Today we’d like to introduce you to Ryan O’Donnell.
Ryan, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
The first job I had in the hospitality industry was when I was 14 years old as a busboy at a place called Woody Creek Tavern outside of Aspen. It’s an old, well-known place. I was a busboy there for two summers. Right away, I knew the hospitality industry was for me because I enjoyed the action and the energy. Then I went to the University of Denver and enrolled in the hospitality school there, which is the number 2 in the country. I didn’t last long because the school, at the time, wasn’t for me. I was there for 3 years and during that time I worked at Mustard’s Last Stand flipping burgers, frying fries and doing hot dogs. Across the street was a European bistro called Coos Bay Bistro, which was the local favorite. I started as a prep cook at night. So, I’d go from Mustard’s during the day and then I’d go over to Coos Bay at night. I was a line cook. I did that routine for 3 years. I eventually quit Mustards and I worked my way up to sauté grill guy. Then one night, the sous chef was a no-show and all of a sudden I was a pseudo sous chef in a pretty good restaurant.
I decided when I was 21 to get more serious about my career and I transferred to Kendall College. It was the first time in school that I got straights As, except for pastry. I had a passion for cooking and food and I was good at it. Growing up, my mom did a lot of cooking. She did a lot of different stuff that most kids my age probably weren’t eating. She went to some chef schools in France and Italy. She wasn’t a formal chef, but she was an elevated home cook. She had an herb garden and rotisserie. Her favorite area in the whole world is Provence in the South of France. She introduced me to culinary school and passed along her passion for food and restaurants.
I did the 2-year program and finished on time. I did an internship with Chef Didier Durand at Cyrano’s Bistro. I worked for him throughout a school. I was into French cuisine at the time. Once I was out of school, I worked with Chef Michael Kornick at MK. Then I helped him open up MK in Northfield. I went to Mirabel Life and Balance, a spa resort in Arizona. I was chef de cuisine there for 3 years. It was a different type of cuisine where you couldn’t use butter or cream; just a lot of vegetable-and-grain cooking and lean proteins. It was the complete opposite of what I had been doing and it opened my eyes to a different style of cuisine.
From there I went to Keefer’s Steakhouse. There I was brought from the back-of-the-house to the front. My goal was to be able to speak both ‘languages’. I wanted to have my own restaurant someday and I was very aware of the disconnect between the front-of-the-house and the back-of-the-house. I saw it as an opportunity for me to be able to connect the two by having experience in both areas. I had been a busboy but never a bartender or server so they put me on as a floor manager. I loved it and I thrived at it. I enjoyed talking to the guests. Right away, I was able to connect with the guests because of my knowledge of the kitchen, the timing of tickets, the ingredients, the recipes and the food. I was very efficient right off the bat because I could put out fires very quickly knowing what I knew about the kitchen and how to fix things. I knew the answers and could kind of sidestep any confusion. That’s where I met my wife Anna. She was a server there.
From there, I did a couple of stints in Miami, where I helped open some restaurants. I came back to Chicago in 2008 and I started searching for a restaurant space. That’s when Chef Jason Paskewitz and I got together for Gemini, which opened in 2009. I opened Rustic House in 2011. and Coda di Volpe with Chicago restaurant vet Billy Lawless [Gage Hospitality Group] and Executive Chef Chris Thompson. This summer, Anna and I will be opening Walton Street Kitchen + Bar in the Gold Coast.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of the biggest struggles was for me was a personal addiction to alcohol and getting sober in 2012. It was a very big hurdle to jump. I’ve been sober since and it changed my life and I’ve been able to accomplish what I have because of it. I did it through dedication, hard work, my wife’s support and the birth of my child. I was my own worst enemy. It was definitely hindering any progress I would be able to accomplish. Any goals I set forth weren’t realistic because of my alcoholism. I managed it very well though. I was very good at being an alcoholic. I could work and get by and grind it out. But it wasn’t an effective long-term plan. There are a lot of us out there and some of us see it and others don’t. I was fortunate to see it.
Ballyhoo Hospitality – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Ballyhoo Hospitality specializes in hospitality-first focused neighborhood restaurants. The hellos and goodbyes are very important to me as well as the overall experience we can give to guests and how we can make them feel from a hospitality standpoint. Not to sound cliché but a great neighborhood restaurant is a place where they know your name and everyone feels welcome. One big thing for me is we don’t have customers. We have guests. I preach that to everyone. Also, the food has to match to the ambiance and the experience. From there the challenge is keeping it consistent every time.
Personally, I manage the managers, the chefs, the food, the menu, and the front-of-the-house and the back-of-the-house operations. I wouldn’t be able to do any of it if I didn’t have Anna managing the overall big picture as far as payroll, insurance, invoicing and P&Ls. There is so much that she does that allows me to stay creative and stay involved with the operation. I don’t have to worry about the painstaking details that come along with running not just a restaurant but a business. Without her, we wouldn’t be able to grow as much or as fast as we have.
I’m most proud of our staff longevity and loyalty, and guest loyalty. I’m most proud that people want to continue to work for us and see long-term potential for themselves with me and Anna and with the restaurants we’ve created. We’ve tried to create a culture of support and allow the individuals who work for us to show their true potential and not be micromanaged. The fulfillment that they get from that empowerment is very important on a day-to-day basis.
There’s an old saying that you’re only as good as the people that work for you. I believe that 110 percent. They’re the first and last impressions of who and what we want to be. We can only be as good and big as they allow us to be. You have to surround yourself with capable, willing and talented individuals and then give them the tools and the knowledge to do their jobs.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
For me, that was being able to fully pay back my dad the investment he helped me with for Gemini. That was a proud moment.
Contact Info:
- Address: Gemini, 2075 N. Lincoln Ave; Coda di Volpe, 3335 N. Southport Ave.; Walton Street Kitchen + Bar, 912 N. State St.
- Website: geminichicago.com, cdvolpe.com, waltonstreetchicago.com
- Phone: Gemini: 773.525.2522; Coda di Volpe: 773.687.8568; Walton St.: 773.570.3525
- Instagram: @gemini_chicago, @cdvolpe@chi, @waltonstreetchicago
- Facebook: @Geminichicago1, @codadivolpechicago, @waltonstreetchicago
- Twitter: @Geminichicago, @cdvolpe_chi, @waltonstreetchi
Image Credit:
Walton Street: Neil Burger, Gemini Street: Kira Anderson
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