USA. Paradies Lagardère has appointed Jens Baake as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of its Dining Division.
Baake was previously Chief Operating Officer at fine dining steakhouse restaurant group The Palm Restaurant Group in Orlando, Florida. There, he was responsible for 21 restaurants, three third-party restaurants, and 1,500 employees generating US$120 million in revenue.
At Paradies Lagardère, he will report to Paradies Lagardère Dining Division President Regynald Washington. Baake’s responsibilities will include the day-to-day operations of the Dining Division, driving profitability, and continuing to build Paradies Lagardère’s execution skills and reputation in dining, the company said.
“I’m excited to have Jens join our team,” said Washington. “[He] not only brings a wealth of experience to the Dining Division with proven executive leadership skills, but he has worked extensively for global organisations and celebrity chefs and personalities such as Claus Meyer and Martha Stewart. We look forward to his contributions to the company.”
In his role at The Palm Restaurant Group, Baake was responsible for overhauling the company’s technology infrastructure, reducing employee turnover, and improving guest experiences and operational efficiencies.
Baake previously served as Chief Operating Officer at MS Development, where he developed a quick service concept, Café Martha, under the Martha Stewart label.
While Chief Operating Officer at Meyers USA in New York he was responsible for developing the organisation and its respective business units for Claus Meyer. This included the opening of a food hall and Michelin star restaurant at Grand Central Terminal in New York.
Baake, whose home country is Germany, has also held leadership positions with Ameristar Casinos and The Walt Disney Company. He is a Level 1 and Level 2 Sommelier certified by The Court of Master Sommeliers. He was recently named as a Fellow to the Culinary Institute of America.
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The company also organises the annual Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) Conference & Awards. FAB 2020 will be held in Istanbul on 23 and 24 June. Istanbul Airport will host the event, which will be a celebration not only of the best in international airport dining but also of Turkish cuisine and culture. FAB 2020 will be supported strongly by Tum & Ictur, the concessionaire managing 34,000sq m of food & beverage space at Istanbul Airport.
