The Very Model of a Maître d’

Doris L. Eder

Luis Javier, Kendal’s Dining and Catering Manager, came to Kendal a year ago in October 2021. Youthful, energetic and highly professional, Luis has an interesting background and impressive credentials. He reports to Fred Coppola, Director of Culinary Services.

Prior to coming to Kendal, Luis spent several years in the golf club industry. Most recently he was the manager in charge of food and beverage service at the Apawamis, a private country club in Rye. Familiar with Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown, Luis also worked at the Sleepy Hollow Country Club as a food and beverage manager and at the Armonk Golf Club, a more intimate club with about 150 members.

For eight years Luis offered regular catering and special banquets for clients at Tarrytown House, the local conference center. Prior to that, he was service director at the Castle, Tarrytown’s five-star hotel that closed recently. Luis gained especially useful experience for his present job at Brightview in Orangeburg, NY, an assisted living facility where he was in charge of the dining and catering operation.

Residents agree that Luis has mastered the art of making a dining experience enjoyable for them because he is obviously someone who relishes his work. A major element of his job is overseeing the professional development of the dining staffs in both the Bistro and FDR.

Our indefatigable Maître d’ seems to enjoy work and leisure equally. Luis says, “I love working at Kendal and managing dining operations. I particularly enjoy evenings at dinner, when most residents are present.” Although accustomed to working long hours (11 a.m. through 9 p.m. on weekdays, and 10 a.m. through 11 p.m. at weekends), Luis makes a point of maintaining a healthy balance between work and play. During leisure hours, he is an ardent hiker and enthusiastic traveler, who incidentally, just returned from a trip to London and Paris.

Luis came to the United States in his early twenties. One of eight children, he was born in the Dominican Republic, taught himself English and became a certified expert in wine and food through Club Managers of America, headquartered in Virginia. Luis lives with his wife and family in Montrose, NY. His son, a student at Siena College, is interested in cybersecurity, while his daughter is pursuing an after-college career in journalism.