As someone with Filipino-Japanese heritage who was born and raised in Vienna, Austria, and now works in Bangkok, Thailand, John Patrick Rogado is as international as one can get. His multicultural background and passion for hospitality make him an excellent choice to lead the food and beverage arm of Park Hyatt Bangkok.

“I've always been very passionate about providing exceptional service and creating memorable experiences for guests because my older brother is also in the hotel business in Vienna. I followed his footsteps,” he says.

This led him to become a food and beverage trainee with the world-renowned Accor Group and at top hotels in New York City and London, where his focus was to host and execute banquet events, which he deemed both tough and satisfying. 

“Banquet operations was my passion. It's very challenging, but it's always a very good feeling to host a lot of people in one room with a lot of planning involved, so I stayed on that track,” he says. 

After a short stint at the hotel scene in Manila and getting a taste of how it was to work in Asia, he returned to Vienna in 2016 for an opportunity to become the Restaurant General Manager of The Bank Brasserie & Bar at Park Hyatt Vienna and open the hotel's restaurant. He saw an opening for innovating how hotel restaurants operate and attract diners. He wanted the hotel's restaurant to not just serve hotel guests, but attract local diners as well. 

“During COVID-19, I had the opportunity to take up the role of Events Manager at Park Hyatt Vienna, where I got the opportunity to organize and plan events rather than only focusing on operations,” he says. “I was more on the operations side before. Then I managed a restaurant and wanted to see something different.” 

For two years, he found new ways to attract customers, and the experiment paid off. So when the borders finally opened and the opportunity to transfer to Park Hyatt Bangkok presented itself in 2021, he and his wife jumped on the chance. There, he dazzled the hotel's leadership with his skills and experience.

“Both my wife and I wanted to discover things. She also works at Park Hyatt Bangkok. I started as Assistant Director of Food and Beverage – I did that for one-and-a-half years – and then moved up to F&B Director.” 

Penthouse Bar + Grill: Managing six venues in one

Among his many tasks is managing Park Hyatt Bangkok's Embassy Room – Catalan Cuisine led by Chef Ferran Tadeo and also Penthouse Bar + Grill, a collection of six venues. It's a complex job managing each Penthouse Bar + Grill as each establishment has a different vibe, identity, and clientele. Moving traffic from one place to another requires special skill – and John Patrick is definitely up to the task.

“I work closely with vendors and the Penthouse Bar + Grill team. If there's a restaurant and bar next to each other on the same floor, it won't be easy to manage the flow. Maybe the bar is busy and the restaurant is not. The challenge is how to move foot traffic to both venues,” he says. “We've achieved this by designing the Penthouse Bar + Grill as a concept that would accommodate various preferences. We have three levels so they're all separate. Each establishment can create its atmosphere.” 

Tending to these bars and restaurants, all with different “personalities”, requires a delicate juggling act. Consider how diverse these are. The Grill on Level 34 has an open show kitchen and a magnificent view of the city. Behind the kitchen is the Penthouse Chef's Table, which has its own private wine cellar where guests can enjoy tailor-made dining experiences. The Cocktail Bar on Level 35 is a place for after-work cocktails and drinks with food and entertainment all night long. The Mezzanine, also on Level 35, is a party place with an artsy décor that's perfect for large private groups. The Johnnie Walker Depth of Blue Room on Level 35 holds a special place in John Patrick's heart as it is his brain-child. It's a tiny room where a select clientele can quietly enjoy drinks without the party-crowd feel. Lastly, The Rooftop Bar on Level 36 allows guests to unwind and enjoy Bangkok's breathtaking skyline.

Learn more: Chef Ferran Tadeo's pursuit of excellence brings him to Asia

Advice to aspiring hospitality executives

With all his travels, extensive experience and exposure to different cultures, John Patrick has a lot of wisdom to share with the next generation of hospitality personnel and food and beverage managers.

First things first, he says. Do your homework.

“See what you have in front of you. Observe the market, your competitors and your team because the members know a lot of things you may not. Other things to keep an eye on are cost control and management inventory,” he emphasizes. “Of course, you need to implement efficient inventory management practices to minimize waste and do regular audits and spot checks.” 

He also underscores the importance of technology in today's operations.

“We cannot stop technological advancement so definitely have to go with it. And it can definitely make the service so much better. Technology plays a vital role in enhancing guest experience by streamlining operations, improving communication between staff members, and optimizing reservations,” he says. “TableCheck is a very good platform for doing what you need. It's very important to have all the information so you can be proactive in making guests happy. You can treat all diners as VIPs.”

He adds that hospitality executives need to utilize technology for tracking inventory movements, customer flow, and food and beverage costs. They should be able to analyze the purchasing patterns of guests, negotiate with suppliers for better deals, and optimize manual pricing on ingredient costs. 

“You need to ensure that high quality and guest satisfaction are consistent,” he emphasizes.

This international man of hospitality sure knows what he's talking about. Experience and the ability to learn and take risks have given him all the hard-earned knowledge he possesses.

Penthouse Bar + Grill

Address: Central Embassy 88 Witthayu Rd, Lumphini, Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
Website: Park Hyatt Bangkok
Reservations: TableCheck