Today we’d like to introduce you to Vince Balistreri.
Vince, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I first got into the food and beverage industry while attending Arizona State University, to help pay rent. I was completely obsessed with day one. I went from cooking to bouncing, then bar back, to the bartender, then closing manager. I moved back home to Wisconsin bring back some of that west coast college atmosphere, and it blew up.
I started getting a name for myself fast in the Madison area at the age of 22. Problem was, I was starting to believe the hype and enjoyed the party as much as everyone around me.It was time for me to grow up and I start getting into food, bourbon, and wine. I moved to Illinois to attend Elgin Community College’s Culinary program, as well as started to work on my Sommelier. I finished both and started managing Niche. I started as a bartender while working on school, and once school was completed I started to manage Niche.
During this process, I have been obsessed with whiskey, and have collected not only for the restaurant but for my home collection what I hope to be one of the best collections in the State and all of the Midwest. Bottles from pre-prohibition up until private cask’s I have chosen for the restaurant specifically.
After 10 years with Niche, I have become one of the owners. This is something I worked very hard for and would only be given this chance to the investors I am with. Niche has blossomed into a place I am very proud of. Through all the accolades, I know we can always do more.
Has it been a smooth road?
It is never a smooth road in this business. Someone is always up to something. I think managing people, in general, is not an easy task. Everyone is different and a lot of people don’t get along. I have worked with some not so pleasant people in my day, but I have lasted because I never let them take me down with them.
It’s always a battle trying to get the supplies you want whether it is beer, whiskey, wine, etc…. But you got to do your homework.
Another obstacle that comes up more, that has always been there but more talked about in this industry is family life. It is very hard to balance a family while being a chef or manager of some sort of a restaurant. You need to have a partner that understands that going in, and you can’t bring your work home with you, which is very hard. You also can’t turn to the bottle which is all around you at a bar/restaurant. I’ve seen it eat up so many people.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Niche – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Niche is a restaurant that specializes in seasonal menu changes and our beverage program. I run the restaurant and the beverage department. I do not have a lot to do with the food other than having faith in the great chefs that I have. We really used to be known for our wine list, but when the economy took a dive, so did big wine sales. I then started to concentrate on beers and whiskey which were a big passion of mine growing up in Wisconsin. We soon developed relationships with different breweries and were really ahead of the trend in the suburbs making beers with Breweries like Pipeworks, Werkforce, 18th Street, Penrose, and more. We also have grown one of the top Bourbon bars in the state. We can’t keep Bourbon in-house. Everything from Pappy Van Winkle to Barton 100 proof bottle in bond.
I think what I am most proud of is the great product that we can offer people in the suburbs of Chicago. It is very hard to get a good product out from the city. I like that we are the bar that people come to when they don’t want to take the train to find a whiskey they are not going to find any but a few places in the city. There are a lot of new bars/restaurants trying to get in the whiskey game, but a lot of them again don’t do there homework.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
What I like the most about Chicago is the options. There is almost something for everyone.
What I like the least is the crime.
Contact Info:
- Address: 14 South Third Street
Geneva, Illinois 60134 - Website: info@nichegeneva.com
- Phone: 630-360-1276
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicherestaurant
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NicheGeneva/
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