Delaware North spreads the word about

Delaware North spreads the word about hospitality careers in
the United Kingdom
Delaware North Companies’ United Kingdom operations recently received high praise from one of its partners, Springboard – an
organization that helps those who seek a career in the hospitality, leisure and tourism industries – for its work to educate young people
about launching their careers.
Over the past year, Kerry Richards, recruitment
manager for Delaware North UK, and a team of
associates have been designing a framework to
showcase the immense opportunities within the
industry – and specifically, at Delaware North.
Richards and her team partnered with several
schools and developed career kits that cover a range
of topics, including Delaware North’s culture, the
importance of delivering a quality work experience
and Springboard’s INSPIRE, which is the
organization’s step-by-step guide for achieving
success in these industries.
“Delaware North’s approach to work experience is
exemplary. There is a thorough approach to the
planning and delivery of work experience to ensure
that the experience reflects work life in all sites,”
Springboard said in an assessment last month of
Delaware North’s quality of employment and
growth potential for young people.
Springboard’s review also included kudos for
Richards.
Among the programs offered through Delaware North’s partnership with Springboard is
FutureChef, which helps groom aspiring culinarians.
“A special mention to Kerry Richards in developing the work placement documents,” the Springboard assessment said. “It is
outstanding. You have done a tremendous job!”
CBS’ ‘Evening News’ and ‘Sunday Morning’ to feature Niagara Falls State Park
As featured in the June 20 edition of 360°, Delaware North Companies, Niagara Falls State Park and the New York State Office of
Parks and Historic Preservation recently came together in an act of kindness to provide airfare, lodging, meals and a two-day tour of
Niagara Falls for Sandra and David Chesterman, both of whom were fulfilling their late daughter’s lifelong dream.
The touching story will be featured as part of tonight’s 6:30 p.m. ET “Evening News” on CBS as well as its “Sunday Morning”
program, which airs at 9 a.m. Sunday.
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Travel Hospitality Services ready to compete in 2014 Culinary Challenge
Delaware North Companies Travel Hospitality Services has selected its first-ever team to compete in the 2014 Delaware North Food
& Beverage Summit Culinary Challenge.
The team will consist of six Travel Hospitality Services professionals: Adolfo Calles, a chef at Los Angeles International Airport; Eric
Scuiller, a chef at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport; Christopher McCurdy, a chef at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta
International Airport; Nick Catlett, a chef at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport; Dawn Hedges, a kitchen manager at
Buffalo-Niagara International Airport; and Johnathan Worden, assistant general manager at Buffalo-Niagara International Airport.
“We continually strive to differentiate Travel Hospitality Services from
our competitors,” said Jeffrey Friedman, regional director of Travel
Hospitality Services. “This culinary competition is a great way to show
how Travel Hospitality Services continues to grow into a collection of
new and exciting brands with great food and restaurants across the
nation.”
The Travel Hospitality Services team will compete against teams from
other Delaware North operating companies. The theme for this year’s
Culinary Challenge is “World’s Fair.”
The annual Food & Beverage Summit brings together hundreds of
Delaware North’s hospitality professionals, chefs and outside vendors.
The event takes place Nov. 11-13 in Buffalo, N.Y.
A home run for Sportservice at Busch Stadium
Lifelong baseball fan David Karpinski has visited 26 Major League
Baseball stadiums, but was blown away by the service at Busch Stadium,
home of the St. Louis Cardinals and Delaware North Companies
Sportservice food, beverage and retail operations.
Karpinski took to his blog, BaseballRoundTable.com, to commend the
spicy Bloody Mary and friendly service he received from two Sportservice
bartenders, Bob Doyle and Trish Kuehler (pictured at left), at Busch
Stadium.
The duo served up insider advice on all things St. Louis and a Bloody
Mary with all the fixings.
“Hallelujah, Bob and Trish at The Cabana – second deck behind Section
265 – saved the day,” Karpinski wrote in his blog. “Clearly, this pair
enjoyed working The Cabana and had pride in their city and their
Cardinals.”
Karpinski said the service was employee-of-the-month worthy and later
updated his post by saying: “I heard later from other BPT [ballpark tour]
trekkers that friendly service is the norm, rather than the exception, at
Busch. Lots of good experiences – congrats to the Cardinals.”
Read the full story here: http://www.baseballroundtable.com/ballparktours-ramble-day-2/.
Scottsville Travel Plaza associate goes above and beyond to help customer in a bind
Dylan Rothfus, a Delaware North Companies Travel Hospitality Services associate at Scottsville Travel Plaza outside of Rochester,
N.Y., recently took customer service to the next level.
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Below is a letter in its entirety that was sent from a recent customer, Chris Decator, an associate of Brink’s – a security and protection
company. The letter was sent to Tami Bradberry, a manager for Delaware North at the travel plaza, and Rick Santucci, a manager of
corporate security at Delaware North’s global headquarters in Buffalo, N.Y., who Decator has dealt with in the past.
Good evening and I hope all is well on your end. Tami, I unfortunately have not had the pleasure to speak with you before. I have had
the pleasure of working with the team in your corporate office in Buffalo.
This will seem like a very odd email. I am writing to praise Dylan Rothfus at the Scottsville Travel Plaza.
Dylan has no idea that I am sending this note. I was in a bit of a bind.
At first, I was flying from Buffalo to Newark, N.J., for my layover to fly to Boston. This flight was cancelled.
I then had a direct flight from Buffalo to Boston. This flight too was cancelled.
To keep my appointments for the remainder of the week, I rented a car and am continuing by road. I stopped at the above mentioned
rest area to purchase a car charger as my iPhone is my source of GPS. Being that I was traveling by air my car charger is in my car
at Newark Liberty International.
Unfortunately, the store was out of the USB car chargers that I required. Dylan asked me why I needed one and I explained my
position. My battery is nearly dead, I have a long way to go and I don't know how to get there.
Dylan excused himself while I completed the rest of my purchase. He returned with his own charger in hand and insisted I take it.
I tried numerous times to give him cash for his charger, but he would not hear of it. As Rick knows, I will find a way to return this to
Dylan.
Needless to say, I am truly speechless by Dylan's generosity.
Bike-sharing initiative makes its way to Gideon Putnam Resort for a week
Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts-operated
Gideon Putnam Resort and Spa, nestled in Saratoga State
Park, will be one of three locations in Saratoga Springs,
N.Y., at which bicycles will be available as part of the
Capital Region Bikeshare Month initiative.
Saratoga Springs is one of four cities in the state to
participate in the effort, which allows participants to
borrow a bicycle – free of cost – between the hours of 10
a.m. and 8 p.m. Each participating city will have bikes
available for one week, with the Saratoga Springs portion
taking place from July 30 to Aug. 5.
Bike-sharing programs are growing in popularity across
the United States and beyond. Among the benefits are
increased choices for transportation, promoting public
health and contributing to a high quality of life.
For more information and to pre-register for a bike, go to
http://capitalmoves.org/capital-region-bikeshare-month/.
There is certainly no shortage of beautiful scenery to enjoy while out for a bike ride
near Gideon Putnam Resort.
Patina Restaurant Group’s Nick + Stef’s participates in dineLA Restaurant Week
Nick + Stef’s Steakhouse in Los Angeles this week has been busy dishing up mouth-watering, three-course lunch and dinner specials
as part of dineLA Restaurant Week.
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Nick + Stef’s is one of several award-winning restaurants operated by Patina Restaurant Group, which recently joined the Delaware
North Companies family.
Menus for both – lunch on the left, dinner at right – are pictured below.
A rare finish at Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack
There were several surprised faces in the
crowd on June 24 at Wheeling Island HotelCasino-Racetrack when the 14th race came to
a close.
Fans in the attendance that night at the
Delaware North Companies Gaming &
Entertainment-owned-and-operated venue in
Wheeling Island, W.Va., witnessed a rare
occurrence: a race that finished in the reverse
order in which it began. The post positions
began lined up one through eight, but
finished counting backward from eight.
People on the Move
We communicate news about associates joining Delaware North, as well as those who change locations and/or positions. We receive
this information from Human Resources. Photos come from the locations and are welcome. Those who are general managers or at
the director level or above have information sent to the media as well.
Moving in
William Paris has joined Delaware North Companies’ global headquarters in Buffalo, N.Y., as a network engineer. David Speranza has joined
Delaware North Companies Sportservice as a sous chef at Ralph Wilson Stadium (Orchard Park, N.Y.). Chad Johnston has joined Delaware North
Companies Gaming & Entertainment as an environmental services manager at Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack (Wheeling Island, W.Va.).
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Moving up
Delaware North Companies Sportservice has promoted the following: Brad Bokenkotter is now an accounting manager at Great American Ball
Park (Cincinnati); Marci Pasbrig is now a suites manager at Edward Jones Dome (St. Louis); Jeffrey Snavely is now an assistant concessions
manager at Petco Park (San Diego); and Leroy Yegge is now a restaurant manager at Oriole Park at Camden Yards (Baltimore).
Moving out
Carol Sipek (Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport). Nicholas Szcygiel (First Niagara Center).
What a catch!
At left, a group of Sportservice managers take a breather
after leading the way at the recent 2014 MLB All-Star
Game at Target Field in Minneapolis.
Front row (L to R): Casey Rapp, operations manager at
Globe Life Park in Arlington; Steve Sawyer, concessions
manager at Target Center; and Barry McCabe,
concessions manager at Target Field.
Back row (L to R): John Ziskal, assistant concessions
manager; Pia McDonough, operations manager at Target
Field; and Nick Heitmeyer, general manager at Target
Center.
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