Chicago Restaurateur Looks to Future with New Pizza Concept, More
I finally caught up with Bruce Finkelman, managing partner of the 16” on Center hospitality collective (Dusek’s, Longman & Eagle, The Empty Bottle, etc.), for an interview. As with most restaurateurs of multiple properties, he’s had his hands full during this pandemic as he struggles to keep his businesses afloat.
So, he joined me for a LIVE! Culinary Series episode where we discussed the latest developments with his restaurant group, how he’s joined forces with several local independent music venues to fight for their survival, and his predictions on how restaurants should operate during the fall/winter. His latest project, Pizza Friendly Pizza, is a collaborative effort with Michelin-starred chef Noah Sandoval (Kikko, Kumiko, Oriole). Thus far, it’s been a hit, and he gives us a virtual tour during the episode and discusses his plans for it for the future.
More than ever, he believes collaborations are key between chefs, and the sharing of knowledge between restaurateurs is power:
“There’s strength in numbers,” he tells me during our conversation, “and the knowledge that you can get from having more eyes on the situation that’s happening right now is just imperative.
“The idea that I can reach out to chefs that may have been too busy to talk to before the pandemic, but to be able to sit in a room and have these conversations and have these collaborations of not only ideas about culinary issues, but about business issues and about things we might be able to try. … there’s a little bit of will and desire and understanding that together we can survive, and if we stay apart we can fail.”
Watch the entire LIVE! Culinary Series episode with Bruce Finkelman right here.
[Photo: 16” on Center]