John Fontana - Seminole Hard Rock Tampa
John Fontana - Seminole Hard Rock Tampa
John Fontana - Seminole Hard Rock Tampa
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<strong>John</strong> <strong>Fontana</strong><br />
President<br />
<strong>Seminole</strong> <strong>Hard</strong> <strong>Rock</strong> Hotel & Casino, <strong>Tampa</strong><br />
<strong>John</strong> <strong>Fontana</strong> is president of the <strong>Seminole</strong> <strong>Hard</strong> <strong>Rock</strong> Hotel & Casino, <strong>Tampa</strong>.<br />
He is responsible for the general management and day-to-day operations of the<br />
entire complex, including the 250-room hotel and 90,000-square foot casino.<br />
<strong>Fontana</strong> also has regional management responsibilities for the <strong>Seminole</strong> Casino<br />
Immokalee, near Naples, and at the <strong>Seminole</strong> Casino Brighton, northwest of<br />
Lake Okeechobee.<br />
<strong>Fontana</strong> was first named general manager of the original <strong>Seminole</strong> Casino<br />
<strong>Tampa</strong> in 1998. Since then, he headed the development team that conceived<br />
and produced the first Class II electronic gaming devices used in Indian gaming.<br />
A graduate of Florida State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in<br />
finance, <strong>Fontana</strong> has worked for the <strong>Seminole</strong> Tribe since his graduation in<br />
August 1980.<br />
He also was part of the team that developed the tournament game structures for<br />
poker at the four Florida casinos operated by the <strong>Seminole</strong> Tribe of Florida. He<br />
has also worked as a consultant in Indian gaming in various states. He was on<br />
the opening teams for the initial facilities built for the Sycuan Casino, in El Cajon,<br />
Calif., and Little Six Casino, now in Mystic Lake, Minn.<br />
<strong>Fontana</strong> also serves on the board of directors of the Florida Council for<br />
Compulsive Gambling, based in Orlando. He is the only gaming industry<br />
representative to join the Council’s board.
Donny R. Crawley<br />
Manager, <strong>Hard</strong> <strong>Rock</strong> Cafe<br />
<strong>Seminole</strong> <strong>Hard</strong> <strong>Rock</strong> Hotel & Casino, <strong>Tampa</strong><br />
Donny R. Crawley is Manager of the <strong>Hard</strong> <strong>Rock</strong> Cafe at the <strong>Seminole</strong> <strong>Hard</strong> <strong>Rock</strong> Hotel & Casino,<br />
<strong>Tampa</strong>, where he is responsible for the direction and management of the Cafe’s food and<br />
beverage services, its live entertainment, and all day-to-day operations.<br />
Prior to his appointment as the <strong>Hard</strong> <strong>Rock</strong> Cafe Manager, he owned and operated Facility<br />
Service Management Inc., a residential land commercial management consulting company in<br />
Las Vegas and Henderson, NV, was Director of Operations of the <strong>Hard</strong> <strong>Rock</strong> Hotel & Casino in<br />
Las Vegas, and the Corporate Director of Nightlife Operations of Station Casinos, also in Las<br />
Vegas and Henderson. He began his tenure with the <strong>Hard</strong> <strong>Rock</strong> Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas<br />
as its Beverage Manager.<br />
Crawley also held various restaurant and bar management positions beginning in the late<br />
1990s with the Sunset Station Hotel and Casino in Henderson, NV.
Matthew P. Sadowski<br />
Chef de Cuisine, <strong>Hard</strong> <strong>Rock</strong> Cafe<br />
<strong>Seminole</strong> <strong>Hard</strong> <strong>Rock</strong> Hotel & Casino, <strong>Tampa</strong><br />
Matthew P. Sadowski is the Chef de Cuisine of the <strong>Hard</strong> <strong>Rock</strong> Cafe at <strong>Seminole</strong> <strong>Hard</strong> <strong>Rock</strong><br />
Hotel & Casino, <strong>Tampa</strong>. He is in charge of all aspects of the <strong>Hard</strong> <strong>Rock</strong> Cafe’s classic<br />
American menu, culinary staff, and operational procedures, including hiring, training and<br />
managing chefs to the exacting requirements of the unique <strong>Hard</strong> <strong>Rock</strong> Cafe brand.,<br />
Prior to his appointment as <strong>Hard</strong> <strong>Rock</strong> Cafe Chef de Cuisine, he served in that role for<br />
<strong>Seminole</strong> <strong>Hard</strong> <strong>Rock</strong> Hotel & Casino’s award-winning Council Oak Steaks & Seafood<br />
restaurant upon its opening in 2007.<br />
Sadowski also served as <strong>Seminole</strong> Gaming’s Corporate Consulting Chef for the upscale NYY<br />
Steak in the new Yankee Stadium, and as Corporate Consulting Chef of 1 st Street Deli at<br />
<strong>Seminole</strong> Casino Immokalee. He was also Chef de Cuisine of the Green Room in <strong>Seminole</strong><br />
<strong>Hard</strong> <strong>Rock</strong> Hotel and Casino <strong>Tampa</strong>.<br />
Prior to working for the <strong>Seminole</strong> Tribe of Florida, Sadowski held chef positions with Mohegan<br />
Sun Resort and Casino in Uncasville, CT and Foxwoods Casino in Ledyard, CT.
Troy Talpas<br />
Nightlife Manager, <strong>Hard</strong> <strong>Rock</strong> Cafe<br />
<strong>Seminole</strong> <strong>Hard</strong> <strong>Rock</strong> Hotel & Casino, <strong>Tampa</strong><br />
Troy Talpas is the Nightlife Manager of the <strong>Hard</strong> <strong>Rock</strong> Cafe at the <strong>Seminole</strong> <strong>Hard</strong> <strong>Rock</strong> Hotel &<br />
Casino, <strong>Tampa</strong>. He is responsible for all aspects of the <strong>Hard</strong> <strong>Rock</strong> Cafe’s operational<br />
procedures, including hiring, training and managing of its entertainment staff.<br />
Prior to his position as Nightlife Manager of <strong>Hard</strong> <strong>Rock</strong> Cafe <strong>Tampa</strong>, Talpas was General<br />
Manager for the House of Blues Las Vegas, following a successful opening and launch of the<br />
House of Blues Boston, where he was Senior Director of Operations. Since 1997, he has held<br />
several manager positions with prestigious entertainment properties, including Business<br />
Relations/Operations Manager at Walt Disney World, Operations Manager for <strong>Hard</strong> <strong>Rock</strong> Cafe<br />
International in Orlando, and Assistant General Manager of Levy Restaurants Orlando.<br />
Talpas holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Kutztown University of<br />
Pennsylvania.
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