Seminole Brighton Bay Hotel & Casino proudly announces the appointment of Andrew Poliquin as the Director of Food & Beverage. 

Poliquin will oversee the resort’s diverse dining experiences, including a three-meal restaurant (EE-TO-LEET-KE GRILL), an intimate steakhouse (Josiah Steakhouse) with 62 seats, and a fast-service cafe (Constant Grind and Slice) that features coffee, pizza, and grab-and-go options. These dynamic venues will showcase his commitment to excellence and innovation in food and beverage operations. 

A Florida native, Poliquin brings an extensive background in the restaurant and hospitality industry, blending experience and creativity to deliver exceptional culinary experiences. He discovered his passion for cooking in high school while competing in the Johnson & Wales Taste of Florida Recipe Contest, earning a partial scholarship to the prestigious culinary program in North Miami. During his culinary studies, he honed his skills by working summers in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and cooking for the media at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. 

His career includes roles as Chef de Cuisine at the Renaissance Vinoy and as part of the early growth team for Bonefish Grill, where he helped develop processes and standards as BOH Coordinator for new openings. 

Poliquin continued to refine his craft in leadership roles, including Executive Chef & Beverage Manager at the Westin Tampa Harbour and Executive Sous Chef at Loews Don CeSar. He later joined the Marriott Crabtree Valley in Raleigh, North Carolina where he enhanced the property’s contemporary Southern restaurant, Braise, by incorporating fresh, local, and seasonal flavors. 

Passionate about showcasing Florida flavors, Poliquin is thrilled to bring his expertise to Seminole Brighton Bay Hotel & Casino, creating unique culinary experiences that celebrate local ingredients and exceptional service. 

Outside of the kitchen, Poliquin enjoys kayaking, beach outings, and spending quality time with his wife, and their two children. A lifelong sports enthusiast, he supports the Tampa Bay Rays, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Gators, and USA Soccer, among others. 

“Seminole Brighton Bay Hotel & Casino is delighted to have Andrew Poliquin lead its Food & Beverage team as the property embarks on an exciting new chapter,” said Marty Johns, General Manager. “His vision and dedication to guest satisfaction are sure to elevate the dining experience for all who visit.”

###

About Seminole Brighton Bay Hotel & Casino
The new resort, which replaced Seminole Casino Brighton (first opened in 1980), includes a casino with a total of nearly 38,000 square feet, including space for a total of 640 slot machines and 18 tables for blackjack, craps, roulette, and other house-banked card games, along with high-stakes bingo action. Included in the totals are a smoke-free gaming space with 104 slot machines and a high-limit gaming area with 42 slot machines and four table games. Dining options include EE-TO-LEET-KE GRILL with 126 seats, a steak house (Josiah Steakhouse) with 62 seats and a fast-service and carry-out cafe offering a combination of items from a coffee bar (Constant Grind) and pizza kitchen (Slice). The resort also boasts an indoor event space with 400 seats for banquet events or bingo games, or 900 seats set up as a performance hall. In a first for any Seminole Casino, the new resort offers a ten-lane bowling alley (Brighton Bay Bowling) of 7,044 square feet. The complex includes the first hotel to be built on the Brighton Seminole Reservation, featuring 100 guest rooms on four stories, totaling 72,000 square feet. Guest rooms include a mixture of rooms with either one king bed or two queen beds, plus three suites and a fitness center. The resort’s name salutes popular sportfishing sites of nearby Lake Okeechobee, where Fisheating Bay is a little more than two miles from the resort. Fisheating Bay and Fisheating Creek get their name from the Seminole name recorded on a military map of 1839, Thlothlopopka-Hatchee, translated as “the river where fish are eaten.”