Wayne Eldred has become part of the fabric of Coral Gables, always willing to give back to a community that appreciates his contribution of time and talent.
He has been both a partner and co-founder of such iconic happenings as Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce’s Burgerlicious, an event that recently celebrated its third year, and Coral Gables Restaurant Week.
For five years Eldred has served as a board member of the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce and now serves as its treasurer. Wayne also currently serves on the board of directors for the Coral Gables Business Improvement District (BID).
Eldred grew up in England, attending prestigious Barrows Hills Boarding School, a Franciscan Friar Order located in Surrey, England. As the son of an engineer stationed in many different countries, he was fortunate to experience different cultures traveling the world and learning about different cuisines, unique recipes, and interesting ingredients, which he brought with him to the United States when he moved back in 1992.
Eldred completed his formal education at Florida International University with a degree in business and management. Not surprisingly, with its incredible cultural diversity, Miami appealed to this world traveler and became his home.
A tireless and consummate professional, Eldred spent 16 years mastering the operations in the restaurant industry. Eight of those years he worked at Tarpon Bend Raw Bar & Grill as both the assistant manager and then general manager. Finally, in April of this year, Eldred achieved his lifelong dream and became the majority owner of Tarpon Bend.
In a business that is demanding and requires long hours, Eldred has successfully built his business on community involvement, staff training and superb customer service. He is proud to say that he has even managed to know the names of 85 percent of his patrons, a pretty impressive number if you ever have seen the crowds that frequent the restaurant and bar.
Eldred also is very proud to be part of the Coral Gables community and is looking forward to both serve and support the City Beautiful through his involvement with the Coral Gables Community Foundation and other charitable programs he supports through his business.
