Today we’d like to introduce you to Gabriel Morin.
Hi Gabriel, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I began cooking in Maine as a summer job when I turned 14. I have always enjoyed creating food. In my 30’s I would ski all day and cook all night up at alta.. It was a perfect fit for me. In 2009 I started working in Park City where i learned the business end of cooking, labor costs, food costs and such. In 2013 we opened Mirror Lake Diner and have never looked back!! We bought the building in 2017 and have really committed to this valley and to our neighbors.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Restaurants are never that smooth. We currently have great staff which make its easy but things happen and things break and there is lots of wear and tear on any restaurant. We have replaced the carpet 3 times and painted 3 tiimes in just 13 years. we are close to serving our 1 millionth customer.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Lots of chefs go to culinary school and have a hard time in the real world. Schools really teach you one thing at a time at a slow pace… that doesn’t work in the real world. One must thrive on the stress and hectic nature of the kitchen.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I feel my success is from my mentality of never asking anyone to do something that i haven’t already done a million times. Respect is earned by working with my staff which i consider to be co-workers as I will help with dishes or putting deliveries away or whatever needs to be done is what I do.
I usually give raises before someone asks for a raise and we do offer a matching 401k. So i really try and take care of my staff so they can take care of me and my family.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.mirrorlakediner.com/
- Instagram: @mirrorlakediner
