Executive chef with experience at Trump resort joins Tampa hotel

Johnathan Rodriguez will oversee the Sal Y Mar rooftop bar and restaurant at Midtown Tampa's dual-branded Aloft and Element Hotel.

By Business Observer Staff
| 11:10 a.m. May 23, 2022
| 2 Free Articles Remaining!

Courtesy. Johnathan Rodriguez has been named executive chef and food and beverage director at the Sal Y Mar rooftop bar and restaurant in Midtown Tampa's Aloft and Element Hotel.

Tampa Bay-Lakeland

The dual-branded Aloft and Element Hotel, part of the new Midtown Tampa mixed-use development, has named Johnathan Rodriguez executive chef and food and beverage director. He’ll lead operations at Sal Y Mar, the hotel’s 5,250-square-foot rooftop bar and restaurant.

According to a news release, Rodriguez has more than 18 years of experience in the hospitality industry. Most recently, he served as executive chef at Sea Salt in St. Petersburg. He has also worked at Trump National Golf Club Westchester in New York, Opal Sands Resort in Clearwater and Disney’s Swan and Dolphin Resort.

“Johnathan fully embraces our mission of providing an elevated dining experience to our guests and locals alike, and we couldn’t be happier to welcome him to the team,” Aloft and Element Hotel General Manager Evette Torres states in the release. “He has wasted no time putting his culinary talents to work, already introducing a new menu and management team to help execute his vision for Sal Y Mar.”

The Sal Y Mar bar and restaurant is open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Friday; for dinner from 5-10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays; and weekend brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.