El Gaucho Hospitality Announces Leadership Changes and Company Updates

SEATTLE, Sept. 29, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- El Gaucho Hospitality Owner, chairman and CEO Paul Mackay announced his retirement after more than 40 years in the restaurant industry and has been promoted to Head Gaucho of the Eastern Washington Pampas.  Over the years, Paul managed the original El Gaucho restaurant, 13 Coins, Lafitte's, Elliot's Oyster House, the Metropolitan Grill.  Mackay created the Yarrow Bay Grill and Beach Café and partnered with Christine Keff to create the Flying Fish.  Paul's vision, values and legacy ensure that each of his properties offer guests a unique, unparalleled experience.  Paul's son, and current COO, is taking over the helm and planning to honor his father's tenure and continue the El Gaucho legacy of providing the highest quality and impeccable service to our guests.

"Our team of 375 and I will continue building on the El Gaucho heritage that continues to be relevant for our guests today and in the future," said Chad Mackay, President and COO of El Gaucho Hospitality.  "We will continue to expand beyond our restaurants by offering our offsite event catering services, a 2016 expansion of our hotel in Belltown, and exploring future locations in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska."

Sarah Scott Becomes Seattle's First Female Steakhouse Executive Chef

Premier steakhouses have long been a club for male chefs.  Sarah Scott has now joined a very small, elite group of female chefs who have taken the reins of a prominent American steakhouse with her promotion to Executive Chef at El Gaucho Bellevue.  Long-time Chef John Broulette will take on the role of Sous Chef in order to spend more time with family. Scott joined the El Gaucho team in 2008 for the opening of El Gaucho Bellevue and has perfected her skills at nearly every station in the restaurant.  She is the creator of El Gaucho Bellevue's popular lunch and brunch service and has great plans to bring her modern take on classic Southern cuisine with French and Italian influences to the El Gaucho Bellevue menus.

El Gaucho is Hiring Smart

El Gaucho Hospitality is a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment. Individuals who are self-starters, committed to high standards, and delivering unparalleled service thrive on our team.  In order to help us find the best new people for our team, we are working with HiringSmart to streamline our hiring process, and attain employees that are a great fit with the El Gaucho Hospitality culture. The HiringSmart tool allows us to take a different approach to hiring, as it uses the personality profiles of our best employees as a benchmark to seek and profile potential new employees. It offers us a chance to guide the application process, and make the right hires to succeed and grow in our company.  The results are motivated employees, lower training costs and the very best service for our guests. 

Updated Loyalty Program Provides Greater Guest Rewards

El Gaucho guests are part of our community and we like to celebrate that through our Revelers Club Program.  Revelers Club is a free program open to all of our guests. A new addition to the program, Revelers Prime, provides additional benefits to customers who spend $1500 annually at any El Gaucho Hospitality property.  Loyalty points do not expire; reward gift dollars expire after one year.

Revelers Club members receive:

• $50 birthday gift
• $50 wedding anniversary gift
• 100 loyalty points automatically converted to 10 dining dollars

Revelers Prime members receive:

• $100 birthday gift
• $100 wedding anniversary gift
• Loyalty points convert to 10 dining dollars

New El Gaucho Mobile App Improves Guest Experience

The El Gaucho Hospitality Mobile App will launch in October 2014 for both iOS and Android platforms.  The app is designed to give our Revelers Club and Revelers Prime members an easy way to manage their account.  Members will be able to easily see their membership point balance, as well as restaurant information, directions through Google Maps as well as information about upcoming events and promotions.

El Gaucho® is the Northwest's steakhouse legacy focused on elegant, old-school, tableside service for people celebrating their lives.  The menu highlights 28-Day Dry-Aged Certified Angus Beef® brand Prime steaks and cutting-edge fresh seafood selections, all prepared in the wide open exhibition kitchen over flaming charcoal grills. Visit the legendary steakhouse in Seattle, Bellevue, Tacoma, or Portland.  Enjoy fresh seafood and panoramic views of Seattle's waterfront at the steakhouse's sister restaurant, AQUA by El Gaucho.

For overnight accommodations, visit the Inn at El Gaucho, located directly above El Gaucho Seattle in bustling Belltown.

For more information, please visit www.elgaucho.com

SOURCE El Gaucho Hospitality