Episode 20 - An Inside Look at the Restaurant Industry with Jeffrey Libman

Traversing Entrepreneurship

Jeffrey Libman is the General Manager of amical. Located in the heart of downtown Traverse City and overlooking the West Grand Traverse Bay, amical has been offering eclectic European cuisine since 1994. Jeffrey’s love for the restaurant industry began when he was 14 working at a hotdog stand in Illinois. He later worked at Maggiano’s, where he would manage the restaurant’s Virginia and Washington D.C. locations and increase sales by 18.5%. Before moving to Traverse City with his family, Jeffrey worked at a Chicago restaurant group where he regularly served celebrities such as John Cusack and Michael Jordan.

Jeffrey joins me today to share an inside look at the restaurant industry. He describes his background and how he fell in love with the restaurant industry. He walks through his introduction to the Chicago restaurant scene and his journey from serving in big city restaurants to becoming the General Manager of amical at Traverse City. He explains how he helped amical staff become more efficient and serve customers from the big city without losing their small-town charm. He also reveals how COVID-19 highlighted the importance of a restaurant staff’s well-being and underscores the passion and generosity of Traverse City’s restaurant professionals.

“We’re here for the guests—without them, we have no business. But without a well-rested, happy staff, we won’t be here anyway. You have to do the best for your staff.” - Jeffrey Libman

This week on Traversing Entrepreneurship:

• Jeffrey’s background and how he fell in love with the restaurant industry
• His introduction to the Chicago restaurant scene
• Becoming amical’s General Manager and Jeff’s move to Traverse City
• Serving diverse customers without losing your identity
• How Jeff brought efficiency to amical’s kitchen
• The difference between serving in big city and small-town restaurants
• How COVID-19 has changed the restaurant industry in Traverse City
• Jeff’s advice to people who want to start a restaurant
• His thoughts on brunch service and why restaurants need to be consistent with their serving days and hours

Resources Mentioned:

• Book: Secrets of the Red Lantern: Stories and Vietnamese Recipes from the Heart by Pauline Nguyen

Our Favorite Quotes:

• “Do what you do best and forget the rest.” - Derek Dall’Olmo
• “In a small town with dozens of top-tier restaurants, it has a lot to do with the people and not necessarily the product.” - Derek Dall’Olmo
• “The life goal of people who work in restaurants is to take care of people. These people are humans—when you leave unhappy, it stays with them for days.” - Jeffrey Libman

Connect with Jeffrey Libman:

• amical
• Email: info@amical
• amical on Instagram
• amical on Facebook
• amical on TikTok

About TreMonte Tax Solutions and Traversing Entrepreneurship Podcast

Traversing Entrepreneurship is a show for and about business owners in Traverse City, Michigan and beyond. In each episode, host Derek Dall’Olmo sits down with local business ownerships and the professionals who serve them to talk about business building, life, money, taxes, family — and all the ups and downs that come with doing something different. Join us to hear their stories and lessons learned — and to get inspired about what might be possible in your own business.

Derek Dall’Olmo is the founder of TreMonte Tax Solutions, a tax planning firm that serves business owners and entrepreneurs. This show is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon for investment decisions.

Email Derek Dall’Olmo at [e-mail] with questions, comments, and to schedule a one-on-one conversation.

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