Today we’d like to introduce you to Ken Irvine.
Ken is the principal of Irvine Hospitality Group, with more than twenty-eight years of experience in the hospitality industry. His company operates restaurants, consults and develops concepts for restaurants, hotels, nightclubs, wineries and retail outlets. To date, Ken has helped develop over fifty venues.
A graduate of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America (Class of ’88) in New York, Irvine was a student solicitor and class president.
In continuing his basic training in Europe, he worked with Michelin starred Relais du Moujins in the South of France and in London, where at the age of twenty-six became one of the city’s youngest Executive Chefs while working at the Plaza on Hyde Park Hotel.
Upon returning to the States, Irvine moved from the kitchen to the front of the house and was hired as the General Manager at various restaurants to complement his culinary experiences in order to assist him in the transition of becoming a restaurant owner. Ken has so far been the only restaurateur in California to win both “Chef of the Year” and “Restaurateur of the Year” Gold Medallion Awards presented by his peers of the California Restaurant Association.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
There are always challenges along the way. If there weren’t it wouldn’t be as fun!
Challenges help you grow and learn and helps you mentor your peers, associates and employees. Most of our challenges as restauranteurs, besides making sure that you have an excellent product to sell with outstanding service, are usually regulatory issues.
Please tell us about Irvine Hospitality Group and Bleu Bohème.
All of my restaurants have had long standing employees. I am probably most proud of this. Our turnover rate really sets an industry standard. I always enjoy meeting up along the ways with former employees that tell me that working at one of the restaurants was the best job they ever had. Having an employee that is maybe embarking on their first real job and watching them grow and learn, and applying the basic principles of doing your best, being a great teammate and having a strong work ethic is very rewarding.
Contact Info:
- Address: 4090 Adams Ave, San Diego, CA 92116
- Website: www.bleuboheme.com
- Phone: 619.255.4167
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/BleuBohemeSD
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/bleuboheme
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/bleubohemesd
Image Credit:
Bleu Bohème
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