Riverboats at the Gateway Arch Announce New Executive Chef
ST. LOUIS (April 20, 2021)—The Riverboats at the Gateway Arch, St. Louis’ only waterfront attraction on the St. Louis Riverfront, announce Ronald Illert as the new executive chef.
Illert will oversee all activities surrounding menu ideation, inventory, food prep and presentation for meal-centric riverboat cruises and dockside events, as well as the Paddlewheel Café, the riverboats’ dockside food destination. He will supervise and manage a staff of kitchen supervisors, line cooks, prep cooks and galley staff; ensure the highest quality of menu items; and remain in continuous compliance with FDA standards and the City of St. Louis health inspections. A primary focus of Illert’s is to locally source the freshest ingredients to drive the excellence of the riverboats’ scratch kitchen. Illert will report to the director of operations.
“As we continue to expand our menu offerings here at the Riverboats at the Gateway Arch, we are thrilled to have Ronnie lead the way in making the riverboats a destination for foodies,” said Robert Hopkins, director of operations, Riverboats at the Gateway Arch. “His combined experience in the maritime and culinary industries will be instrumental in his efforts to create new dishes and re-imagine the culinary experiences aboard cruises such as the Skyline Dinner Cruise, Sunday Brunch Cruise, Arch View Lunch Cruise and Oktoberfest Cruise, as well as dockside dining at the Paddlewheel Café.”
Illert’s background in the foodservice industry is extensive. Before he joined the riverboats, he served on the culinary teams for the American Commercial Barge Line, American Dining Solutions, American River Transportation Company and Ingram Barge Company, as well as local and regional St. Louis establishments 12 West Bar & Grill and Twisted Ranch. Illert owns a farm in Bismarck, Missouri.
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