|
 |
|
 |
Andrea Gonzmart / 5th Generation Family Member
|
Andrea is the great-great-granddaughter of Casimiro Hernandez Sr., founder of the Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City in 1905. Her grandparents were Cesar and Adela Gonzmart, and her parents are Richard & Melanie Gonzmart. Her father, Richard is the President of Columbia Restaurant. Andrea is a member of the fifth generation of the Hernandez-Gonzmart family. She is a 4th generation native Floridian and was born in Tampa.
She began her career at the Columbia Restaurant at the age of ten, by doing filing in the corporate office. By the time she was twelve, she was working as a hostess at the Ybor City restaurant and continued working there through high school.
Andrea is a graduate of The Academy of the Holy Names High School in Tampa.
She is a graduate of the University of South Florida where she was an active member of Alpha Delta Pi Sorority. Alpha Delta Pi enabled Andrea to continue her volunteer work through out the community, including work with the Ronald McDonald House at Tampa General Hospital. Andrea graduated with a degree in business management in 2001.
Andrea joined the family business full time after graduating from USF, working at the Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City for six weeks of hands-on culinary training in the kitchen; she was the first female to ever work in the Ybor City kitchen.
From there she received four weeks of training at Columbia Restaurant in Celebration, learning all aspects of back-of-the-house and front-of-the-house operations, including assisting in the hiring and training of new employees.
After completing her training, she then worked for the following three years at various Columbia Restaurant’s, including Sand Key, St. Petersburg and Celebration, as an assistant manager.
Gonzmart works at the corporate office in Ybor City as the Director of Operations for the 2-unit Cha Cha Coconuts, a tropical bar and grill.
Andrea also works with her father, President Richard Gonzmart, on new recipe development for the Columbia Restaurant, as well as maintaining and developing the Columbia’s award-winning wine list.
Gonzmart’s Current Community Service:
Andrea is serving in 2012 as Chairman of the Board for the Ybor City Chamber of Commerce''s Board of Directors, following in the footsteps of five of her family members, including her grandparents Cesar and Adela Gonzmart, her father, Richard Gonzmart, and her uncles Casey and Cesar Gonzmart Jr.
Gonzmart’s past community service:
• Served on the Executive Committee of the Ybor City Chamber of Commerce as Vice-Chair of Marketing.
• Board of Directors for the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota.
• Board of Directors for Arté 2007, a celebration of Latin American arts that included 22 major art organizations in Hillsborough, Pinellas and Polk counties.
• Served on a panel for the Tampa Bay Times dedicated to developing diversity and culture in the Tampa Bay Community.
Gonzmart has received the following honors:
• Named one of “30 Under 30” by the Tampa Bay Business Journal
• Certified as a Spanish Wine Educator from The Wine Academy of Spain
• Named one of “40 Under 40” by the Gulf Coast Business Review
Gonzmart’s professional memberships include:
• The Confrerie de la Chaine des Rotisseurs, an organization founded in 1248 for the great chefs of Europe.
• TEC International KEY Executive Program - an organization dedicated to increasing the effectiveness of Chief Executives and enhancing their impact on both their companies and lives.
Family & Personal Interests
Andrea is following in her grandparents Cesar and Adela’s footsteps as an artist and musician, and like her grandmother Adela did, she enjoys playing the piano.
She is active in her Father’s Run for Life Foundation and supports its goal to help Moffitt Cancer & Research Center find a cure for Pediatric Sarcoma cancer.
She also helps her parents by acting as a celebrity chef at their home for charitable dinners.
She is an avid runner and has completed several full 26.2 mile marathons.
Andrea has a daughter, Amelia, who is a member of the sixth generation of the Hernandez Gonzmart family.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
