1. How long have you been with Hotel Julien Dubuque?
11 years
2. What path brought you to Hotel Julien Dubuque? Please share a little bit about your professional background and what led you to this industry.
I have always loved the building and while attending Capri College for esthetics, I began my career here as a wellness coordinator.
3. What are you most passionate about professionally?
I am most passionate about giving excellent customer service and building relationships with our guests!
4. What are you passionate about personally? What is your favorite way to spend a free weekend?
My favorite way to spend a free weekend is kayaking, camping, and grilling out with family and friends. My biggest personal passion is our small hobby farm.
5. What are some of your favorite things to do in the Dubuque area?
Trying new restaurants downtown and going to outdoor concerts.
6. What do you love most about Hotel Julien Dubuque?
I love its history, charm, and class.
7. What is your motto?
You only live once.
8. Describe your typical work day.
Enjoying laughs with coworkers, greeting guests, answering phones and emails, placing orders, and completing services.
9. What is your favorite service at Potosa Spa and why?
Our shea butter scrub and massage or our lift and tone facial.
10. Please share a go-to fun fact about yourself.
I ran Dubuque’s first-ever Spirit Halloween store when I was 18.
1. How long have you been with Hotel Julien Dubuque?
2 years
2. What path brought you to Hotel Julien Dubuque? Please share a little bit about your professional background and what led you to this industry.
A few members of my family are in the spa industry. I grew up loving it and will be pursuing my education in this industry in the next few years! Potosa Spa helped me realize that I want to go into this career even more!
3. What are you most passionate about professionally?
I enjoy making each guest feel comfortable and relaxed!
4. What are you passionate about personally? What is your favorite way to spend a free weekend?
On my free days, I enjoy cleaning, walking, shopping, and hanging out with my pets!
5. What are some of your favorite things to do in the Dubuque area?
My favorite thing to do in the Dubuque area is going to the Mines of Spain and the Farmer’s Market.
6. What do you love most about Hotel Julien Dubuque?
I love all of my co-workers. They make me feel very appreciated and make our team feel more like a family!
7. What is your motto?
God will never give you anything that you can’t handle.
8. Describe your typical work day.
Very busy! Everyday is different!
9. What is your favorite service at Potosa Spa and why?
Any of the body wraps! Super relaxing and you also get a mini facial! The shower in the middle of the service is the best part!
1.How long have you been with Hotel Julien Dubuque? Almost 6 months
2. What path brought you to Hotel Julien Dubuque? Please share a little bit about your professional background and what led you to this industry.
I had previously worked in the beverage industry for many years as well as in the hospitality industry. I have an extensive customer service background as well. When the opportunity arose I realized I could not pass it up to combine the knowledge I have with what I enjoy most.
3. What are you most passionate about professionally?
I am professionally most passionate about giving our guests the best possible experience. A place they can unwind whether on vacation or finishing a meeting.
4. What are you passionate about personally?
I am most passionate about personal growth. Each and everyday there is so much opportunity to learn whether intentionally learning something new or by what life brings our way. There is always so much room for growth and I look for that opportunity.
5. What is your favorite way to spend a free weekend?
I really like to spend time kayaking on the weekend. It is a great way to unwind and reset for the week ahead.
6. What are some of your favorite things to do in the Dubuque area?
I really enjoy checking out all of the new shops and boutiques popping up in downtown Dubuque. They are all unique and it is great to see downtown Dubuque thriving.
7. What do you love most about Hotel Julien Dubuque?
I love our team at the Hotel. Everyone from day one has been incredible and so helpful. We all work really well together and support each other wherever it is needed.
8. What is your personal motto?
“Have a plan and trust the process. Don’t give up if it does not work, change your strategy. “
9. Describe your typical work day.
Everyday is different for me. I may be focused on an event, or the Riverboat Lounge, working on drink menus, studying the latest trends in the beverage industries, or even looking for our next acoustic act we are having perform. No day is the same, but everyday I am happy to have the opportunity to work here.
10. What is your favorite cocktail we serve at Riverboat Lounge and why you like it?
The White Chocolate Mint Martini is my favorite. Why? Chocolate and a martini in one, you cannot go wrong!
11. Please share a go-to fun-fact about yourself.
I am from Wisconsin and coming here quickly learned in Iowa an Old Fashioned is made entirely different!
1. How long have you been with Caroline’s Restaurant? 1 year
2. Please share a little bit about your background: education, interests, activities?
I graduated with a Degree in Accounting at Coe College. I am a huge sports fan, especially the Chicago Cubs and Buffalo Bills. I enjoy playing golf and going to Cubs games in my free time!
3. What are some of your favorite things to do in the Dubuque area?
Golf, going to the Farmer’s Market, and listening to live music.
4. What are some of your favorite features on the Caroline’s menu?
All the steaks!
5. What do you enjoy most about working at Caroline’s?
The staff is amazing, Front-of-House and Back-of-House. We’re always working, but we have a good time doing it! We’re always laughing, which makes work a lot easier!
6. Please share a personal motto or quote that you best relate to.
“Attack life” – Greg Norman
7. When you’re asked to share something unique about yourself, what go-to fun-fact do you typically respond with?
I am the shortest male, being 6’1, out of 38 males on my dad’s side.
1.How long have you been with Hotel Julien Dubuque?
I have been with Hotel Julien Dubuque for just over a year.
2. What path brought you to Hotel Julien Dubuque? Please share a little bit about your professional background and what led you to this industry.
I primarily worked in theater, which typically means simultaneously working in food and beverage. I switched to writing advertising corporately for five years but sincerely missed working with people, so I switched back to hospitality.
3. What are you most passionate about professionally?
I’m most passionate about creating meaningful connections and experiences for guests and employees alike. We spend most of our lives at work, so I’m passionate about making everyday count.
4. What are you passionate about personally? What is your favorite way to spend a free weekend?
I am most passionate about exploring! Traveling and finding out what it means to be alive through all mediums- song, literature, theater, food, wandering, and history- simply finding a connection.
5. What are some of your favorite things to do in the Dubuque area?
Explore! I love learning more than anything, so driving around the bluffs and hitting historical spots brings me joy!
6. What do you love most about Hotel Julien Dubuque?
The history! I love how rich the whole experience is and walking the well-treaded halls.
7. What is your personal motto?
“Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final.” –Rainer Maira Rilke
8. Describe your typical work day.
That’s the beauty of hospitality- everyday is different!
9. What is your favorite entree we serve at Caroline’s Restaurant and why you like it?
I love variation, so currently it’s the Vietnamese Noodle Bowl! Light but filling, bright and super summery.
10. Please share a go-to fun-fact about yourself.
I grew up in Ireland! I feel very fortunate to have two homes and consider myself a citizen of the world.
11. Is there anything else that you’d like to share?
This is the happiest I’ve ever been in my professional life. If you feel stuck, change it! It’s never too late.
1.How long have you been with Hotel Julien Dubuque?
Since June 2021
2. What path brought you to Hotel Julien Dubuque? Please share a little bit about your professional background and what led you to this industry.
I have a license in Cosmetology and wanted to work in this type of environment.
3. What are you most passionate about professionally?
The best part about my job is seeing people leave happier than when they arrived.
4. What are you passionate about personally? What is your favorite way to spend a free weekend?
I am passionate about music, and I enjoy spending my free time with my family and friends.
5. What are some of your favorite things to do in the Dubuque area?
Going on Target runs!
6.What do you love most about Hotel Julien Dubuque?
The Hotel Julien Management Team makes me feel valuable and appreciated.
7. What is your personal motto?
You never know what someone could be going through, so be kind.
8. Describe your typical work day.
When I open, I get the spa ready and make it a welcoming and relaxing environment. Throughout the day, I try to make the experience better by being the first and last person they see.
9. What is your favorite service at Potosa Spa and why?
I love any type of facial here at Potosa Spa because of how relaxed they make me feel afterwards. I love how fresh my face feels after I get one.
10. Please share a go-to fun-fact about yourself.
My husband and I recreated my grandparent’s wedding photo.
1. How long have you been with Hotel Julien Dubuque?
I have been working at the Hotel Julien Dubuque for 6 months as a bartender/mixologist
2. What path brought you to Hotel Julien Dubuque? Please share a little bit about your professional background and what led you to this industry.
I’ve been bartending for about 12 years, starting out at Winifred’s Catering out of Cedar Rapids, IA. I eventually started bartending at their high-end steakhouse, also called Winifred’s. While working at Winifred’s, I began to experiment with different spirits and house-made ingredients and learned that I was pretty good at making cocktails. In 2013, I entered and won the Iowa’s Best Mixologist Contest hosted by the Iowa Restaurant Association. I took a short break from bartending for about 4 years, working in digital marketing and online tech support before finding my way back into the hospitality industry at 7 Hills Brewing Company. I worked for 7 Hills as a bartender and marketing manager up until I had to be laid-off due to COVID-19. I took some personal time and started my cocktail YouTube channel, Alchemix Bar, with my wife. In April of 2021, I entered and won the IRA’s Top Mixologist contest again, representing myself and Alchemix Bar. But, there’s nothing like bartending for a crowd that enjoys cocktails. So I reached out to the Hotel Julien Dubuque and asked if they needed help. Now, here I am!
What are you most passionate about professionally?
Professionally, I’m most passionate about creating a phenomenal customer experience. That means making patrons comfortable by offering friendly and fast service and great-tasting, consistent cocktails.
What are you passionate about personally? What is your favorite way to spend a free weekend?
Personally, I’m passionate about cocktails and learning about different spirits, modifiers, and techniques to build quality cocktails. I spend a lot of my free time working on and growing our YouTube channel. I also enjoy making wood projects on my CNC and learning about business and marketing.
What are some of your favorite things to do in the Dubuque area?
The Dubuque area has beautiful scenery, and I’ve enjoyed hiking the trails at Mines of Spain and walking along the Mississippi River walk with my wife. I also like to visit the local breweries and some of the more unique bars in the area.
What do you love most about Hotel Julien Dubuque?
I love the history and the atmosphere of the Hotel Julien Dubuque. Walking through the doors feels like you’re stepping back in time, but with the modern amenities we’re used to.
What is your personal motto?
Be 1% better every day
Describe your typical work day.
On a typical work day, I get up and take my son to school. Then, I edit content for our YouTube channel and do some web development for websites or do some woodworking. I get ready to head into work by 2:30 to prep the bar and all of the fresh ingredients I need for that night’s shift. When I get home, I’ll usually unwind and take some time to relax before I go to bed.
What is your favorite cocktail we serve at Riverboat Lounge and why you like it?
My favorite cocktail I am serving right now is an original cocktail I created called the Winter Mai Tai. It takes the traditional Mai Tai flavors of almond, mint, and lime and adds winter spices. The cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg elevate the cocktail and make you feel like you’re celebrating the holidays on a beach somewhere tropical.
Please share a go-to fun-fact about yourself.
I played hockey for 6 years and love hardcore metal music.
Is there anything else that you’d like to share?
I can’t wait to see new faces at the Riverboat Lounge and to bring my knowledge of modern and classic cocktails to the patrons who visit the bar.
