Newark Life Q & A

Continued from Page 59

They read me in on everything that they had learned, so that I was able to put it into practice for myself, just to be a better leader and be able to jump into the kitchen and take over and be able to confidently step in.

Anthony: As we were preparing to open Hamilton’s Tavern 1840, Jeremiah had curated our opening menu, and told me, “Anthony, I have to find a chef.” I looked at him and said, “You’ve been preparing this food in our kitchen for weeks in order to prepare our menu. You run the kitchen and I will run the front.”

Anthony, what did you see in Jeremiah that enabled you to place so much faith in his ability?

Anthony: When we met, Jeremiah was bartending and a restaurant manager, and I told him that he was working for people who did not appreciate what he was bringing to the table, and that he was destined for bigger things. To me, I could not stand by idly and see him get worn down. Hamilton’s on Main has become an opportunity for Jeremiah to live his best life.

Owning a restaurant is reminiscent of the movements of a swan. There is what happens above water – the elegance, the hospitality, the gracious host. Then there is what happens beneath the water -- paddling furiously to make everything work seamlessly. How do you manage to do both at the same time?

Jeremiah: Anthony and I have said to our team, “This is our passion, and the passion is in the food, in the service, in the beverage and it must also be inside of you.” From day one, we tell our team that there is commitment, passion and trusting in that. There is no hubris or arrogance. When someone comes on board, I look to see how he or she absorbs the information that we give them and how they handle mistakes and how they recover from mistakes.

When everyone feels as if they have a voice in something, they naturally want to sing louder.

Anthony: Our team has genuinely become our family, and we would do anything for them, and vice versa. Everyone is committed and that’s partly a reflection of how we treat them.

Continued on Page 62