Kirt was drawn to “Experiential Dining” and “Eatertainment” early in his hospitality career. He found the fusion of food, drinks, and fun to be far more fulfilling than just dining out. His first venture was with Splittsville in Disney Springs on their service team before eventually moving over to Kings Dining & Entertainment located in Orlando’s International Drive. Kirt’s then General Manager (and eventual Kings Vice President of Operations), Mr. Leo Neves, recognized the qualities and attributes of great leadership within Kirt so he proceeded to carefully plant seeds for a journey of growth.
 
Kirt never backs down from a challenge, so when asked to help in the sales and marketing office in Orlando, he jumped at the opportunity. Kirt had a natural ability to connect with guests, which when empowered to focus on large scale marketing projects allowed him to shine. A quality that many admired about Kirt was his internal drive and motivation to grow himself without the need for carrots and sticks. When a door opened for him, Kirt would bet on himself and seize the opportunity, which led him to diversifying his skill set and eventually moving to the operations side of the business. Armed with the knowledge of the sales and marketing arm of the business, Kirt was able to motivate the service team he was now leading to support the sales building efforts of the business.

Always keeping his foot in the door of the “Experiential Dining” world, Kirt upped his game by learning from and working for a company that focused on the digital side of marketing with a focus on online reputation management, search engine optimization and the complex world of social media. He eventually made the decision to double down on his passion for leadership and guest service by going “all in” on his career in hospitality when Kirt was offered a full time position as a “Sales & Marketing” manager at Kings. This full circle return to the sales team allowed his talents to shine after a diverse journey through the many roles he previously held. Empowered to listen carefully and respond creatively, Kirt was a major part of the many sales home runs the venue produced during his time in the department, including some of the largest full facility “buyouts” in the company’s history.
 
Kirt was challenged again by moving in a Senior Operations role before eventually moving to Miami, Florida to become the Director of Operations overseeing the company's venue in a brand new market. Kirt was mentored by Mr. Corey Simpson, who turned over the reigns to Kirt after preparing him for his new role as Mr. Simpson prepared his move to Nashville, Tennessee. In their time together, the pair produced some of the most impressive results seen by defying the odds and creating a culture of service excellence, sales building and people development.
 
You have to truly know Kirt to understand him. There are few people in any industry that possess the incredible dexterity of a seasoned salesperson as well as the undeniable skillset of a great leader. Kirt has a motivated drive to push himself to learn and grow himself and those around him to break through plateaus. His passion for guest service and his legendary action muscle has produced world-class results innumerable times and he is just getting started. Most impressively, Kirt is among one of the most coachable leaders in the industry which allows him to continue to be challenged and level up as his journey continues.
 
Kirt has joined the AMP Up1 Hospitality Team and is helping redefine “Eatertainment”. Kirt is supporting many projects, specializing in the Membership program, and is helping build the “Connections” platform for The Third Spot™️ brand the company is launching. With his diverse knowledge of the inner workings of the operations of the industry, his passion for curating experiences, and his love for reducing friction, Kirt is a natural fit to assist in the growth of the brand's membership program.
 
There is no typecasting Mr. Strock as he’s proven to be a versatile player in the experiential dining world. Although his skill set is being applied to the marketing, innovation, sales, and social media arm of the brand, his journey is only starting and will certainly continue to evolve over time as the brand launches and grows.
 
Armed with “Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose”, Kirt joins a team of passionate hospitality professionals who he’s worked with, been mentored by, and supported for years and continues to prove that “it’s not who the person is today that’s important, but who they can be if you believe in them”. Kirt has exceeded expectations from the time he started with this team in 2015 as a Server to the company executive and Partner that he is today and will no doubt apply his intrinsic motivation and virtues to his journey as it continues to unfold.