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In preparation of the Asbury Lanes reopening hotelier David Bowd and the city’s master waterfront redeveloper iStar have announced a third installment of the Salt School Program.

The free hospitality training program launched in 2016 in preparation for the opening of The Asbury, the city’s newest hotel and entertainment venue, located at 210 Fifth Avenue.

Now the team will administer the program in anticipation of the Memorial Day reopening of the legendary 1960s bowling alley turned music venue, located 209 Fourth Avenue.

Created by Bowd, the training program was conceived with the goal of giving anyone in the community – of any background, experience-level, age, race, and orientation, the opportunity to receive gratis training by the best in the business, officials said in a written statement.

The school speaks to iStar’s investment in the community and its residents, which has gone far beyond its robust pipeline of developments with employment initiatives that include a construction internship program and its Summer Experience, a summer program that trains locals to serve as ambassadors who help to assist tourists.

Bowd is a leader in the hotel industry, with 30 years experience. He worked his way up to the top of his field with no formal education, beginning as a bellman at age 15 at a hotel in his native England. Before starting his own hotel management company, Bowd worked in New York for two renowned hoteliers — Ian Schrager and Andre Balazs.

The Salt School in Asbury is his way of giving back to the industry and to help Asbury residents seeking opportunities for advancement, he has said.

“The hospitality industry is so unique because it doesn’t really care who you are or where you come from – you can rise to become whoever you want to be,” Bowd has said. “Throughout my career, I have had incredible mentors that have helped me become who I am today, and it is my turn to give back to the industry that I love. That is what Salt School is all about – providing Asbury Park residents a chance to achieve their own personal goals.”

Bowd describes the Salt School as “a movement so genuine it changed our culture.”

“I will never open a hotel the same way again,” he said after the first class graduated 110 participants. “We’ve learned a lot about the neighborhood. We’ve learned about what the hotel should be and therefore what it is going to be.”

Many of the 65 graduates who were hired from the first training class remain employed and will be moving on to supervising and management positions at Asbury Lanes this season, officials said.

As a result of local program’s success, Salt School will be carried out at across all Salt properties moving forward, which include Salt House Inn, Eben House and The Chequit.

Bowd who also serves as principal of the West Elm Hotels is bringing the Salt School concept to its 2019 launch in more than 10 cities, including Detroit, Minneapolis and Oakland.

Locally, the Salt School will accept two hundred Asbury Park applicants, expanding on past years. Officials have said a quarter of the graduates will be employed at Asbury Lanes.

Application will be accepted through March 31, 2018.

The school launches April 14 and will run on Saturdays for three weeks at the Boys and Girls Club of Monmouth County’s Asbury Park location at 1201 Monroe Avenue.

Industry leaders will teach students all aspects of hospitality with an added focus on food and beverage service, since Asbury Lanes will offer a 24/7, full-service diner. The curriculum also focuses on guest service, food and beverage management, accounting, culinary and bar trends, event planning, talent and human resources management, marketing, and social media.

Among the industry leaders slated to address the program’s participants will be Daniel Holzman,  founder and chef of the internationally recognized Meatball Shop restaurants.

Graduation is set for April 29, in time for the Asbury Lanes reopening over Memorial Day weekend. The program will culminate with a job fair, added this year due to a demand from local businesses, organizers said. The May 6 event will give the remaining graduates the opportunity for hire and equipt local businesses with trained staff.

Those interested in the program are being asked to answer the question – Why do you want to attend hospitality school?” Application are available at salthotels.com/salt-school. For more about Asbury Lanes progress, visit asburylanes.com and via Facebook. 

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