Camelback Resort in Pennsylvania has named seasoned hospitality executive Christopher Baulo as its new director of food and beverage, a strategic appointment aimed at sharpening the culinary profile of the popular Pocono Mountains destination and enriching the dining experience for year-round visitors.

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A Strategic Hire for a Growing Mountain Destination

The appointment of Baulo as director of food and beverage at Camelback Resort was announced in mid-January 2026, signaling a renewed emphasis on culinary excellence at the 560-acre property in Tannersville. The resort, already known for skiing, snow tubing, an indoor waterpark and extensive summer attractions, is placing higher priority on food and beverage as a core part of the guest experience.

As director of food and beverage, Baulo steps into a role that spans the resort’s entire culinary ecosystem, from casual grab-and-go outlets to upscale dining venues and large-scale catered events. His arrival coincides with Camelback’s broader efforts to elevate operations and refresh its leadership ranks, following recent changes in resort management and facilities leadership.

Resort executives describe the move as an investment in both quality and innovation. By bringing in a leader with deep experience in complex, multi-venue operations, Camelback aims to better align its dining options with the sophistication of its recreation and lodging offerings, and to position the property more firmly as a culinary as well as adventure destination in the Northeast.

Who Is Christopher Baulo?

With more than three decades in the hospitality industry, Christopher Baulo brings a blend of executive leadership and culinary expertise to Camelback. His background includes roles as both chef and senior food and beverage operator, giving him an understanding of kitchen realities as well as the financial and strategic demands of large-scale resort dining.

Most recently, Baulo served as director of food and beverage at Kings Island, a sprawling 364-acre amusement park northeast of Cincinnati, Ohio. There, he oversaw all culinary operations in partnership with the park’s executive chef, managing food quality, menu strategy, staffing and guest service across numerous outlets serving high volumes of visitors throughout the season.

Before his theme park tenure, Baulo owned and operated Repertoire Restaurant in Florence, Kentucky, gaining first-hand entrepreneurial experience that sharpened his skills in cost control, concept development and guest engagement. He also held leadership posts in the casino and hotel sectors, including director of food and beverage, golf and ferry operations at Rising Star Casino Resort in Indiana, and director of hospitality for Caesars Hospitality in Chicago.

Earlier in his career, Baulo built his culinary credentials as executive chef at Harrah’s St. Louis and as assistant executive chef at Harrah’s Las Vegas. He is a graduate of Johnson & Wales University, holding an associate of applied science degree in culinary arts, a foundation that has supported his rise through both back-of-house and front-of-house leadership positions.

Overseeing 25 Dining Outlets Across the Resort

One of the defining features of Baulo’s new position is the sheer scale of the operation he will manage. Camelback Resort’s food and beverage portfolio now encompasses approximately 25 distinct dining outlets, ranging from food trucks and casual counters to themed restaurants, bars, lounges and banquet venues.

That footprint includes popular concepts such as Alta Vida, which serves authentic Mexican cuisine; Trails End Pub & Grille, a ski-in, ski-out American brew pub open daily; Hemispheres, the family-friendly buffet restaurant known for its expansive breakfast offerings; Graffiti Pizza, a New York graffiti-inspired pizzeria; and Oasis, an adults-only indoor pool and swim-up bar that has become one of the resort’s signature experiences.

In his new capacity, Baulo is responsible for setting the strategic direction of these outlets while ensuring consistent execution on the ground. His remit covers menu development, service standards, staffing models, training, budgeting and alignment with the resort’s broader brand identity. From high-volume, quick-service operations on busy ski days to carefully choreographed banquet events, his decisions will influence nearly every meal served on property.

The role also extends to in-room dining and catering for meetings, weddings and special events, key revenue streams for a resort that caters to families, corporate groups and destination celebrations throughout the year. Coordinating these components under a unified leadership vision is expected to streamline operations and support a more cohesive guest experience.

Aligning Culinary Strategy With Year-Round Recreation

Camelback Resort has long marketed itself as a four-season mountain destination, blending winter sports with warm-weather attractions such as its outdoor waterpark, adventure park and mountain activities. As the resort has expanded, guest expectations around dining have evolved as well, aligning more closely with those at urban resorts and destination hotels.

The addition of Baulo to the leadership team supports a strategy that views food and beverage not as an ancillary service but as a core part of the resort’s value proposition. Visitors who arrive for skiing, snowboarding or snow tubing in winter, and for water slides, zip lines and hiking in summer, increasingly expect dining that can match the variety and quality of those experiences.

Industry observers note that destination resorts across the United States are investing more heavily in culinary offerings, recognizing that memorable meals, distinctive bars and polished service can encourage longer stays, repeat visits and positive word of mouth. At Camelback, the goal is to deepen that connection by introducing new flavors, refining existing outlets and integrating food and beverage into the storytelling of the overall resort experience.

Baulo’s background in theme parks and casinos, where guest volumes are high and competition for leisure dollars is intense, may prove particularly relevant as Camelback continues to attract regional visitors from major metropolitan areas such as New York and Philadelphia who have a growing array of getaway options.

Building on Recent Leadership Changes at Camelback

The appointment of a new director of food and beverage arrives amid broader leadership evolution at Camelback Resort. In late 2025, the property named Jason Bays as vice president and general manager, tasking him with guiding overall operations and long-term business objectives for the mountain resort. That move was framed as part of a strategic push toward operational excellence, hospitality innovation and enhanced guest experiences.

Bays, who has extensive experience with large-scale family resorts and waterpark properties, has been charged with strengthening Camelback’s position as a premier employer and guest destination in the Pocono region. Under his leadership, the resort has also welcomed new executives in areas such as facilities, reflecting a multi-pronged effort to modernize and refine operations.

Within that context, Baulo’s arrival signals a more targeted focus on the culinary side of the business. Food and beverage touches nearly every guest during a stay, whether through a quick snack between runs, a birthday dinner, a business luncheon or a wedding reception. Elevating leadership in this area aligns with the resort’s emphasis on consistently high-quality experiences across all departments.

For staff, the appointment also represents an opportunity. A director with extensive experience in training, mentorship and cross-department collaboration is expected to play a key role in developing talent, clarifying career paths and fostering a culture that supports both creativity and accountability in kitchens and dining rooms across the property.

Guest Expectations and Culinary Innovation in the Poconos

The Pocono Mountains have long been a favored escape for visitors from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York, but the character of regional tourism has evolved. Travelers today are often seeking more than traditional lodge fare, especially at properties that market themselves as full-service resorts.

Camelback’s existing dining portfolio already reflects an effort to answer those demands, with distinct concepts catering to families, couples, groups and adult travelers looking for something beyond standard ski-lodge menus. With a leader such as Baulo at the helm, hospitality analysts expect the resort to leverage its scale to introduce more inventive offerings, while tightening consistency and service standards across outlets.

Innovation may take several forms, from refreshed seasonal menus that spotlight local and regional ingredients to expanded options for guests with dietary restrictions. Integrating technology into the dining experience, an area in which Camelback has already experimented, is another likely area of focus, particularly for quick-service locations near lifts and attractions where speed and convenience are paramount.

For the broader Pocono region, Camelback’s moves in food and beverage can carry ripple effects. A higher culinary profile at one of the area’s largest resorts has the potential to raise expectations for dining throughout the destination, encouraging neighboring properties and standalone restaurants to push quality and creativity further to compete for visitors.

From Theme Parks to Mountain Slopes: A Transferable Skill Set

Baulo’s career path through theme parks, casinos and urban hospitality environments offers an instructive lens on why Camelback pursued him for this position. Each of those sectors demands precise coordination of large teams, tight control over food costs and supply chains, and the ability to serve thousands of guests efficiently without sacrificing safety or quality.

At Kings Island, where he most recently directed food and beverage operations, Baulo had to manage outlets that operated at peak capacity on busy days, serving a wide demographic that included families, groups and season pass holders. Balancing throughput with experience, and profitability with guest satisfaction, is an equation that closely mirrors the demands found at a high-volume mountain resort in peak winter or summer seasons.

His earlier roles within casino hospitality also required a nuanced understanding of multiple dining tiers within a single property, from fine dining and buffets to bars and room service, all under the scrutiny of guests with diverse spending levels and expectations. Those experiences equipped him with the operational playbook needed to oversee Camelback’s mix of casual and more polished concepts.

By drawing on that background, Baulo is expected to refine everything from staffing models and kitchen workflows to vendor partnerships and menu engineering, aligning the culinary side of the resort with industry best practices that have been honed in some of the most competitive segments of hospitality.

Positioning Camelback as a Culinary as Well as Adventure Destination

As Camelback Resort moves deeper into 2026, executives and observers alike will be watching how the arrival of Christopher Baulo shapes the guest experience. Success will likely be measured not only in financial metrics but in guest reviews, repeat visitation and the ability of the resort to distinguish itself in a crowded marketplace.

The resort’s leadership has made clear that they view food and beverage as a powerful driver of loyalty. For families, a reliable mix of kid-friendly options and elevated choices for adults can make the difference between a one-time visit and an annual tradition. For couples and groups, special meals and distinctive bars often become the moments that define a getaway.

In bringing on a director of food and beverage with a deep command of both culinary and operational disciplines, Camelback is betting that a stronger, more unified approach to dining will help secure its reputation not just as a place to ski, splash and explore, but as a destination where meals and drinks are as memorable as the mountain views and water slides.

For travelers planning future trips to the Pocono Mountains, Baulo’s appointment offers a preview of the kind of emphasis they can expect on what ends up on their plates and in their glasses. As the resort’s new culinary leadership team settles in, the story of Camelback is poised to be told increasingly through its kitchens and dining rooms as well as its trails and attractions.