CLUB MEMBER PROFILE STEVE AND NANCY WESTPHAL
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f you have dined in downtown St. Pete, chances are pretty good that Vinoy Club members Steve and Nancy Westphal were your hosts. Pick a restaurant—400 Beach Seafood and Tap House, Annex, Parkshore Grill, The Hangar Restaurant and Flight Lounge or Café Gala at The Dali Museum—and this power couple, owners of St. Pete Hospitality, put a lot of thought and effort into the menus, staffing, décor, marketing and community outreach. “It literally is a labor of love for all our family members,” says Steve. Nancy’s daughter Katherine Ruetz helps with specialty events and day to day operations at Annex Coffee Shop and son John Ruetz is the general manager and banquet manager at 400 Beach Seafood. Nancy, a longtime Vinoy Club member and resident of downtown St. Pete, met Steve on Beach Drive and they married six months later in 2010. Steve had opened Park Shore Grill in 2006 and was building The Hangar Restaurant at Albert Whitted Airport and opening 400 Seafood and Tap House, followed by Café Gala. “I found my path when Nancy and her family came into my life. I would never have imagined how fortuitous the path became, leading us to now owning five restaurants. Each one has been a gift and a blessing. What we love about the amount of business we maintain is it gives us a great deal of strength in our ability to channel our blessings back into the community.” 6
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Steve and Nancy Westphal
Local author Michael Scott Novilla wrote in DowntownStPete.com, “Perhaps it is Westphal’s military roots that gave him the experiences as a child, which allowed him to fall in love with diversity and made him a world-class host. While living in Morocco with his family when he was about six years old (his father was in the Air Force), he remembers his parents hosting Embassy parties at their home. Although Steve was the only child at the lavish affairs, he somehow felt that he fit right in with the men sporting their military medals with pride and the women looking stunning in their evening gowns. How did this military boy transition into the restaurant industry? As a young teen, Westphal landed his first job as a bus boy and as fate would have it, twentysome years later, he ended up owning the restaurant where he got his start at The Pub in Indian Shores. After a decade of running it, he began to realize the opportunity for hospitality in beautiful Downtown St. Pete.”
Fast forward 14 years and the Westphals stay focused on the hospitality component. They love being with their customers. While Steve is hands on with each restaurant, often out in front greeting guests, Nancy engages with all of their followers on social media, too. “We work together and we play together,” says Steve. “When we want to get away, we go have lunch or dinner at Paul’s Landing at The Vinoy. Our leisure time spent at The Vinoy Club is either at the spa or out on the tennis courts, socializing with our neighbors. We see fellow Vinoy members around St. Pete’s wonderful downtown that we call home. It’s great to have such a getaway nearby to recharge and renew, while keeping an eye on our businesses up and down Beach Drive.” Avid boaters, the Westphals enjoy being able to tie up their boats at The Vinoy Marina (Steve admits there have been many toys over the years) and visit the restaurant or have meals brought out to the boat. “I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge all of the friendly associates at The Vinoy Club, the marina, and the hotel. We sincerely thank the concierges, the valets, the people at the front desk, and everyone who refers guests to us with confidence. I love that the community has many needs and desires that are brought to our attention and we are happy to fulfill our role to be a part of the community that takes care of us.”
