NEW WAVE HOSPITALITY PARTNER AND CO-FOUNDER MICHAEL KAPLAN IS RESHAPING THE LUXURY HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY BY BRINGING TRAINED CHEFS STRAIGHT TO THE HOME. WE CHAT WITH HIM TO LEARN WHY NEW WAVE HOSPITALITY IS LEADING THE CHARGE IN THIS ARENA IN MIAMI AND BEYOND, GRANTING DINERS THE LUXURY OF REQUESTING PRIVATE CHEFS ON DEMAND. Exterior of Benh Mi in Miami Beach PHOTO: BY FUJIFILM GIRL
How did you first enter the hospitality industry?
I first became interested in the hospitality industry at a very young age when my parents would take me out to dinner in NYC. Immediately, I was intrigued by the industry, but it was the craziness in the kitchens that genuinely captivated my interest. My first job was at a popular Italian restaurant in the city. I would work in the summers and commute to NYC each day from Westchester, N.Y. My first summer, I spent every day cleaning the shells off of raw shrimp. Spanish was the primary language spoken in the kitchens, and at the time, the Spanish word for shrimp was one of the few words I recognized. It was the only task I understood, so each day, I felt comfortable going right to the shrimp to clean them. I hate cleaning shrimp now.
Vietnamese-inspired dishes from Benh Mi BY FUJIFILM GIRL
Tell us about your Chefs at Home business. What types of services do you offer?
Our Chefs at Home business exploded during the pandemic. When many of the great restaurants were closed, we quickly realized that chefs needed work, and families were craving the restaurant experience in the comfort of their own homes. We were able to marry the two, and now we offer full-time chef placements throughout the country and individual event programming that is specifically curated and designed to fit our client’s needs.
What makes NWH unique?
NWH is unique in that we have created a bit of our hospitality ecosystem, offering everything from private chef services, restaurant experiences, product sourcing and the ability to marry them together in a unique way. Chefs and servers have an opportunity to work within our platform, both in the restaurant and on the private side, affording them a chance to make more money, create new experiences and grow in any direction that they would like.
New Wave Hospitality co-founder Michael Kaplan. COURTESY OF NEW WAVE HOSPITALITY
What does 2022 look like for you?
I hope that 2022 brings about more opportunities to continue expanding our private chef business, along with the possibility of bringing more exciting restaurant concepts to the city of Miami. We hope the collective effort of NWH offers an experience that is fit for everyone. @new.wavehospitality, @mikey_kaplan