New food and beverage manager at LPN
Blake Wenzel brings a wealth of experience in the hospitality industry to the LPN.
![Blakewenzel](https://d14tal8bchn59o.cloudfront.net/_gQ8LNsn_aLck7MiZc3U7kfZSxwMY_FPJIcqyZiMM_w/w:960/plain/https://02f0a56ef46d93f03c90-22ac5f107621879d5667e0d7ed595bdb.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/sites/61822/photos/3885417/BlakeWenzel_original.jpeg)
By Susan Thompson
Posted 9/8//2020
That new guy working at Lake Panorama National in the Links and at special events is Blake Wenzel, who joined the staff in late July as the LPN food and beverage manager. A native of Mt. Pleasant, Wenzel is a graduate of the two-year culinary arts program at Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa.
Royce Shaffer, LPN operations manager, says he’s happy to welcome Wenzel to the LPN staff.
“Blake comes to us with a ton of industry knowledge. Combine that with his energetic personality, and I am excited to see where he can take our food and beverage department,” Shaffer says. “I look forward to working with Blake and creating a restaurant that provides consistently good food and service, where Lake Panorama property owners will want to visit again and again.”
Wenzel, who reports to Shaffer, now oversees LPN’s kitchen and restaurant operations and schedules all front-of-house employees. Brent Gaffney, LPN’s head chef since February 2019, schedules the kitchen staff. Gaffney and Kashley Sneller, who has managed the Links for the past year, will work with Wenzel to pursue opportunities for growing LPN’s business. This fall Sneller is managing Spikes. During the off-season, she will move into the restaurant as a bartender and server.
Wenzel has worked as a sous chef, chef, front-of-house manager and more at a number of well-known restaurants in central Iowa. He worked in the kitchen at the Greenbriar in Johnston before being promoted to the front-of-house manager.
“That’s where I started to really learn and enjoy the hospitality aspect of this industry,” he says.
The Trostel family, which owns the Greenbriar, opened Chips in Ankeny, with Wenzel helping get it underway. He also helped get Trostel’s Dish in West Des Moines established. Later he worked as sous chef at the popular Centro in downtown Des Moines, where he says he learned to place even greater focus on hospitality and a quality experience for diners.
In 2008, Wenzel was recruited by Bruce Gerleman to help launch the first Jethro’s BBQ near Drake University.
“That was a neat challenge, being involved in the development of what was a relatively new concept in Des Moines — a sports bar that featured barbecue,” he says. “It was fun to see that business grow into a nationally recognized brand.”
Next Wenzel spent time in Ames as a personal chef for a company called Greek House Chef. The company signed contracts with fraternities and sororities to provide three meals a day. The meal preparation was done in Greek houses that had larger kitchens, with food delivered to houses with small kitchens.
“This was both a catering operation and an opportunity to really get to know the people eating what I was cooking,” Wenzel says. “I was used to being in restaurants where you might get feedback from some diners. But now I was learning the names of my diners, their likes and dislikes, their food allergies. It gave me a whole new respect for home cooking.”
Wenzel and a partner opened a restaurant called Guru BBQ in Des Moines, which later closed. His next stop was the Range Grill & Golf in Urbandale. The facility has six golf simulators, plus a restaurant that offers a wide variety of dishes, including some featuring wild game. Wenzel helped develop a mixology bar program, creating an extensive bar menu that includes specialty cocktails, draft beer, wine and dessert.
Most recently he was at Echo Valley Country Club near Norwalk, assisting in all aspects of that operation, including special events and golf outings.
“I was drawn to this position at Lake Panorama National because there are a lot of moving parts,” Wenzel says. “There is the restaurant, golf outings for both members and non-members, special events in the banquet room, people at the pool wanting lunch. I like to be active throughout the day, and that’s certainly possible here.”
In his new position, Wenzel says he’s looking for ways to improve the experience of LPN guests.
“I tell the servers our guests chose to come here, so we need to do everything possible to make their experience the best one possible,” he says. “We need to take the blinders off and look at all aspects of the operation — see the big picture, have fun and help our guests have a good, consistent experience.”
Wenzel says there are challenges, but through his previous jobs he’s seen and dealt with many of the same challenges, so he feels prepared to do that here.
“I couldn’t be more excited about this opportunity,” he says. “I am passionate about my career in the hospitality industry, and the things I’m doing at the LPN are right in my wheelhouse. I like to have fun while I’m working, and I hope that will create a ripple effect.”
Wenzel met his wife Shelly on the first day of culinary school in Ottumwa and says they’ve been together ever since. They live on 10 acres they purchased between Woodward and Bouton. Shelly is the executive chef at Gilroy’s in West Des Moines. They have a 2-year-old son, Malcolm Dean.
Wenzel says LPN members have been welcoming to him.
“I really like it here. I can see there is a great group of members, and I love their friendly attitudes. The LPN has a lot of great things happening,” he says. “I hope to bring a little more professional, yet relaxed and approachable atmosphere to what’s already here.”
Current restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic make things more difficult for restaurants, yet Wenzel has adopted a positive attitude.
“Out of respect for our guests, it’s important we adhere to CDC guidelines,” he says. “We’re really part of the health care profession now, since we’re so involved in helping protect our guests’ lives.”
Wenzel says the pandemic has caused the hospitality industry to take a step back and sharpen its focus.
“This has really shone a light on every action we take,” he says. “For instance, how salt and pepper shakers should be handled. What other small details do we need to consider to make everyone’s life better?”
Wenzel offers ideas on things he hopes to implement once there are fewer CDC restrictions on how the restaurant can be arranged.
“I really like doing theme dinners, offering foods paired with either beer or wine, so we’ll be doing more of those,” he says. He also plans to find ways to “bring more energy” to the Links dining room, plus revamp the area behind the bar, reducing clutter and adding more visual interest.
Posted 9/8//2020
That new guy working at Lake Panorama National in the Links and at special events is Blake Wenzel, who joined the staff in late July as the LPN food and beverage manager. A native of Mt. Pleasant, Wenzel is a graduate of the two-year culinary arts program at Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa.
Royce Shaffer, LPN operations manager, says he’s happy to welcome Wenzel to the LPN staff.
“Blake comes to us with a ton of industry knowledge. Combine that with his energetic personality, and I am excited to see where he can take our food and beverage department,” Shaffer says. “I look forward to working with Blake and creating a restaurant that provides consistently good food and service, where Lake Panorama property owners will want to visit again and again.”
Wenzel, who reports to Shaffer, now oversees LPN’s kitchen and restaurant operations and schedules all front-of-house employees. Brent Gaffney, LPN’s head chef since February 2019, schedules the kitchen staff. Gaffney and Kashley Sneller, who has managed the Links for the past year, will work with Wenzel to pursue opportunities for growing LPN’s business. This fall Sneller is managing Spikes. During the off-season, she will move into the restaurant as a bartender and server.
Wenzel has worked as a sous chef, chef, front-of-house manager and more at a number of well-known restaurants in central Iowa. He worked in the kitchen at the Greenbriar in Johnston before being promoted to the front-of-house manager.
“That’s where I started to really learn and enjoy the hospitality aspect of this industry,” he says.
The Trostel family, which owns the Greenbriar, opened Chips in Ankeny, with Wenzel helping get it underway. He also helped get Trostel’s Dish in West Des Moines established. Later he worked as sous chef at the popular Centro in downtown Des Moines, where he says he learned to place even greater focus on hospitality and a quality experience for diners.
In 2008, Wenzel was recruited by Bruce Gerleman to help launch the first Jethro’s BBQ near Drake University.
“That was a neat challenge, being involved in the development of what was a relatively new concept in Des Moines — a sports bar that featured barbecue,” he says. “It was fun to see that business grow into a nationally recognized brand.”
Next Wenzel spent time in Ames as a personal chef for a company called Greek House Chef. The company signed contracts with fraternities and sororities to provide three meals a day. The meal preparation was done in Greek houses that had larger kitchens, with food delivered to houses with small kitchens.
“This was both a catering operation and an opportunity to really get to know the people eating what I was cooking,” Wenzel says. “I was used to being in restaurants where you might get feedback from some diners. But now I was learning the names of my diners, their likes and dislikes, their food allergies. It gave me a whole new respect for home cooking.”
Wenzel and a partner opened a restaurant called Guru BBQ in Des Moines, which later closed. His next stop was the Range Grill & Golf in Urbandale. The facility has six golf simulators, plus a restaurant that offers a wide variety of dishes, including some featuring wild game. Wenzel helped develop a mixology bar program, creating an extensive bar menu that includes specialty cocktails, draft beer, wine and dessert.
Most recently he was at Echo Valley Country Club near Norwalk, assisting in all aspects of that operation, including special events and golf outings.
“I was drawn to this position at Lake Panorama National because there are a lot of moving parts,” Wenzel says. “There is the restaurant, golf outings for both members and non-members, special events in the banquet room, people at the pool wanting lunch. I like to be active throughout the day, and that’s certainly possible here.”
In his new position, Wenzel says he’s looking for ways to improve the experience of LPN guests.
“I tell the servers our guests chose to come here, so we need to do everything possible to make their experience the best one possible,” he says. “We need to take the blinders off and look at all aspects of the operation — see the big picture, have fun and help our guests have a good, consistent experience.”
Wenzel says there are challenges, but through his previous jobs he’s seen and dealt with many of the same challenges, so he feels prepared to do that here.
“I couldn’t be more excited about this opportunity,” he says. “I am passionate about my career in the hospitality industry, and the things I’m doing at the LPN are right in my wheelhouse. I like to have fun while I’m working, and I hope that will create a ripple effect.”
Wenzel met his wife Shelly on the first day of culinary school in Ottumwa and says they’ve been together ever since. They live on 10 acres they purchased between Woodward and Bouton. Shelly is the executive chef at Gilroy’s in West Des Moines. They have a 2-year-old son, Malcolm Dean.
Wenzel says LPN members have been welcoming to him.
“I really like it here. I can see there is a great group of members, and I love their friendly attitudes. The LPN has a lot of great things happening,” he says. “I hope to bring a little more professional, yet relaxed and approachable atmosphere to what’s already here.”
Current restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic make things more difficult for restaurants, yet Wenzel has adopted a positive attitude.
“Out of respect for our guests, it’s important we adhere to CDC guidelines,” he says. “We’re really part of the health care profession now, since we’re so involved in helping protect our guests’ lives.”
Wenzel says the pandemic has caused the hospitality industry to take a step back and sharpen its focus.
“This has really shone a light on every action we take,” he says. “For instance, how salt and pepper shakers should be handled. What other small details do we need to consider to make everyone’s life better?”
Wenzel offers ideas on things he hopes to implement once there are fewer CDC restrictions on how the restaurant can be arranged.
“I really like doing theme dinners, offering foods paired with either beer or wine, so we’ll be doing more of those,” he says. He also plans to find ways to “bring more energy” to the Links dining room, plus revamp the area behind the bar, reducing clutter and adding more visual interest.