To say that Breon Koenig has one of the coolest jobs on the Strip would be both literally and figuratively correct. As the general manager for Minus5 Ice Experience at The Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian and The Palazzo, she oversees the newly opened bar made completely of ice (except for the floor and ceiling). Chairs, tables, walls, décor, chandeliers—it’s all ice.
“When I saw the job posting for Minus5 (five years ago), I thought it was so cool and so unique and I knew I wanted to be a part of it,” said the Chatsworth, Calif., native. Koenig was first hired as a manager at Minus5’s Mandalay Bay location. During her tenure with the company, Koenig has also helped open the New York outpost and joined The Grand Canal Shoppes spot as it was being built. “This location is unique because we’re the only location in Vegas that allows kids inside—before 9 p.m.,” she said.
As the general manager, Koenig said, “First and foremost, I make sure that all my customers have the best experience possible.” But her favorite part of the job is “talking to people that come out of the experience and tell me what a great time they had.”
It’s that customer interaction that led Koenig to switch her career goals while attending the Pasadena Culinary Arts college. She went from wanting to be a chef to wanting to run the front of the house. “I thought I wanted to be in the kitchen,” she said. “But once I realized that my love was really talking to people and customer service, the front of the house became more appealing to me.”
Knowing that she’s helping guests make fun memories is what really warms Koenig’s heart … even if she is standing in the frosty 23-degree temperature.
Ice in da Coconut
A section of Minus5 “brings paradise to the ice bar,” Koenig said. The company teamed up with country music star Kenny Chesney and his rum brand, Blue Chair Bay, and together created signature cocktails like the Ice in da Coconut. It’s mixed with Blue Chair Bay coconut rum and pineapple and coconut juices—very similar tasting to a piña colada. Guests can check out the “paradise” section of the bar, complete with Adirondack chairs encased in ice, surfboards, waves and palm trees made of ice and even Chesney’s handwritten lyrics to “Old Blue Chair.”
