The Two Leaders Fueling Flawless F&B at Bern’s Steak House

In the kitchen, executive pastry chef Hannah Thomas is preparing for a long night, churning macadamia nut ice cream, a fan-favorite. A Florida native and Le Cordon Bleu graduate, she joined Bern’s in 2019 as a pastry sous chef and has quickly risen through the ranks.

With up to 700 covers a night, Thomas acts with surgical precision. She plates in the very back of the building, away from everyone, to focus—she knows how important the dessert room is to completing guests’ experiences. When building out the dessert menu, she carefully balances innovation with respect for tradition, understanding that she’s upholding a legacy 70 years in the making.

“We honor the foundation Bern’s was built on, keeping a traditional, welcoming feel to our signature dishes,” Thomas says. “We rotate specials seasonally, so that’s where you’ll see new flavors incorporated. Our guests can always come and get our signature tableside bananas Foster, but we also push the envelope with smaller tasting dinners in the wine cellar once a month.”

While Thomas focuses on desserts, spirits program assistant Maddie Kaye brings a similar style of innovation to the bar program. Inspired by her mother, who owned a small diner, Kaye has a deep understanding of flavor, trends, and guest experience in her craft. She also draws inspiration from Laxer himself.

“I ask myself a lot, ‘What would Bern do?’ He was such a pioneer who always hunted for the next best thing. He was endlessly curious about ways to take the extra step to make the guest experience unforgettable,” Kaye says. “And I think that makes it easy for us to do the same behind the bar, experimenting while holding onto what makes Bern’s, Bern’s.”

Kaye often collaborates with Thomas and the dessert program, crafting beverages like the macadamia nut old-fashioned, made with Bern’s barrel select whiskey and clarified macadamia nut ice cream, or a key-lime-pie-inspired cocktail. Sometimes, you can find Kaye in the kitchen asking Thomas for one of her famous chocolate chip cookies to use on top of a cocktail.

There’s an emotional element to leading the beverage and dessert programs for a restaurant so deeply woven into the city’s culture. For Thomas, sending guests home on a sweet note is deeply fulfilling. Generations of Tampa customers have enjoyed nights at Bern’s.

“A few weeks ago, I had a table that wanted a recipe that’s no longer on the menu, and being able to personally make them the recipe was so exciting. They were in tears for it,” Thomas says. “It’s hard to explain how I feel knowing that this is what we do for people every day.”

For Kaye, being able to express herself at Bern’s is a gift. She is a self-described spirits nerd—she loves being able to tell stories through a drink and create an experience for guests. Whether creating a vacation-in-Mexico experience or designing a menu for a local wine festival, there is always something to craft around. It’s an art form.

“I grew up in the country where the smell of wheat grain and corn is everywhere,” Kaye says. “So for me, the smell of whiskey and old barns is really special. When our spirits director picked out single barrels of whiskey last year, he chose 38 different barrels, looking for ones positioned higher in the warehouse where the temperature fluctuates more. He knows all of the secrets, and it’s amazing to be a part of this team-wide dedication to perfection.”

For a restaurant of this caliber, upholding this reputation requires a culture built on respect, not fear. Both Kaye and Thomas have been credited not only for their culinary prowess, but also for their commitment to being mentors and collaborators.

“We’re earning each other’s mutual respect, and that is powerful. The fact that we can hold each other accountable without taking it personally, treating it like a team sport, is what I love about leadership at Bern’s,” Kaye says. “Everybody has done this for long enough to know that this industry is difficult.”

Kaye remembers the first time she had a cocktail on the menu—as does Thomas, with her sweet treats—and makes it a daily practice to ensure her team members are being heard. Rather than leading from a position of authority, both she and Thomas prioritize listening, demoing ideas, and partnering on solutions. They don’t shy away from constructive criticism; they’ve built a culture where feedback is viewed as a tool for moving the program forward.

Above all, when it comes to continuing the iconic legacy of Bern’s, the two say that staying hungry is the key.

“I never went to a formal school to learn how to bartend or mix drinks. I watched, and people were kind enough to teach me, but in this business, you have to have a drive. You have to have open dialogue all the time with your team,” Kaye says. “Take advice from others, but don’t be afraid to be yourself and develop your own style within the parameters of your environment. It feels so good to accomplish something when you’ve been yourself the whole time.”