Tony Gorick

Briefly describe your job and responsibilities.

As the Sales & Marketing Manager, I strategize and implement a variety of campaigns by using social media, email marketing, print advertisements, creative partnerships, web development, sales plans, and more, to grow revenue, guest attendance, event booking, and brand awareness for Decades. From large-scale year or quarter-long campaigns, to granular digital ads focused on a weekend special, my responsibilities span an array of marketing initiatives to help our business succeed.

What does a “typical” day at work look like for you?

What I love most about this industry is it’s rare I do the same thing each day! Some of the things I look to do each day include creating/implementing/monitoring any ongoing digital and social media ads on a variety of platforms, checking my schedule to see what types of design needs we’d need for different upcoming campaigns, promotions, or ads, and meeting with other team members to discuss different objectives we have to collaborate on. Of course, there is the ongoing checking of email as well!

What was your first job in the hospitality industry?

In high school I worked for Awesome Ice, an Italian ice business that had stands in both Hersheypark and Dutch Wonderland. I have always loved amusement parks and the tourism industry in general, so this was a great beginning experience in the industry. I wanted to be a mascot when I was younger as well, so I worked as one of the candy-costumed characters at Hersheypark and later with the Hershey Bears hockey team.

When did you know this industry was right for you?

Working at Hersheypark post-college in the Entertainment Department as a Supervisor of costumed characters and musical shows cemented my love for the industry. After a career that spanned a variety of other roles, I hosted at Decades for fun on the side while I had a different job and was reminded how much I missed the hospitality industry. That’s when I decided to hop on board this awesome Decades team—it was one of the best decisions I ever made.

Briefly describe your career path and how you got to where you are today.

After college, I began working at Landis Homes, part of the now Landis Communities, in Life Enrichment (activities). It taught me so much about purpose and connection. I loved working with aging adults. After that, I was part of the Ten Thousand Villages team helping shape their digital content and social media strategy for their national, and regional, brand/stores. Then I worked at Fig Industries specifically to grow their digital footprint with blog stories while helping to write content for their magazines at the time in Lancaster, Bethlehem, West Chester, and Kennett Square. Finally, my most recent role was at the Lancaster Chamber leading marketing and communication initiatives. During my time at the Chamber, I helped to lead the communications strategy for Recovery Lancaster during the COVID-19 pandemic that funneled federal funds to small businesses struggling, especially the hospitality and restaurant industry, which was a very rewarding experience I’ll never forget. I hosted at Decades on the side near the end of my time at the Lancaster Chamber which reminded me how much I loved the hospitality industry—thus bringing me full-time onto the current team here!

What is your favorite part of your job?

I love being able to use creativity while working with an awesome team! Our kitchen, operations, and bar staff consistently amaze me with their ideas and talents… and it’s really cool to be able to channel all of that into fun campaigns, promotions, and events. I also really enjoy connecting with people, and this job gives me ample opportunity to do that whether that’s with guests, nonprofit organizations we help to fundraise for, local leaders, or other businesses in our community.

What is the most challenging part of your job?

I think the most challenging part is ensuring we are on top of current trends since they change so quickly, especially in the digital marketing landscape. Always looking far ahead can be exciting, but it’s challenging to also remember to focus on the here and now as well.

What advice would you give to students interested in your profession?

Be a sponge for learning! Having multiple skill sets and talents will only help you stand out. Looking to go into marketing? In addition to that information make sure to learn design, photography, videography, editing, etc. Looking to go into hospitality management? Look at internships in event planning or get an intro-level job as a host to understand how a certain place functions. Gather as much info as you can because it will only help shape your skills while also exposing you to a possible passion you may have for an aspect of the industry you didn’t know about!

What achievement are you most proud of?

I am proud of this entire 2024 year for Decades. Our team is incredible and to have our year be one of growth and promotion was really cool to see. Governor Shapiro visited Decades as part of his PA Getaway campaign and it was great to see our team and business featured on such a large scale. Two of our working partners, Chris and Jonathan, won the recent Rising Star Award with the PRLA which was a huge, awesome moment for them and our organization. I know it’s not necessarily one ‘achievement’, but this year as a whole—two bartenders winning a variety of awards, our 5 year Decades anniversary, our newly-added Mezzanine space, the Lancaster Craft Beerfest returning (that Decades coordinates), and more—makes 2024 a celebration of multiple achievements the team worked very hard to reach! I am really proud to be part of this group at Decades.

What do you like to do outside of work?

I love roller coasters, watching football & soccer (can’t wait for the US to host the World Cup!), collecting things (my Star Wars collection is quite robust), traveling, hanging out with my family (including my amazing, supportive parents), reading, and writing.

What is your favorite food to make or eat?

I absolutely love alfredo. And I have an obsession with Thousand Island Dressing.

What’s at the top of your bucket list?

Travel to Tokyo! And hopefully finish writing my novel by end of 2025.