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ABOUT

Albert Waitt
Founder and President

Albert Waitt literally grew up in the restaurant business, from bussing tables to boiling lobsters, as a teenager at his family’s seafood restaurant in Kennebunkport, Maine.  His career then led to the beverage side of the industry, managing beverage sales and bars for the Hard Rock Café-Boston.  At Hard Rock, he developed beverage menus, cocktails, and training programs and manuals that were used nationally throughout the chain.  He later accepted an offer to manage beverage and retail sales for Mama Kin Music Hall, a joint venture between Boston hospitality legends the Lyons Group and musical legends, Aerosmith.  Waitt then moved into a different style of restaurant as the opening bar manager at the groundbreaking Vault Bistro and Wine Bar in Boston’s financial district. Upon moving to Maine, he took over the bar at one of the state’s most successful restaurants, where the wine list has never failed to be awarded Wine Spectators’ Award of Excellence.  Years of management and front-of-the-house experience in both corporate and owner-operated establishments provide Waitt with the knowledge and insight to problem solve for any type of operation.

When faced with culinary and kitchen design challenges, Waitt calls on a roster of kitchen experts possessing a wide range of skill sets and experience.  From Executive Chefs of notable fine dining establishments to corporate regional kitchen management to owner-operators, Downeast can source the knowledge base needed to diagnose and solve any problems coming out of your kitchen.

By combining his own experience and wide-ranging background with a ready network of culinary experts, Waitt provides Downeast with a full service approach to hospitality problem solving.

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