Today we’d like to introduce you to Larry Leibowitz.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Larry. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I’ve always had a passion for food and hospitality since as far back as I can remember. As a child, I saw glamor in the hotel brunch omelet chef who donned the classic tall chef toque while juggling 4 sauté pans with ease. My yearning to learn how to cook grew quickly as I watched Julia Child and Graham Kerr on television after school, while my friends were more interested in watching cartoons.
My parents showed great support for my potential career path but only after I got a job in the industry to ensure it was what I really wanted. One of my first jobs was washing dishes and then prep cook at the local Sheraton hotel in my hometown in New Jersey. I spent the better part of high school afternoons and weekends progressing through the kitchen until I attended culinary school upon graduation.
Cooking was fantastic, but I knew the industry was so vast and wanted to learn all aspects of it. I went on to further my education with a second degree in hotel restaurant management. I worked in several aspects of the industry over the next decade and landed a regional executive chef role for a large food group. It was there that I understood the importance of standard operating procedures and a systematic approach for problem-solving. I traveled around the country opening new food concepts and training the opening staff.
Not long after, I was promoted to a national role within the organization with the title of Director of Culinary Innovation. I always had an ear to trend-spotting and this role allowed me to hunt food trends and adapt them to our sector of the industry. It was a blast and I learned a lot about consumer behavior and regional tastes. Like many entrepreneurs, I was sick of making someone else money and teamed up with my now business partner to make a run at our own idea. Through my travels in the early-2000’s and in the midst of the depressed economic era, I noticed the renaissance of pizza in many major cities.
Based off Neapolitan style pizza, and the roots of how pizza was made over 100 years ago, this uber-popular food was recognizable but different at the same time. As simple as pizza is, this style had cache. With such deep roots, this style of pizza wasn’t new by any means, however, it was new to us.
With an emphasis on ingredients, wood-fired ovens and attention to the craft, the passion for Neapolitan pizza were alive in a big way. I ate pizza at over 50 of the top places in America before landing on a style that was our own. Calling it ‘Neo-Neapolitan’ pizza gave us the freedom to use creativity without being held to the serious rules of Neapolitan pizza and the pizza police that follow.
Fast forward a few years and some of the same parallels of Neapolitan pizza are emerging with Ramen. An ancient food steeped in history is getting the attention of Americans. Simply put, ramen or noodle soup is a recognizable food with an ethnic flair at a reasonable price point. For our next concept we wanted to highlight this but also make an experience that was so much more than the typical noodle shops of Japan.
We knew we wanted to expand the menu which we now call ‘Asian Street Food’ and allows us the freedom to pull from many Asian cultures and house it in a space that is fun, energetic and relaxed. We have always taken the mantra that we wanted the food to be serious but have fun with everything else – the decor, service, staff, and design.
Some of this is evident in our branding, the Japanese anime we project on the wall or even the menu items such as the ‘Colonel Sanders Ramen’ or the ‘Champagne of Beer’, Miller High Life sold as a 40 oz. bottle with champagne flutes, a wine bucket and all the pomp and circumstance that you’d get from bottle service of the finest vintage wine. It was our approach and the genesis behind Kokeshi.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Smooth? ummm…no! It’s small business ownership and so many moving parts. To own a restaurant means wearing many, many hats. Cooking and serving food are only a small part the formula. There’s the need to be a human resource director, a plumber, a payroll manager, therapist, security guard, banker, financial analyst, meteorologist, philanthropist, marketer, and confidant to name a few.
No two days are the same, but it’s all what makes it fun and challenging at the same time. I’m fortunate to have a dynamic business partner who shares some of the same vision but also challenges the answers which yield some of the best collaboration.
As for struggles, our biggest struggle is something we will never overcome. In the restaurant business, you have got to keep pushing for excellence. Each guests’ experience is a barometer for success. For Bambolina, we are only as good as the last pizza we make and for Kokeshi, it’s the last noodle soup we serve. We strive to be better tomorrow than we were today.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Bambolina & Kokeshi – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I’m constantly amazed at what we have accomplished in short time. It’s 100% due to the team we have built. Without the staff, there is no way we could push on each day. Channeling a brand image, business standards, and protocol through employees is the secret to any success. We hope to achieve a workplace environment where the staff is happy and something they want to be part of.
No one wants to be around grumpy people or eat in a restaurant with a negative vibe. We learned early on that a happy staff equates to a happy guest. It may seem cliche but its true – the attitude richochets not only in the service but the food too.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
We are always trying to find a way to fine-tune the business or make it more efficient. Future means so many things to us. It’s building consistencies, a better training program or even a succession plan for the staff to grow the business.
While we have nothing in the hopper for expansion at this time, being open to new ideas is what the business was founded on. Who knows what the distant future will hold, but for now we’re defining the future as the current week ahead.
Contact Info:
- Address: 288 Derby Street, Salem Ma 01970 (Bambolina)
41 Lafayette Street, Salem Ma 01970 (Kokeshi) - Website: www.bambolinarestaurant.com www.kokeshirestaurant.com
- Email: larry@bambolinarestaurant.com
- Instagram: @bambolinasalem @kokeshisalem
- Facebook: @bambolinasalem @kokeshisalem
Image Credit:
Darren Pellegrino Photography, Rachel Blumenthal, Creative Salem
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