The award-winning Revival, a JdV by Hyatt Hotel, has promoted Anna Welker to bar manager and announced the addition of Kendra Copeland to the bar team. Both will be supported by Achraf Iraqui, Revival’s interim food and beverage director and a certified level two wine sommelier. With these additions to the team, Revival has also recently launched a variety of new cocktail-focused programming.
Revival Enhances Bar Team and Cocktail Program
Welker, who has more than a decade of bartending experience working at restaurants and bars throughout the Baltimore area, joined the Revival team as a bartender in 2019 and has continued to craft the hotel’s bar programming in innovative and refreshing ways. One of her most notable contributions to the hotel’s bar programming is her introduction of the hotel’s spirit-free initiative, which launched during “Dry January” last year. Welker led the creation of the “Zero Proof and Zero Judgment” program, which has resonated with guests who seek nonalcoholic craft beverages. Welker herself is in active recovery and spearheaded this program in hopes of tackling stigma and inspiring others in the hospitality industry to accommodate every guest, regardless of their drinking preference.
In her new position as bar manager, Welker will work with Interim Director of Food and Beverage Achraf Iraqui to manage the property’s bar program. Welker’s role includes working with the team to craft seasonal cocktail menus for the hotel’s rooftop restaurant Topside as well as for private and special events. She will also be responsible for overseeing the maintenance of inventory, coordination of all bar staff and curation of the hotel’s wine and beer menus.
With more than 15 years in the industry and extensive experience in the D.C. bar scene, Copeland brings an expansive wealth of knowledge to the Revival team. She has held positions in a variety of restaurant settings, ranging from fine dining and hotels to alehouses and pubs. Her prior work in serving, management and bartending equips her with a unique, well-rounded perspective that will reinforce the hotel’s mission to create unparalleled cocktail experiences for all guests and the surrounding community. Most recently, Copeland was the lead consultant and bartender at The Gibson located in Washington, D.C. In this position, she managed all out-of-house consulting related to staff training, menu curation and inventory organization. She also helped develop the cocktail menu while actively bartending. Her other positions include bartending at Hank’s Cocktail Bar, The Partisan, Red Derby and Murphy’s of D.C.
Copeland’s impressive experience in the bartending scene has garnered industry recognition. She was a Regional Speed Rack finalist in 2018 and has won multiple cocktail competitions in the past few years. Kendra is also a member of the D.C. and Baltimore Bartenders Guild.
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Copeland and Welker will work with Iraqui, who brings years of hospitality management expertise to the food and beverage operations of the hotel. He has served on the management teams at such organizations as KNEAD Hospitality + Design, La Table and Tony Mandolas. Together, the team will work to elevate the hotel’s wine and cocktail programming, including that of the hotel’s soon-to-open and renovated B-Side.
The new lineup of cocktail-focused programming includes the activation of the Intro Lounge, a satellite bar operating on the second-floor lobby that complements the hotel’s Lit Lobby program, during which local DJs play music during peak guest arrival check-in on Fridays and Saturdays from 4-7 p.m. Intro Lounge offers an array of house made canned cocktails including “Return to Forever” (Grey Goose Essences Strawberry & Lemongrass, rhubarb shrub, lemon juice and Tazo Passion Tea) as well as local canned microbrews including Hill Brewing’s Citra Splendor and Evolution Day Crush Session Sour Ale.
For more information and updates on the featured DJs at Lit Lobby and Intro Lounge, follow along on the hotel’s Facebook @revivalbaltimore and Instagram @revivalbaltimore.
