Our Staff
Event Coordinator Erin Cude
Erin Cude is an individual who can and will accomplish anything she sets her mind to! Erin was born in San Antonio and grew up there. She moved to the Victoria area in 2012. Her background was not in restaurant management but she has brought tremendous organizational skills to our team. Erin is an accomplished pilot. Prior to joining our companies she was Chief Flight Instructor for Calhoun Air Center. As an example of her skill as a pilot, in 2012 she competed in an air race from Concord, CA to Harrisburg, PA – and won 1st place! Erin brings this discipline, competitiveness, and commitment to excellence to the restaurants she now oversees! She is Event Coordinator for both The Pumphouse Riverside Restaurant and Bar and The Sendera Restaurant.
Executive Chef, Cliff Denton
The PumpHouse and Sendera are pleased to have Cliff Denton as Executive Chef. Cliff graduated from Victoria High School and left Victoria never expecting to return for more than a visit. Cliff pursued his love of cooking, attending the Connecticut Culinary Institute. Upon completion of his studies, Chef Cliff worked in several restaurants along the east coast before returning to Texas. Chef Cliff worked several years in San Antonio and New Braunfels. With family ties to Victoria, Cliff heard the call of the PumpHouse and accepted the position of Executive Chef. Building his team from the ground up has allowed Chef Cliff to select individuals to work in his kitchen who will meet his standards of excellence. In October of 2017 Chef Cliff took over the food service of the Sendera.
Chef Deborah Mead
If you think fondly of the wonderful food that was served at The Longleaf Coffee Company, you can find the person behind the cuisine at The PumpHouse. When we heard that The LongLeaf was closing, we made a concerted effort to find the person responsible for those great lunches and desserts. We found her, Deborah Mead, in Goliad, and brought her back to Victoria. The yummy daily lunch specials can primarily be credited to this talented part of our team!
Chef Kim Hoelter
Some people were just born to create and this definitely describes Kim Hoelter. Kim has worked in various careers throughout her time in Victoria. She has owned an art gallery, The Magnolia Gallery, in Downtown Victoria, she has owned a catering company, The Silver Spoon. She has sold real estate for Cornerstone Properties. When The PumpHouse was near opening, we wanted to hire the person we knew who made the best dessert we had ever tasted. That person was Kim Hoelter. She is kept busy as our primary Pastry Chef for both The PumpHouse and The Sendera.