Family Ownership
The Replogle Family - Still Going Strong Since 1965
Pictured here: Mary Ellen Replogle, Charley and Mary Walsh Replogle
with Chef Timm McGraw.
Our Front of the House Managers
Lunch Manager - Jason Nesbit
When you join us for lunch Monday through Friday, chances are good that you'll be greeted by the smiling face of Jason Nesbit. Jason was first hired at the Ocean Grill as a 16-year-old busboy. Since then, he has left Vero Beach for years at a time . . . first for college, and then to pursue other career opportunities. He was always welcomed back to the crew, usually filling one of the slots as a waiter. When he decided to come back to Vero Beach to settle down, we were thrilled to have him back to stay. The weekday schedule of Lunch Management blends well with his desire to play music with his bandmates who make up Old Barber Bridge. Look for him when you're in for one of our fabulous lunches. Chances are good he'll be humming a tune.
Night Management Team - Tom Hope and Andrea Fecteau
Our lead manager, Tom Hope, joined the company in time for our busy winter season in 2004/2005. A veteran of local restaurants, if you live in Vero Beach and eat out, you'll probably recognize Tom. Some folks say he's a cross between Val Kilmer and one of the Baldwin brothers . . . so you should be able to pick him out easily. With a background specializing in both food and beverage, Tom brought strong experience and informed decision-making to our team. His easy-going manner and strong people skills make him a natural dealing with guests and employees.
Andrea Fecteau has been with the Ocean Grill since late 2002. Starting as a member of the evening wait staff, Andrea moved onto the management team when an opening became available. Andrea has a talent for greeting people at the front door on the busiest of nights, and she's known for her on-time wait predictions and infectious smile. (Give her a minute and she might show you a photo of her beautiful grandson who lives far away in Hawaii.) Though she acts the part of "hostess with the mostest", Andrea is a qualified and capable manager with strong follow-through and dedication to the details that make fine dining an art form.
Back of the House Managers
Kitchen - Chef Timm McGraw, Joey Replogle,
and Day Kitchen Manager Dexter Taylor
Chef Timm McGraw graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York in 1987. Timm took over our high-volume kitchen in 1990, working magic by combining years of our successful Replogle recipes with new ideas and dishes. Now, almost twenty years later, Timm has ensured that we are still known for consistency in quality food. Chef Timm has led us through trends and preserved respected time-honored traditions. And every once in a blue moon, he'll pull out his chain saw and create an ice sculpture that blows our socks off!
Dexter Taylor came to work at the Ocean Grill as a youngster. Bussing tables in 1975, Dexter got a firsthand view of how the Front of the House works. Before long, his work ethic garnered him a promotion to dishwasher. Still working hard, he was bumped to prep cook. When an opening on our night cook line opened, Dexter was a shoe-in. He spent many years there, making sure your steak was the right temperature your creamed spinach was hot. Ten to fifteen years came and went, and Dexter was moved to the day kitchen, where his self-starting abilities and dedication to the details of quality food gained him another promotion. Dexter is the backbone of our lunch kitchen and dinner prep crew.
Support Team
The Rest of Our Management Team
Mary Ann Simpson is our Office Manager. Employed initially as a night server in 1991, Mary Ann moved into the office in 1996. Due to her previous experience and her attention to detail, Mary Ann was readily able to step into her new position. Her knowledge of the restaurant industry has made her an incredible asset as she manages the hidden side of our high-volume business.
Barbie Hendricks is our Bookkeeper. When she came to work at the Grill in 1990, she worked part-time as the night door hostess. Barbie's organizational skills combined with her people skills, and she was a natural at greeting our guests warmly and accurately managing the wait list. In 2000, Barbie came onboard full-time in the office to use her skills balancing the books and the daily receipts. We're lucky to have her.
Beth Walsh Eriksen wears a variety of hats due to her long-time commitment to the Ocean Grill. Beth started with the restaurant in 1984, and keeps her finger on the pulse of the business, Beth enjoys maintaining the website, ordering smallwares, handling the busy reservation desk and miscellaneous duties to facilitate smooth operation. Currently, she's back working a few nights a week to support the front-of-the-house managers.
Heather Sanders is our Gift Shop Manager. Hired in 1986 as a teen-aged busperson, Heather has worked her way through the restaurant by tackling and becoming proficient in the roles of hostess, cashier, demi-waiter, bar back, cocktail waitress, bartender, and waitress. Naturally, when an opening came up on our management team, Heather was the perfect fit.
