Articles on companies that have grown by building an impressive portfolio of restaurant concepts.
The best and brightest restaurant companies are not just creating one great concept; they're creating many. See Restaurant Hospitality's picks for powerful multiconcept companies that not only play it cool, they kick ass. See all concepts >>
September 2, 2014
Michael Schwartz
Miami
Annual Sales: N/A
Units: 7
Key Personnel:
• Michael Schwartz, chef/owner
• Charles Bell, director of operations
• Jackie Sayet, brand director
• Bradley Herron, executive chef
• Eric Larkee, wine director
• Ryan Goodspeed, beverage director
• Hedy Goldsmith, executive pastry chef
SINGLE CONCEPTS:
• Harry’s Pizzeria (seasonally inspired wood-burned pizzas)
• The Cypress Room (American cuisine cooked on a wood-burning grill and rotisserie)
• Restaurant Michael Schwartz (seasonally inspired American fare at The Raleigh Hotel)
MULTIPLE CONCEPTS:
• Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink (the flagship neighborhood bistro with outposts in Miami and in Grand Cayman)
• 150 Central Park by Chef Michael Schwartz (upscale American cuisine on two Royal Caribbean cruise ships)
UPCOMING PROJECTS:
• Michael’s Genuine Pub
• Harry’s Pizzeria
• A restaurant and beach club at Paraiso Bay in Florida (name to be determined)
• A restaurant at SLS Luxe Brickell in Miami (name to be determined)
• Michael’s Genuine Pub (on three Royal Caribbean Quantum Class ships)
WHY IT’S COOL: Ask any chef who’s heading to Miami where he or she is going to eat, and they’ll tell you Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink or one of Michael Schwartz’s other restaurants. In 2010, the James Beard Foundation recognized him as the Best Chef in the South. But he’s more than that; he’s one of the country’s great chefs. There are no gimmicks or cheap theatrics with his cooking. He flat out cooks simple, mind-blowing food. And it doesn’t hurt that his pastry chef, Hedy Goldsmith, is a dessert goddess with few peers. But what put Schwartz on this list is his business ability, which gives him a one-two punch so many others lack. He’s been able to showcase his cooking skills in a variety of venues, including cruise ships, a legendary hotel and in the Cayman Islands. After most chefs create one or two high-end restaurants, they usually turn to the casual market. Schwartz’s restaurants, on the other hand, have embraced the upscale market, while maintaining a casual ease and relaxed atmosphere.
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