South Florida-based Ember Group today announced the appointment of Andy Boles as general manager of Buccan, Palm Beach’s most highly sought-after culinary experience by award-winning chef Clay Conley. Boles joined the Buccan team just months after the restaurant opened its doors ten years ago, and possesses a collective 20+ years of experience in the hospitality industry.
“The restaurant industry is in my blood,” says Boles. “My great grandfather and grandfather immigrated to the United States from Italy and opened an iconic Italian restaurant in Schenectady, NY that was in business for over 30 years. It is literally in my DNA to provide the highest quality of genuine hospitality to those I serve.”
Boles grew up in Saratoga Springs in Upstate New York and graduated from Saint Lawrence University where he studied economics. As a summer job during college, Boles worked in the same restaurant in Kennebunkport, Maine where Buccan chef Clay Conley worked in the kitchen just two years earlier.
After college, Boles worked as restaurant manager for the renowned David Craig Bethesda in Maryland, which received Washingtonian Magazine’s “100 Very Best Restaurants in DC” every year that Boles’ managed there.
In 2007, Boles helped conceive and launch Nicaro Restaurant in Silver Spring, MD, serving as General Manager for two years. Nicaro was also named one of Washingtonian’s “100 Very Best Restaurants in DC” during Boles’ tenure.
In 2009, Boles was part of the team that opened celebrity chef Michelle Bernstein’s eponymously named restaurant in The Omphoy Resort in Palm Beach.
“Andy has been with our team since the very beginning and has played a significant role in making the Buccan experience what it is today,” says Ember Group partner Sam Slattery “With Andy managing the front of the house, we know that our guests will continue to receive the best service available on the Island.”
Besides his dedication to providing Buccan guests with the highest level of service and hospitality to match the quality and imagination of Chef Clay’s cuisine, Boles’ counts among his most prideful accomplishments his silver-medal win in the Buccan 2013 ping pong tournament.
