Meet Andrew Molen | Chef / Restauranteur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Andrew Molen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Andrew, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I’ve been very fortunate to have worked for some of the greatest restauranteurs and chefs this industry has put out. I felt with all the knowledge that I have gained over the years that it was time to put it all to good use and open up a restaurant of my own place and company

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I guess we’ will have to start from the day I came home from the hospital., unlike most mothers, my mother took me straight to her restaurant lounge on the upper eastside of New York that she had owned and operated for sometime. I remember my school bus use to pick me and drop me off daily at her restaurant called Swells , from there on I was able to start at a young age understanding the industry that I have grown to love more and more. I had to say I have been very fortunate to have learned along the way from some great culinary minds such as Todd English, Gordon Ramsey, Kerry Heffernan and Jean Georges plus some brilliant restauranteurs such as Sirio Maccioni, Jean Claude Baker, Romeo Degobbi and my mother Sandra Arcara as to how to operate in hospitality industry. They taught me the understanding of business, food, beverage and quality of life in the workplace from team teamwork, to leadership’ etc. With all this mentoring I have grown extremely fast in this industry and have worked at some amazing properties such as The Plaza Hotel ,Essex House, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, Sunset Beach and many others. With this knowledge and experience, I set forth to open my own company where I am able to carry all that I have gained from all these wonderful individuals and brands along with me to offer a great work experience that makes work fun to where the guest can experience the joy of the environment around them.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My go to in Miami is a staple called Versailles, which has been a fixture in Miami for many years. One of the reasons I love this place and continue to bring friends there is the fact they have the best Mojito and Churrasco you can find!!! All right now I made myself want to go get some

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I don’t know where to start there’s been so many people who have mentored me over the year and helped me get to where I am today I’ve been very fortunate to have worked for some amazing brands, companies and very successful individuals who have lead excellent teams and have helped motivate me to continue growing within the industry.

Website: andrewmolen.com

Instagram: @andrewmolen

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-molen

Twitter: @andrewmolen

Youtube: @andrewmolen