LOS ANGELES, Calif. (February 1, 2022) – The iconic and historic Hollywood boutique hotel, The Hollywood Roosevelt, is proud to announce the appointment of Daniel Sabo as its new Director of Food & Beverage, bringing over 26 years of hospitality experience to the hotel’s storied collection of restaurants and bars, which includes the iconic 60’s style Tropicana Pool, upscale burger joint 25 Degrees, the stylish al fresco Rosy Café, and the newly revived iconic Cinegrill Theater, the famed cabaret and nightclub enjoyed by Hollywood elite.
Sabo was part of the opening team at Brooklyn restaurant Five Leaves where he started as a bartender and worked his way to general manager. After meeting renowned restauranteur Taavo Somer, Sabo leveraged his bar experience to help establish ISA in Brooklyn in collaboration with Chef Ignacio Mattos in 2012, which went on to secure a James Beard Award nomination. Sabo moved to Los Angeles after accepting a position at the Ace Hotel Downtown as director of beverage and bars, where he was granted full creative control over five unique food and beverage concepts in addition to spearheading the infrastructural build-out of bars and kitchens for future Ace Hotels, including the properties in Pittsburgh, New Orleans, Brooklyn, and Kyoto. Under his management, the hotel’s bar program was a top 10 finalist for Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards “Best American Hotel Bar” for two consecutive years in 2014 and 2015.
After making his mark at Ace, Sabo took on the operational and creative buildout of the five culinary and cocktail concepts at Hotel Figueroa as its beverage director before becoming corporate director of food and beverage at Palisociety Hotels & Residences. He expanded the brand by six outlets during his tenure, with 15 concepts reporting to him in four different cities. Sabo accepted his most recent role as the executive assistant manager with a focus on food and beverage operations at Fairmont Century Plaza, where he opened the hotel’s Michelin-recognized French brasserie Lumiere and hosted his first Oscar nominee luncheon and Critics Choice Awards. Attracted by The Hollywood Roosevelt’s iconic story and intricate connection to Hollywood history, Sabo joined the entertainment industry institution with plans to implement a multi-phased approach focused on training and laying the groundwork to bring forth a new, elevated era to the hotel’s culinary experience. Sabo has already redesigned burger joint 25 Degrees, launched a new in-room dining menu, and reinvigorate the Library Bar as a bespoke cocktail and whiskey bar.
Sabo earned a scholarship to attend Villanova University in Philadelphia, from which he graduated with a bachelor’s degree with honors, before attending the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York on the Spencer Tracy Scholarship for his postgraduate degree. Sabo dabbled in acting and filmed several commercials prior to entering the hospitality industry. He still enjoys singing and dancing with his wife and two daughters.
