Today we’d like to introduce you to Adam Gainer.
Hi Adam, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started in restaurants 2 weeks before my 16th birthday and quickly fell in love with the industry. I was applying to colleges with the intention of majoring in Marine Biology, but quickly made the switch to Hospitality and Tourism Management once I arrived at the College of Charleston. After college, I wanted to bartend a bit and get some more experience before pursuing management. I started as a barback and server at 20 years old at Taco Boy Downtown and have worked for two of its partners for 16yrs now. I was blessed to work with them during a great stage of growth and change. I had the opportunity to move into management at different restaurants in the organization, and eventually landed at Leon’s Oyster Shop about 1 month after they opened to be the General Manager. About 5 years later, I threw my name in the hat to help open Melfi’s across the street and was the General Manager there for about 4.5 years before moving into my current role as Director of Operations. Now, I oversee our 3 restaurants in Charleston and manage the managers. I’ve learned so much about restaurants, business operations, and leadership through my experiences with owners, guests, and staff alike. Since then, I have had the opportunity to partner in new concepts such as The Bell in New Orleans. Being born and raised in Charleston, I have loved this City for almost 4 decades and have watched it change and grow. It’s a beautiful place to call home, especially being in the hospitality industry.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s no secret that restaurants are not easy businesses to operate and create new challenges every day. I am fortunate enough to have had the opportunities to work in different concepts under the same restaurant group, as I don’t believe I would have made it 16 years in any 1 concept (I have needed to see my own growth along the way, and this allowed for it). That said, I was with Leon’s during its first 5 years, constantly tweaking and adjusting, and growing it into the well oiled machine I would like to believe it has become. This came with stints of working multiple months with only 1 other manager in a multi-million dollar business. Since then, COVID presented its own set of challenges, keeping the businesses operating, staff engaged and paid and enthusiastic to come back, etc. That was a difficult time to navigate. The most underrated challenge though, and one I feel so many restaurants miss, is managing the people and doing so in the right ways. While Charleston has a wonderful community of restaurants that join together to build strong relationships, the hiring market is a fierce one and often times, managing people properly is all it takes to keep staff for the long term.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Rerun Restaurants?
While I am not the owner of these restaurants, I act as the liaison between management and ownership, helping the restaurants thrive consistently. We operate Leon’s Oyster Shop, Little Jack’s Tavern, and Melfi’s, currently. All located within 1 block of each other, these restaurants have been a leading force in Charleston restaurant scene and have had a lot of acclaim over the years. Since Leon’s opened in 2014, it’s received recognition from the James Beard Foundation, Michelin, as well as numerous write ups in Southern Living, Bon Appetit, and more. They serve the best fried chicken in town along with great salads, raw oysters, and other great seafood selections. Pair that with Frozen Gin and Tonics, and one of the best Champagne lists in the Country, it’s made its way onto most visitors lists when they are in town and locals alike. Little Jack’s is more of the dark, sexy American Tavern with award winning burgers, great salads, and killer vibes (live piano jazz on Sunday and Tuesday nights). Melfi’s is a grown-up, clubby, classic Italian restaurant in downtown Charleston with fresh pasta, salads, larger plates, and Roman-ish thin crust pizza. It’s an energetic dining room, with a stunning patio and sophisticated surroundings.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
To do a restaurant correctly, it takes a village. Find people you trust who compliment your skillsets in order to cover the bases and don’t go at it alone. While running a restaurant relies heavily on executing the smallest details consistently, it’s still a business that needs to make a profit. Understanding your numbers, filing taxes, insurance audits, licenses, etc, can be daunting when you are trying to run a smooth service day in a day out. Gather the right team to make it happen.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.leonsoystershop.com | www.eatatmelfis.com | www.littlejackstavern.com
- Instagram: @leonsoystershop, @littlejackstavern, @melfischarleston
