westlake at jkv Archives - John Knox Village

BV’s French Press Coffee & Wine Bar Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting

On April 17, 2024, John Knox Village of Florida (JKV) in Pompano Beach proudly held its grand opening of BV’s French Press Coffee and Wine Bar, located on the lobby level of Westlake, its newest addition to the community. The new luxury apartment towers at JKV include 147 state-of-the-art apartment homes and many spaces on its ground floor where all residents and guests can gather, relax, and enjoy. Courtesy of a generous donation, BV’s was named in honor of its benefactor, JKV resident Bruce Voelkel, who has lived at JKV since 2017 and is an active member of the community.

The John Knox Village Foundation supports the community through innovative, compassionate programming and initiatives. According to the Foundation’s Executive Director Mark Dobosz, “Bruce’s donation to name BV’s French Press Coffee & Wine Bar is a perfect example of his commitment to the lifestyle, well-being, and pleasure for all Village residents to savor the delights of delicious coffee and wine.”

L-R: Lance Sanson, VP Dining, JKV Resident Bruce Voelkel, and Steve Turk, Founder Biscayne Coffee

JKV’s Dining team member Shala McKenzie proudly serves BV’s first cups of coffee to what will sure to be many happy residents.

BV’s features offerings from Biscayne Coffee, a locally sourced coffee company that donates 10% of its proceeds to ocean conservation. Its founder, Steve Turk, participated in the ribbon cutting and presented Bruce with a gift basket and BV’s French Press apron.

Since 1967, JKV has been providing a fulfilling, engaging, and stress-free environment with an all-inclusive full continuum of care from independent living and assisted living to short and long-term skilled nursing care. As a Life Plan community, the internationally award-winning JKV allows proactive seniors to plan for their future healthcare needs while enjoying first-class amenities, life-long learning programs, and a full range of services that promote wellness of mind, body, and spirit. JKV continues to stay ahead of the curve by emphasizing fitness and overall well-being for each of its residents. Through unwavering commitment to excellence and guiding principles, the team brings the unique JKV experience to life every day for 1,000 residents.

As an award-winning Life Plan community in Pompano Beach, Florida, John Knox Village prides itself on finding incredible talent, such as Chef Frederic, and offering the very best to its residents – from life enrichment and fitness to cultural arts and dining. Chef Frederic Delaire has been a fantastic addition to John Knox Village, and we are so fortunate to have him.

Chef Frederic grew up in southwest France in the idyllic town of Agen, one hour from Bordeaux. As a boy, he became interested in cooking as his grandfather was a well-known bread baker. He cooked at home for his family all the time. So, when he graduated high school in 1989 at 16, he was presented with a choice – culinary school or an apprenticeship at a restaurant. Being from a middle-class family, neither Frederic nor anyone in his family had ever eaten in a high-end restaurant. Imagine his surprise when his first restaurant apprenticeship was at the 2-star Michelin classic French restaurant, L’Aubergade in Puymirol, about an hour from home, where he started as a dishwasher and worked his way up to Pastry Chef.

Struck by wanderlust after four years, Chef Frederic traveled to Germany to work with German Chef Christian Lohse at the restaurant Die Windmule in Westphalia. In 1997, he returned to France to join the team at the famous Michelin Star restaurant Jules Verne, located on the second floor of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, where he worked both the meat and fish stations for three years.

In 1999, Chef packed his bags and flew to South Florida. Among his stops as Executive Chef before joining JKV were the Historic National Hotel on South Beach and Loews Miami Beach.

He also participated in the South Beach Wine & Food Festival for 13 years, collaborating on special dining events.

The long hours and 7 days a week schedule running busy kitchens began to take their toll on Chef and his wife and daughter, who is now 12 years old. Chef Frederic says, “I knew I had to make adjustments to my work/life balance to spend more time with my loved ones, as well as to take care of myself.” He started looking for different opportunities. His job search led him to Lance Sanson, the VP of Dining Services at JKV. After a meeting of the minds, Sanson hired Frederic as the Executive Chef at JKV in July 2023. Adds Chef, “The reason I am at JKV is because of Sanson. He has a vision for John Knox Village, and I want to be a part of that. It is an exciting time to be here.”

Under Chef Frederic and Lance Sanson’s leadership, the dining program across the board has gone through a great metamorphosis at the 6 restaurant concepts across campus. New approaches have been implemented at the Pavilion, where there are two restaurants – The Pearl and Seaglass that share a kitchen, and a new menu has been created to better serve our residents. The other restaurants, The Palm Bistro, Glades Grill and Poolside Pub, each have their own personality with fresh concepts. The soon-to-open Westlake Eatery and BVs French Press Coffee & Wine Bar are in menu development and will open in the summer of 2024. They will also focus on fresh, healthy, delicious options – all under the supervision of Chef Frederic.

Get to know us and come see how Chef Frederic and the rest of the JKV community are best-in-class. If you would like to schedule a private tour and tasting dinner at JKV, please contact VP of Sales, Kim Ali at kali@jkvfl.com, or (954) 783-4040.

Tag Archive for: westlake at jkv

JKV Proudly Opens BV’s French Press Coffee & Wine Bar at Westlake

JKV Spotlight on Executive Chef Frederic Delaire: His Journey from Michelin-Starred Restaurants to Senior Living