Did a search and didn't see this, but it may have been buried in another thread; from todays Orlando Sentinel -
Dieter Hannig, who has led the development of new restaurants at Walt Disney World for more than a decade, will leave at the end of March.
Jason Garcia
Sentinel Staff Writer
11:11 AM EST, February 26, 2009
Dieter Hannig, Disney World's vice president for food and beverage new concepts, said this week that he will leave the resort at the end of March.
"I'm sad to say goodbye," Hannig said. "But you know, we must be willing to let go of the life we had planned in order to have the life we have waiting for us."
Hannig, 59, accepted one of the buyouts that Disney last month offered to more than 600 executives across its domestic theme-park division, as the Burbank, Calif.-based media and entertainment giant cuts costs amid a deepening global recession.
Disney has declined to say how many executives will depart through the buyouts beyond saying it received a "satisfactory response." The company also plans to lay off an undisclosed number of employees in the coming weeks as part of a plan to combine back-office operations at Disney World and Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif.
Disney has been hit hard by the worst recession in decades. Operating profit at its worldwide parks and resorts division fell by $123 million, or 24 percent, during the three months ended Dec. 27; attendance at Disney World fell 5 percent during the period.
Hannig has overseen the development of dozens of new restaurants at Disney World over the years. Critics credited him for elevating the resort into a top dining destination in the early 1990s, when he began encouraging executive chiefs at Disney restaurants to run their eateries as if they owned them.
The German-born chef said his fondest projects included developing the California Grill atop Disney's Contemporary Resort and creating the African-inspired Jiko and Boma in Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge.
He has most recently been developing a third African restaurant, which will feature dishes infused with Indian flavors in the time-share addition Disney is building next to the Animal Kingdom Lodge. The restaurant -- "Sanaa," which is Swahili for "work of art" -- is scheduled to open in mid-April.
Hannig has spent 21 years with Disney, beginning his tenure at Disneyland Paris. He said the buyouts arrived at an opportune moment.
He and his wife, Ursula, are building a retreat in the mountains of Panama that will offer guests a combination of yoga and organically grown tropical food. It's an ideal next chapter for Hannig, who earned the nickname "Tofu King" for his devotion to healthy cooking and who is an avid mountain-climber and marathon runner.
Hannig and his wife celebrated their 33rd wedding anniversary at base camp on Mt. Everest. "It's not what I would call a business. It's more a passion," Hannig said of the retreat.
Hannig said he expects to return to Central Florida frequently. Disney plans to use him as a consultant on future dining projects.
Jason Garcia can be reached at jrgarcia@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5414.
Copyright © 2009, Orlando Sentinel
Dieter Hannig, who has led the development of new restaurants at Walt Disney World for more than a decade, will leave at the end of March.
Jason Garcia
Sentinel Staff Writer
11:11 AM EST, February 26, 2009
Dieter Hannig, Disney World's vice president for food and beverage new concepts, said this week that he will leave the resort at the end of March.
"I'm sad to say goodbye," Hannig said. "But you know, we must be willing to let go of the life we had planned in order to have the life we have waiting for us."
Hannig, 59, accepted one of the buyouts that Disney last month offered to more than 600 executives across its domestic theme-park division, as the Burbank, Calif.-based media and entertainment giant cuts costs amid a deepening global recession.
Disney has declined to say how many executives will depart through the buyouts beyond saying it received a "satisfactory response." The company also plans to lay off an undisclosed number of employees in the coming weeks as part of a plan to combine back-office operations at Disney World and Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif.
Disney has been hit hard by the worst recession in decades. Operating profit at its worldwide parks and resorts division fell by $123 million, or 24 percent, during the three months ended Dec. 27; attendance at Disney World fell 5 percent during the period.
Hannig has overseen the development of dozens of new restaurants at Disney World over the years. Critics credited him for elevating the resort into a top dining destination in the early 1990s, when he began encouraging executive chiefs at Disney restaurants to run their eateries as if they owned them.
The German-born chef said his fondest projects included developing the California Grill atop Disney's Contemporary Resort and creating the African-inspired Jiko and Boma in Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge.
He has most recently been developing a third African restaurant, which will feature dishes infused with Indian flavors in the time-share addition Disney is building next to the Animal Kingdom Lodge. The restaurant -- "Sanaa," which is Swahili for "work of art" -- is scheduled to open in mid-April.
Hannig has spent 21 years with Disney, beginning his tenure at Disneyland Paris. He said the buyouts arrived at an opportune moment.
He and his wife, Ursula, are building a retreat in the mountains of Panama that will offer guests a combination of yoga and organically grown tropical food. It's an ideal next chapter for Hannig, who earned the nickname "Tofu King" for his devotion to healthy cooking and who is an avid mountain-climber and marathon runner.
Hannig and his wife celebrated their 33rd wedding anniversary at base camp on Mt. Everest. "It's not what I would call a business. It's more a passion," Hannig said of the retreat.
Hannig said he expects to return to Central Florida frequently. Disney plans to use him as a consultant on future dining projects.
Jason Garcia can be reached at jrgarcia@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5414.
Copyright © 2009, Orlando Sentinel
