Laura Dennis has been named the field sales manager for Seasons 52 – a fresh grill and wine bar in South Coast Plaza – and will spearhead all community and guest relations, private dining and special events for the much-anticipated new restaurant, scheduled to open August 30.
Playing an important role in raising the profile of the company’s first California location, Dennis will also oversee group reservations, as well as individual and corporate bookings for two private dining rooms, a patio and the Chef’s Table. Featuring a fresh seasonally inspired menu and an extensive, international wine list, the restaurant will accommodate 265 people inside and 60 guests in the expansive outdoor patio.
With over 20 years of experience in the restaurant industry, Dennis was most recently the private dining sales director for The Clubhouse Restaurant in Costa Mesa, where sales ranged from $1,500,000 to $2,250,000 annually.
Dennis honed her sales and management skills as the assistant director of catering for The Reef Restaurant in Long Beach, Calif., and helped increase annual sales from $2,000,000 to $3,500,000 during her tenure there.
She was also the marketing manager for Specialty Restaurants Corporation in Anaheim, which owns The Reef, as well as event sales director for Los Coyotes Country Club, a 55,000-square-foot venue located on a championship golf course outside of Los Angeles.
She began her professional career working for the Morale, Welfare and Recreation Department of the U.S. Navy as an accounting technician for the Club on base; and within a year was promoted to catering manager. A native of Harper, Kan., she came West to study at Golden West College in Huntington Beach, Calif.
Posted 8/13/10.
