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Rick Giannasi Takes Lead Role with Ocean Prime Naples

 

Ocean Prime, Cameron Mitchell Restaurants’ award-winning modern American restaurant and lounge, announces Rick Giannasi as general manager at Ocean Prime Naples.

For Giannasi, a successful acting career segued into an equally successful restaurant career. Like many actors, Giannasi worked in the restaurant industry while pursuing his acting career. After living in New York City and L.A., where he performed in soap operas, film and off-Broadway performances, Giannasi moved to Detroit where he continued to work in the restaurant industry while pursuing acting. It was in Detroit that he was first introduced to Cameron Mitchell Restaurants and its reputation for high-quality food and VIP service.

Shortly after moving to Florida with his family in 2007, Giannasi joined Ocean Prime Orlando as a mixologist, bringing more than 25 years of restaurant experience to the role. As a bar chef, he was inspired by culinary passion, often collaborating with kitchen chefs and always using fresh ingredients. Well-known for his creativity behind the bar, his cocktails stole the show, and his Lemon Caliente, a frozen, spicy beverage, even won first prize at a popular Florida festival.

As Giannasi’s expertise and engagement in all-things-cocktail-and-cuisine grew, he attended management training at the Cameron Mitchell Restaurants home office in Columbus, Ohio. As a lead bar trainer, Giannasi established beverage operations, and hired and trained bar associates for several new Ocean Prime locations around the country.

Giannasi is proud to be among the 75 percent of associates who are promoted from within Cameron Mitchell Restaurants. After spending eight years at Ocean Prime Orlando, Giannasi was named General Manager of Ocean Prime in Naples, where he is responsible for daily dining operations and associate recruitment. One of 14 Ocean Prime restaurants across the country, the new Naples location opens in Dec. 19 on Fifth Avenue South, adjacent to the Inn on Fifth.

“My parents always called me the party host because of my passion for entertaining, and at Ocean Prime, my role is to make guests feel welcome, and to make a connection,” said Giannasi. “As we bring in new associates to Ocean Prime Naples, I’m focused on instilling our culture of genuine hospitality, and it starts with the way we train and treat our associates. In turn, our associates are focused on providing guests with the most memorable experience possible.”

“By his very nature, Rick exudes that genuine hospitality that Ocean Prime is well known for, and we are thrilled to welcome Rick to lead our dining operations at our new Ocean Prime Naples,” says Ocean Prime Regional Director, Matt Goldstein. “In addition, Rick has quickly become engaged in supporting local nonprofits and business groups to not only introduce Ocean Prime to the area, but to share our commitment to supporting the greater Naples community.”

Ocean Prime is an award-winning modern American restaurant and lounge from renowned restaurateur Cameron Mitchell. With stunning settings, a vibrant energy, an impressive menu of seafood and steaks and truly exceptional service, Ocean Prime is an ideal place to socialize, talk business, celebrate and indulge.

ABOUT OCEAN PRIME

Independently operated and tailored to their individual cities, Cameron Mitchell Restaurants’ collection of Ocean Prime locations spans 14 markets across the United States. Guests can indulge in CMR’s trademark hospitality and exquisite food and beverage in Washington, DC, Boston, Beverly Hills, Philadelphia, Detroit, Dallas, Denver, Indianapolis, Tampa, New York, Naples, Orlando, Phoenix and Columbus, Ohio. For more information, please visit www.ocean-prime.com.

ABOUT CAMERON MITCHELL RESTAURANTS

Founded by Cameron Mitchell in 1993 in Columbus, Ohio, Cameron Mitchell Restaurants LLC operates 28 restaurants under 13 different concepts, including Cameron’s American Bistro, Cap City Fine Diner & Bar, Hudson 29 Kitchen + Drink, M, Marcella’s, Martini Modern Italian, Mitchell’s Ocean Club (Ocean Prime), Molly Woo’s Asian Bistro, The Pearl, The Barn at Rocky Fork Creek, The Guild House, The Avenue Steak Tavern and Cameron Mitchell Premier Events in Columbus. Cameron Mitchell Premier Events also oversees four venues in Columbus, The Darby House, The Ivory Room at Miranova, Columbus Museum of Art and Hawk Galleries. The Ocean Prime concept has 14 locations in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Massachusetts, Washington, D.C. and Naples, Florida. The Rusty Bucket Restaurant & Tavern, a sister company of CMR, currently operates 24 locations in Florida, Indiana, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio and Colorado. Cameron Mitchell and the various concepts have received numerous culinary, leadership, entrepreneur, community service and readers’ choice awards. For more information on Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, please visit www.cameronmitchell.com.

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