General Manager at Black Woods on the Lake
Blake Yorde was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, but has made his home in the Northland for almost his entire life. He went to High School at Duluth East before proceeding on to University of Minnesota Duluth to pursue a degree in Communication with a Minor in Coaching. Blake feels these degrees proved that he could learn and helped him polish his ability to talk to a wide range of people.
Blake began his career in the hospitality industry when a friend approached him to assist at Grand Superior Lodge in Two Harbors, MN. There, he ran the deli and got his start in banquet bartending. After a few years, Blake was ready to come back to Duluth. This was when he found his place within the Black Woods Group. He worked at the Duluth Black Woods and at the Greysolon Ballroom by Black Woods before becoming the General Manager of Black Water Lounge in 2011. He oversaw Black Water for almost three years. Blake left the company for a short period of time after that but made his way back to the Group when he began bartending at Tavern on the Hill in 2015. Then, in 2018, he transitioned back into a management role and now leads as the General Manager of Black Woods on the Lake. Blake feels the most important part of his job is to take care of our guests, and to provide them with a complete dining experience.
Blake is an adventurous Minnesota Man. He is passionate about the outdoors and spends as much time as he can either in the woods or in a boat. He found his “little piece of heaven,” in Alaska, where he has been a fishing guide for most of his adult life. During the winter, when Blake isn’t ice fishing, you can find him at Spirit Mountain, making the fresh snow powder so that people can go snowboarding, skiing, and tubing. He also enjoys spending time with his wife, Joy, and his 10-year-old Alaskan Malamute, Sage.