Spindletop Restaurant

Meet The Team

Alison Robbins Alison Robbins - Regency Caterers Director

Regency Caterers Director Alison Robbins runs and manages the organization’s off-site catering division. With a background in public relations, event sales, production and management, Robbins is a veteran at coordinating major events. As Regency Caterers’ director, Robbins oversees – from inception to execution – weddings, social events and corporate functions, brilliantly showcasing her management and people skills. Despite a highly competitive market, Robbins continues to produce revenue-generating events that deliver exactly what the client desires. Robbins joined Hyatt Regency Irvine in 2006 and previously worked in a variety of hotels and restaurants as a manager, banquet coordinator and catering manager.

Robbins’ commitment to authentic hospitality stems from her childhood and continues to be an integral part of family life. Robbins practically grew up in her grandfather’s New York bakery. After moving West and receiving her BA in Visual Arts, Media from the University of California, San Diego, she followed the smells and tastes of her childhood memories to Florence, Italy. There she met her Florentine husband, who later became a chef in New York and Southern California kitchens. Her pastry chef sister and chef brother-in-law run a popular restaurant in Irvine. With a family focused on feasting and celebrating food, it’s only natural that Robbins would pass that gastronomic love onto her son, Luca.


Gregory Grohowski Gregory Grohowski - Regency Caterers Executive Chef

Gregory Grohowski is Hyatt Regency Irvine’s executive chef and oversees the hotel’s culinary operations including four restaurants, room service, three cocktail lounges, off-premise catering operations, in-house catering and convention service functions, and more than 50 cooks and 50 stewarding staff. He is also one of Hyatt Corporation’s training chefs.

Grohowski started with Hyatt in 1990 as assistant banquet chef at the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa. Soon after, he was promoted to restaurant chef at Tidepool’s, the hotel’s renowned restaurant. Following that, he joined the team at the Five Diamond Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa.

In 1994, Grohowski transitioned to executive chef for the Five Diamond Wind Star Sail Cruises, traveling through Tahiti and the French Polynesian islands. During his time with Wind Star Cruises, Grohowski worked with Joachim Splichal, the nationally recognized chef and owner of Los Angeles’ Patina Restaurant Group, to implement a new food program for the cruise company. After two years of working for Wind Star, Grohowski rejoined Hyatt, returning to Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa where he was appointed executive sous chef and placed in charge of five restaurants, room service, banquet operations, 160 kitchen and stewarding personnel, and more than 2,500 meals per day. Four years later, Grohowski was tapped to help open the new Hyatt Lake Las Vegas resort. Grohowski has since served as executive chef at the Hyatt Westlake Plaza and Hyatt Regency Monterey.

Grohowski attended Indiana University where he studied psychology, followed by an apprenticeship at Paragon Restaurant, Inc.


Bill Jump William Jump - Executive Sous Chef

As Regency Caterers' executive sous chef, Bill Jump oversees five food and beverage outlets, 50 culinary team members, in-house catering, off-premise catering operations and convention services. Jump joined the Hyatt Regency Irvine team in early 2011. He previously worked for the Ritz-Carlton for three years in several kitchen positions before moving to Hyatt Regency Newport Beach in 2006 as a junior sous chef. Jump was promoted to sous chef within seven months and was put in charge of the three-meal a day restaurant.

After two years as the restaurant’s chef, Jump was promoted to a larger property, Hyatt Regency Century Plaza. There, he was placed in charge of breakfast and lunch in the three-meal a day restaurant called Breeze. During his time there, Open Table named Breeze Restaurant,"Best place for Lunch on the Westside." Jump featured seasonal cuisine with local products. Born in Aurora, Illinois, Jump made his way west to attend the California School of Culinary Arts in Pasadena, where he graduated in 2002. Prior to working in the hospitality and culinary industries, Jump worked as an EMT and 911 dispatcher for the City of Huntington Park.


Don Hanson Don Hanson - Food & Beverage Director

A 23 year Hyatt veteran, Don Hanson is Hyatt Regency Irvine’s director of food and beverage, where he is responsible for four restaurants, room service, three cocktail lounges, off-premise catering operations, and all in-house catering and convention service functions.

Knowing early on that he wanted to be part of the hospitality business, Hanson started working in the industry at the age of 16 and pursued a degree in hospitality management from Florida International University in Miami, Florida. Hanson’s successful hospitality managerial career began with Hyatt Regency Miami. He later moved to Hyatt Hotels in the Caribbean, Boston, New York, Kansas City and Los Angeles.

Hanson was born and raised in upstate New York. He has worked and traveled all over the country. Today, Hanson lives in Southern California where he enjoys spending time outdoors golfing and with his three children.


Brian Baranowski Brian Baranowski - Regency Caterers Banquet Manager

Brian Baranowski is Regency Caterers' banquet manager, overseeing 40 people in banquet operations.

Baranowski has worked in a food and hospitality capacity for Hyatt for nearly 15 years, starting as a server and bartender at Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress. He was later promoted to assistant roving manager, assistant executive steward and then restaurant manager. Moving to Hyatt Regency La Jolla, Baranowski served as convention services floor manager for three years, where he supervised the convention set-up operations.

Originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Baranowski found his way to Southern California to pursue his career in hospitality.


David Castle David Castle - Assistant Food & Beverage Director

David Castle is Hyatt Regency Irvine’s assistant food and beverage director. Prior to joining Hyatt Regency Irvine in 2010, Castle worked as outlets director and director of restaurants for Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa, room service manager for Grand Hyatt Kaua’i Resort and Spa and assistant outlets manager for Hyatt Key West Resort & Spa. Castle received Manager of the Quarter accolades in 2007 and 2009 for his managerial excellence.

Originally from northern Virginia, Castle attended Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University where he received a degree in Management.