Magnum Hospitality Partners
Fred Moore
Fred is a product of Ortonville, Michigan. He moved to Traverse City in 1977 with his wife, Colby. That reminds us of a story:
Colby is Fred’s first and only wife. She is a true gem and by far the best thing that ever happened to Fred. Fred was Colby’s bus boy when she was a waitress at The Old Mill restaurant in Waterford, Michigan. For those of you not in the restaurant business, a young bus boy’s dream is always to snag a pretty waitress. Suffice it to say that Fred is “living the dream”. During his Presidential Address at the first or second Red Mesa staff Xmas Party, Fred – a renowned public speaker - famously introduced Colby to the staff as “my current wife”. Fred will never live this down.
Fred got most of his restaurant business education through his employment with Schelde Enterprises where he started as a bartender and worked his way up through various management roles to the position of Director of Operations, with responsibility for 11 restaurants. Fred held this position for 8 years before leaving in 1997 to start Magnum Hospitality with Mary Palmer. He served for 4 years on the Board of Directors of the Michigan Restaurant Association and the Board of Trustees of the Michigan Restaurant Association Educational Support Foundation, which administers the ProStart Hospitality Curriculum taught in Michigan high school career tech centers.
Fred is aghast that he now has over 30 years of experience in the Hospitality field.
Famous Quote: “Who needs a memory, I’m living in the now!”
Mary Palmer
Mary is a product of Midland, Michigan. The youngest of 8 children, she grew up in the Hospitality industry with her family owning the landmark Military Inn in Dearborn, Michigan. The Inn housed her grandfather Andy Palmer’s antique gun collection, said to be the world’s largest at one time. Mary graduated from the Culinary Institute of America, Hyde Park, New York in 1981, at a time when there were very few women “in the kitchen”. Her career highlights include first woman Chef at the Drake Hotel in Chicago, Chef at the Mid America Club in Chicago, Opening Chef at the Creamery in Downsville, WI, Chef at Goodfellows in Minneapolis, Chef at Bowers Harbor Inn, Traverse City (poor Mary had to interview with both Fred and Jim to get that position….hah!) and 5 years as Corporate Chef for Schelde Enterprises.
Mary has and does travel the world extensively - Europe, Mexico, Central America, South America and the Caribbean.
Mary is married, not to Fred, but to Don. That brings up several stories; we’ll have to pick and choose:
Mary hired Don at Red Mesa as a bartender, a position for which he was WAY overqualified. She then proceeded to bend every company policy ever known to mankind regarding fraternization. Don is now GM at Red Mesa, Boyne City (go figure…). During a management retreat in 2004, Mary – like Fred a renowned public speaker - famously introduced Don (to whom she had recently become engaged) not as her fiancée, but as “one of our managers”. Mary will never live this down.
Mary is in denial of the fact that she now has over 30 years of experience in the Hospitality field.
Famous Quote: “I’d be crazy not to!”
Jim Cartwright
Jim is a product of Traverse City, Michigan. After taking 8 years to earn a degree in English, he decided that he did not want to be an Englishman. He did his graduate studies at the University of Michigan School of Business. You would think someone who has earned an MBA would be smart enough not to get into the restaurant industry, but then it did take him 11 years to get through school…. His career in Hospitality includes 6 years of management at various Schelde Enterprises restaurants in the Traverse City area, among them Bowers Harbor Inn, The Cove and The Wanigan; and 7 years as manager of the Traverse City Golf & Country Club. Jim has served on the Board of Directors of the Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce.
Jim is married to Holly. If you know Holly, you know that she is more talented, more intelligent and far better looking than Jim. He is well aware of this. He keeps his mouth shut in hopes that she will not catch on. Please don’t say anything and ruin it for him.
If you read Fred and Mary’s bios, it shouldn’t surprise you to learn that Jim was Holly’s bus boy when she was a waitress at Bowers Harbor Inn. You’ve also already learned what every young bus boy’s dream is and yes, it could be said that Jim is “living in a dream”.
Jim is appalled by the realization that he now has over 30 years of experience in the Hospitality field.
Famous Quote: “I don’t know how to draw a ‘thing’!”
Mary, Don, Colby, Fred, Holly and Jim combine for over 190 years of hands-on experience in the Hospitality field. That’s “Magnum” Hospitality –