group Sales, and most recently as Director of Sales & Marketing.  Kern began his hospitality career at Universal Orlando Resort where he was an opening team member in Resort Event Sales and Services for Islands of Adventure, CityWalk, as well as on the Resort Sales opening team for Portofino Bay Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel, and Royal Pacific Resort. 

Restaurateur of the Year/Hall of Fame Award

Bonefish Grill

The Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association has honored Tim Curci and John Cooper of Bonefish Grill with the prestigious 2012 Restaurateur Hall of Fame Award.  The Hall of Fame award is recognized as the Association’s most coveted annual award with contenders having a personal record of industry achievement over a period of at least 20 years.  Nominees must also attain career distinction of the highest level and be held in high esteem for distinguished service to industry, community, charitable organizations and family.

The idea for the restaurant was born from a “great catch.”  Tim Curci and Chris Parker, both avid fishermen, decided to embark on an entrepreneurial adventure after a day of fishing for bonefish. On January 15, 2000 the first Bonefish Grill was born. 

Tim Curci is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and has more than 20 years of culinary experience.  Prior to Bonefish, Curci was the Senior Vice-President of Operations for Hops Restaurant Bar and Brewery and handled menu and concept development along with operational systems for more than 60 restaurants in 10 states. While developing the concept, Hops was recognized by Nation’s Restaurant News as one of its “Hot Concepts.” 

In 2001, John Cooper joined forces with Tim and Chris to take their ideas to the next level. John’s career in the industry started with Steak ‘N Ale and Bennigans, and in 1988 he moved to Outback Steakhouse.  Before moving to Bonefish, Cooper was an equity partner in Outback Steakhouse and also the President of Zazarac, a subsidiary of Outback.   John helped expand Bonefish from 3 stores to 158 stores in 29 states.

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2012 Hotelier of the Year/Hall of Fame Award

Jack B. Healan, Jr., CHA

The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association presented its 2012 Hotelier Hall of Fame Award to Jack Healan, of the Omni Amelia Island Plantation during FRLA’s Winter Board Meeting in Destin, Florida.

Healan, 66, was President of the northeast Florida resort/residential community, Amelia Island Plantation Company, from 1990 to 2010.

Prior to joining Amelia Island Plantation on June 27, 1978, Healan was Vice President and Controller of the Sea Pines Company on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina and served as Controller for the Sea Pines Plantation Company.  From 1970 to 1975, Mr. Healan held several positions with the Sea Pines Company from Staff Accountant to Corporate Accounting Manager in the management of the Sea Pines Company.  Prior to joining the Sea Pines Company, Jack worked as a flight instructor and corporate pilot. 

Jack is active in his community, having served as President of the Amelia Island/Fernandina Beach Chamber of Commerce.  He currently serves as a member of the Nassau County Tourist Development Council and has served on that Board since its inception.  He is on the Advisory Board of Compass Bank – Jacksonville, FL, and served as a Director of the Federal Reserve Bank Atlanta – Jacksonville Branch, for six years completing his final term in 2010.  He also serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Baptist Medical Center – Nassau.  He is a past member of the Metro YMCA Board of Directors, which serves all YMCA organizations in northeast Florida.

Jack has been active in the lodging industry, having served as the past President of the Florida Hotel & Motel Association.  In 1991 Healan captured FH&MA’s highest award by being named Florida’s Hotelier of the Year.  He is a member of the Board of Directors of the American Hotel & Lodging Association, and in June of 2003 he was honored by that organization with the Lawson A. Odde Award, which is given annually to a member of the Board of Directors, recognizing outstanding contributions to the advancement of the lodging industry and communications between the state, local and national associations.

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2012 FRLA Supplier of the Year

CTB Foodservice Consultants

The Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association is proud to announce CTB Foodservice Consultants as the 2012 Supplier of the Year. CTB owns and operates CustomTakeOutBags.com and also represents a number of other companies that help foodservice operators improve efficiencies through reducing costs, building brands, filling seats and staff training.  Their portfolio of offerings can be found on their website at www.ctbfsc.com.

As an Allied Member of the FRLA for the last five years, CTB President Jason Fialkoff has found that his relationship with the Association has been very rewarding and has helped him grow the business throughout the state. 

CustomTakeOutBags developed from Jason’s family business which was started by his father and grandfather in 1960.  The company started as a supplier of customized packaging products to department stores in the Northeast.  Over time, the company had to modify its approach as regional department stores began to disappear.  In 2007, Jason and his brother, Eric, were looking to expand the business into the hospitality industry, and they saw Florida as a huge opportunity.  Jason met with Dan Murphy, Vice President of Membership and Corporate Relations for the FRLA; they put together a plan, and he hasn’t looked back ever since.  Nor has the FRLA.

Few suppliers have made such efforts in connecting with the hospitality industry like CTB has.  Jason notes that “…CTB’s business has grown since partnering with the FRLA.   As an Allied Member, CTB benefits from the many opportunities that the FRLA makes available to meet and mingle with members from across the state.”  Further, Jason says “This is a great group of people that we get to not only work with, but also become friends with.  And as we all know, in hospitality, we love to do business with our friends.  The members of the FRLA that I have come to know, love and be fortunate enough to do business with are all very loyal and grateful to the allied members that support their Association”.

Jason and his brother created CTB Foodservice Consultants in 2008 when they began representing other companies to their client base and needed a way to showcase all of the companies (currently seven) under one umbrella.

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Mike Lester Promoted to President of The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.

Mike Lester, former senior vice president of operations for The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc., was recently promoted to president of The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.

As president, Mike Lester is responsible for the overall operations of The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc. franchise system with more than 140 restaurants in North America from the company’s Restaurant Support Center in Tampa, Fla.  In addition to his current role with The Melting Pot, Lester also helps to oversee the restaurant management company Front Burner Brands that supports affiliated concepts including TheMelting Pot, Burger 21, GrillSmith and other new franchise concepts in development.

Lester joined The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc., in July 2006 as vice president of restaurant operations.  He was promoted to senior vice president of operations in June 2009 and to his current position in June 2011.

As president of The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc., Lester presides over The Melting Pot’s overall operations including culinary development, training, purchasing and distribution, construction and design, franchising, marketing and finance and accounting. He also oversees the company’s strategic growth, the franchise steering committee and franchise business consultants. As The Melting Pot pursues international growth of the concept with 14 locations already secured in Canada and Mexico, Lester’s responsibilities also include traveling to potential international markets, recruitment and global marketing. The company is currently looking into the Middle East, Indonesia, Australia, India, China, Japan, Brazil and European markets for further expansion opportunities.

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