Incentive - September 2008 - (Page 68) S t ev e S c h n a c k n e, 5 5 , the Del’s food & beverage director, has been with the hotel for more than 25 years. He started as a waiter in the Prince of Wales Restaurant (it is now called 1500 Ocean) and also held several other jobs: captain, photographer, it seemed a great way to make a living. After two kids and a few promotions at the Del, I got the F&B bug and never looked back. This business grows on you. If you’re an adrenaline junkie like me, you can’t get enough of it. Every day The best part of the job is “seeing young managers grow and mature.” –Steve Schnackne, Hotel del Coronado maître d’, restaurant manager, director of restaurants, assistant food and beverage director, food and beverage manager, and now food and beverage director. He says one of the best things about the hotel is the chance to meet the number of presidents he’s met. “In August of 2005, we served President Bush dinner on a Monday night in the Prince of Wales Restaurant. After dinner he yelled back, ‘I know you are all back there. Come out for some pictures.’ He and Mrs. Bush took pictures with each and every one of us, down to the dishwashers. Every one of us got a signed picture from the president. Disregarding anyone’s politics, that was an amazing night.” Steve’s father brought him into the business. His father was a waiter for many years in New York. “Although I was going to school to become a commercial is different and exciting.” Steve loves the job because, he says, time moves at a different pace in the hotel business. “We are serving guests twenty-four hours a day,” he says. “For me, it’s delighting a guest with something special they thought might be too difficult, but somehow we make it happen. That’s fun.” His favorite part of the job? “Seeing young managers grow and mature. Many managers that have worked with me over the years are now food and beverage directors and general managers. It’s nice to get a call once in a while and hear how well they are doing.” And Steve loves the property. “It’s one of a kind. It’s a Victorian seaside resort with a fairy-tale past. We are the stewards of this National Historic Landmark, keeping her safe for future generations to enjoy.” D i m i t ra M a r i t s a , 5 9 , who was born in Greece and moved to Toronto in 1968, remembers her first day as if it was yesterday. Back in 1971, a friend introduced her to a job at the Royal York, and she decided to take up the offer instead of going to a concert. She is a waitress in the Library Bar. “It was a Saturday, and I had tickets to see Tom Jones, but I lost them,” she jokes. Throughout her 37-year tenure, Dimitra has rarely forgotten a customer’s face, especially the patrons who frequent the Library Bar. “We’re like family,” she says. But it’s not just the clientele that keeps her happy at the hotel. “It’s my coworkers and the owners of the hotel. They take really good care of us.” 68 | Incentive | September 2008 | incentivemag.com http://incentivemag.com
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