Managing the Empire (Santé)Sep 1, 2007From high-end hospitality to hamburgers, growth on the big scale means juggling important business components from quality of ingredients to staff training to the integration of technology. It takes a special breed of restaurateurs and chef entrepreneurs to embrace that model and thrive on its demands. A Shore Thing: Mac's Shack (Santé)Sep 1, 2007The sleepy coastal town of Wellfleet, Massachusetts, gets a wake-up call early each summer as waves of vacationers and seasonal residents start settling into the vacation homes that dot the shores of Cape Cod. Chef/owner Jean-Michel Bergougnoux: A great chef; an aperitif; and a trip to Paris...Aug 20, 2007The restaurant business takes more than just talent - it takes money; it takes an understanding of the business part of the restaurant; it takes good people because without capable people you have no shot. It also takes tremendous energy and enthusiasm (PASSION). I can't comment on the money part, but Jean-Michel Bergougnoux had everything else and then some. Interview: Tommy Klauber, Chef/Owner - Pattigeorge'sAug 17, 2007Classically trained chef/owner Tommy Klauber is proof positive that great chefs can find peace, happiness and success anywhere and everywhere in America - big city or otherwise. We talk with Klauber about this and other aspects of being an independent restaurant. INTERVIEW: Chef/Owner Dan Butler -- Wilmington, DEAug 16, 2007
Beautiful downtown Wilmington is not the easiest spot in the world to own a restaurant. Chef Dan Butler has somehow figured it all out. Maybe it's because he grew-up here; maybe it's that cherished diploma form the Culinary Institute of America; or maybe he is just an exceptional chef and businessman. We spoke with him about all of the above...
John's passion, wit, and wisdom for the restaurant business are undeniable. John chats with us about the exciting challenge of giving birth to a new restaurant. His responses were infused with a frank honesty that is captivating.
Jimmy Bradley is the epitome of what makes New York the greatest restaurant city on the planet. Chef owned and chef driven - it is what the best part of the restaurant business is all about.
Over twenty-seven plus years Madison Park Café has grown into a quintessential neighborhood café, serving some of Seattle's finest French bistro dinners. We had a chance to sit down with Karen and talk about the past, present and future of the café.
INTERVIEW: Marcel Biró, Chef/Owner Biró Restaurant and Wine Bar -- Sheboygan, WIAug 9, 2007Biró is making things happen in Sheboygan, WI, two and half hours north of Chicago. With two restaurants, a TV show, a culinary school, and consulting gigs around the country, 30 year old Marcel Biró definitely has a lot cooking. Robert Irvine – A Chef on a "Mission"...Aug 8, 2007This industry is all about great food, service and ambiance. It's also about talented and extremely passionate people who absolutely love what they do. Robert Irvine is one of them. Chef Thomas KellerAug 7, 2007Some owners need a succession of restaurants to feel successful, and some can find great happiness in a single location that just keeps working year after year. Thomas Keller can certainly be called a great chef, and most certainly, a successful one, but his success wasn’t of the instantaneous variety. Chef Joe Monteiro, A Fish Called Avalon -- Miami Beach, FLAug 6, 2007"People seem to think it's easy to run a restaurant. It's a hard industry. Just put your head down and work. And look for integrity...people who want to learn and work." Interview: Jay Shaffer, Chef/Owner Shaffer City Oyster Bar & GrillAug 5, 2007
"I wanted to create an environment where people really enjoyed themselves and that was always part of my plan. I want my employees to think the same way. We don't have any managers here - my people manage themselves and it has worked extremely well since day one."
Finding your way to the top usually represents one of life's greatest struggles. Once you get there, staying on top year after year is damn near impossible. Georges Perrier and his restaurant, Le Bec-Fin may indeed be an exception to this rule.
