Jesse Newton '04

Operating Partner,
Blue Martini

Master of Science, Hospitality and Tourism Management '04

q: What do you do?

a: Operate the Blue Martini in Orlando, located in the Mall at Millenia. Blue Martini is a privately-owned company and the four founding partners give me guidelines, but empower me with marketing, advertising, purchasing and human resources. It's like running my own business. We have nine Blue Martinis throughout the U.S. and are opening another location in Naples next month, with lots of plans for expansion including internationally in 2011. My goals are to drive revenue, keep costs low, and make customers happy to generate repeat business.

q: What's your favorite part of the job?

a: Seeing the staff grow up, getting promoted here or moving on to new opportunities. They're my family that works with me.

q: What's the greatest challenge?

a: When you're the leader in your industry, everyone's gunning for your business. New bars and lounges are always opening and we need to keep looking outside the box and evolving our concept. Also, since 60% of my labor force is tip-based, I focus on employee satisfaction as much as guest satisfaction. I need to find the right balance of having enough bartenders and servers, but ensure everyone's making lots of tips while they're here.

q: Do you stay in touch with any other UCF hospitality alums?

a: Look at where I work. I think nearly every Rosen graduate and professor has come into this building (laughs)...specifically I'll mention Dr. Chris Muller and Dr. Paul Rompf. Each semester, Judy Holcomb brings her Introduction to Hospitality/Tourism class here for a behind-the-scenes tour.

q: Outside work...you're most likely to be seen?

a: Playing golf.

q: Your biggest accomplishment since graduating, outside your career?

a: Living the life. In just the last two weeks, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Charles Barkley and Tiger Woods have all been in here. When I'm hanging out with these guys, I'm not even star struck anymore. I started here as a floor manager when Blue Martini opened, and worked my way up to where now I own part of the building. I'm very thankful for the lifestyle my career has given me.

q: How did UCF prepare you for what you do?

a: It taught me the basic concepts of hospitality. I learned to apply them to this business myself. Bars, clubs and lounges weren't covered in the curriculum, but should have because they're recession-proof businesses with a significantly higher profit margin than restaurants and hotels.

q: How could the hospitality program have been better?

a: With a more open-minded mentality of the professors to talk about specialized hospitality niches beyond hotels, restaurants and events.

q: A UCF memory?

a: The camaraderie of my classmates. I could pick up the phone right now and call any of them and they'd be there for me. I went to USF for my bachelor's degree and don't stay in touch with a single person. Orlando's so different. Even though it's a big city, it's very small in terms of the warmth and friendliness of the hospitality community and who knows each other.

q: Favorite meal in Orlando?

a: Anything at Ocean Prime.

q: On your iPod?

a: Even in my spare time, I'm still working. I listen to demos of future artists who are interested in performing at Blue Martini, and new music styles.

q: Little known fact about you?

a: I've loved to cook ever since I was five or six years old. I cook every single day. I'm a real Foodie.