Hans Pluntke - Director of Food & Beverage
hans@bernardhotels.comHans Pluntke is one of the most prolific, creative and successful F & B executives in the nation today. Hans has been responsible for the conceptualization and implementation of scores of highly profitable hotel and freestanding restaurants. His F & B operations commonly achieve high volumes, realizing 25% to 35% Net Operating Profits.
Mr. Pluntke is highly disciplined and low-key. He is a trendsetter, sensing the formats and recipes that the public desires in a given market and giving the market what it wants at a price it can afford to pay. The resulting high sales volumes, low labor costs and a high percentage of satisfied repeat customers are the secret to his success.Mr. Pluntke was educated in Hamburg, Germany, where he served three years apprenticeship in cuisine and service at the Hotel Vier, Jehreszeiten, Hamburg, a leading 5 Star property. During his career he has managed individual F & B Departments generating over $30 million in annual revenues and Corporate F & B Operations producing over $80 million in annual revenues. He is experienced in Casino related F & B. He served as Director of Food & Beverage at Ceasars Las Vegas for several years. He has also directed the F&B operation of several 4 and 5 Star deluxe resort and commercial properties. He is well versed in setting up policies, procedures and controls and always achieves profit improvement in his operations. He has supervised more than 1,000 employees in a single property and knows how to work with diverse cultural and ethnic groups to attain the best results.
Mr. Pluntke is a past master at analyzing, restructuring, planning and developing new F & B formats for both hotels and restaurants. His finished product is always timely, highly popular and profitable. He served as opening Executive Chef and F & B Manager for the Fairmont Hotels of Dallas and New Orleans. He served as pre-opening and opening Executive Chef of the 5 Star Princess Hotel in Acapulco for D. K. Ludwig. Serving as Director of F & B, he undertook the revamping of the restaurants at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas. Here he completed the planning, concept and opening of the Spanish Steps restaurant and the Cafe Roma, including the kitchen, menu, service, theme, layout and ongoing operation.Mr. Pluntke also held the position of Corporate F & B Director for Americana Hotels, which operated 18 hotels in five countries. He served as Vice President - F & B at Yellowstone National Park, where he was given special recognition by the National Park Service for improvements made in the quality of food service. He was Corporate Director of F & B for Princess Hotels. He supervised and introduced exciting new restaurants and bars in the Sir Francis Drake Hotel in San Francisco, the Princess Hotel in Acapulco, a newly acquired Casino in Freeport, Bahamas, and seven others. Recently he served as F & B Director at the Beverly Hills Hotel for Marvin Davis. Additional assignments include the Phoenician Resort, Scottsdale; The Peninsula Hotel, Beverly Hills, The Airport Marina Hotel, LAX, plus three free standing restaurants now doing $5 million to $7 million each and showing profits of 35%.