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Rob Levin[/caption]
Rob Levin, co-owner of
2A Wine Merchants and now-shuttered small-format restaurant
1033, has been named director of food and beverage at
Hotel Verdant in downtown Racine.
In his new role, Levin will lead operations of the boutique hotel's hearth-fired Italian restaurant
Marguerite and rooftop bar
Eave, along with catering services for the property, "balancing the art of culinary excellence with the science of business management," according to a news release. The 80-room Hotel Verdant
opened its doors at 500 Main St. in August 2023 following a $40 million adaptive reuse of the former Zahn’s department store building.
Through their company Milwaukee-based
WACH Hospitality, Levin and his business partner,
Tony Bisciglia, opened wine bar 2A Wine Merchants in
July 2021 in the Historic Third Ward in Milwaukee. They went on to open 1033 in
June 2023 in Walker's Point, but the restaurant closed after only 13 months in business. In a video posted to Instagram announcing the closure, Levin hinted at future plans for a new wine bar concept in the space, which formerly housed Laughing Taco.
"We have made the difficult decision to close the doors as is and reopen and re-concept in the very near future as some sort of a wine bar ... We believe in our hearts and souls in order to have a long-term existence we need to do some reevaluation and change our performa and platform," Levin said.
Born and raised in Chicago, Levin began his career in the hospitality industry in 1998 after obtaining his bachelor's degree from Illinois State University. He credits his “street diploma” for teaching him the rules of the road in restaurants, taking his first general manager position at the age of 23, according to the release.
“I fell in love with the industry when I started dishwashing at 13, working to create memories and moments of 'wow,'” said Levin in a statement.
Prior to co-founding WACH Hospitality, Levin served as vice president of operations at Milwaukee-based
F Street Hospitality. Prior to that, he was regional director of operations at Chicago-based
Giordano’s. His past experience also includes stints at the Four Seasons Hotel in Chicago, Levy Restaurants, and BOKA Restaurant + Bar in Chicago, among others.
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The former Zahn’s department store in downtown Racine was converted into the 80-room Hotel Verdant.[/caption]
