Portrait of Steven Flores
i. Biography
Since 2023, Steven Flores has served as sommelier at ILIS in Brooklyn, New York, a role built on years spent moving between sales floors, hospitality, spirits, and brand strategy. That range matters in wine service: it tends to sharpen timing, read the room, and keep the work grounded in precision rather than performance.
The Path
Training at Lone Star College System and University of Houston-Downtown preceded a career that moved across operations, sales, and beverage. From 2006–2008, Steven Flores served as floor director/audio video producer at Cypress Fairbanks instructional support center, work that demanded coordination across multiple moving parts. He then spent 2008–2012 as Team Leader sales/grocery at Target, adding retail discipline and customer-facing experience to the foundation. From 2013–2014, Flores worked as Off Premise Redbull Sales Representative at Republic National Distributing Company, then continued there from 2014–2016 as on premise spirits multicultural sales representative. Those roles marked a deeper turn into beverage service and distribution, with each step pulling him closer to the standards of the dining room. He then became on premise spirits key account manager at Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits from 2017–2018, followed by Multicultural Marketing Manager at Bacardi from 2018–2021. By the time he moved into the role of Sr. Manager, Multicultural Brand Marketing & Partnerships, Burger King at Restaurant Brands International in Miami, Florida, United States (from 2021), the throughline was clear: front-of-house sensitivity paired with brand-side strategy. Wine work brought that broader experience into a tighter register. Steven Flores was sommelier at Terroir in New York, NY from 2021–2023, where beverage service met close attention to detail. He then became sommelier at ILIS in Brooklyn, New York from 2023, carrying that perspective into a demanding dining room. Since 2025, he has also served as sommelier at Lei Wine Bar, extending that same practice into another wine-focused setting.
The Work Today
He has been sommelier at ILIS in Brooklyn since 2023.
Career - Sommelier — Lei Wine Bar, New York, NY (2025–present) - Floor director/audio video producer — Cypress Fairbanks instructional support center (2006–2008) - Team Leader sales/grocery — Target (2008–2012) - Off Premise Redbull Sales Representative — Republic National Distributing Company (2013–2014) - On Premise Spirits Multicultural Sales Representative — Republic National Distributing Company (2014–2016) - On Premise Spirits Key Account Manager — Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits (2017–2018) - Multicultural Marketing Manager — Bacardi (2018–2021) - Sr. Manager, Multicultural Brand Marketing & Partnerships, Burger King — Restaurant Brands International, Miami, Florida, United States (from 2021) - Sommelier — Terroir, New York, NY (2021–2023) Education: Lone Star College System; University of Houston-Downtown
Acclaim
None listed.
FAQ What is Steven Flores's current role? As of 2026, Steven Flores is Sommelier. Where did Steven Flores train or study? Steven Flores trained at Lone Star College System and University of Houston-Downtown.
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