With an eye toward expanding the excellence of its contemporary culinary operations, Marcus® Hotels & Resorts, a nationally recognized owner and management company and division of The Marcus Corporation (NYSE: MCS), today announced that highly regarded restaurateur John Wise has been appointed vice president of food and beverage.
Wise will play an integral role in leading and elevating the company’s multi-faceted restaurant, bar and group catering programs to deliver dynamic and extraordinary culinary experiences. This includes overseeing all hotel catered events and over 40 signature restaurants, bars and lounges across Marcus Hotels & Resorts’ 16 properties. He will report to Andrew Flack, chief commercial officer of Marcus Hotels & Resorts.
“Within our portfolio, our restaurants are distinctive community destinations, not just hotel amenities,” said Flack. “Through our imaginative restaurants, cafes, bars and event catering, guests and locals encounter compelling, award-winning culinary experiences during their visit. In John, we are adding a proven and innovative restaurateur who has the creativity, energy and experience to elevate our food and beverage program and build an independent restaurant and bar culture. We are thrilled to welcome him to our team as we continue to accelerate excellence in our business.”
Wise spent more than 27 years with Bartolotta Restaurants in Milwaukee, where for more than two decades he served as director of operations and managing partner of the company’s multi-restaurant operations. His leadership responsibilities included the recruitment and retention of service professionals, hundreds of annual catering and special events, new concept development and special partnerships.
Prior to joining Bartolotta Restaurants, Wise spent 13 years with the highly regarded national restaurant group Lettuce Entertain You in Chicago, including serving as director of catering. Throughout his career, Wise has opened more than 30 restaurants, built extensive relationships with some of the finest wineries in the world and hosted hundreds of events with dignitaries, celebrities, professional athletes, elected officials and others.
“During my career, I have had incredible opportunities to work with signature restaurants that span fine dining to casual concepts, nationally recognized brands and one-of-a-kind experiences,” said Wise. “At Marcus Hotels & Resorts, the restaurants and bars are interwoven within incredibly creative, distinctive food scenes. I am excited to begin working with our teams to continuously innovate our current offerings and explore opportunities to serve our guests and communities in ways that are new and different.”
