Vincent Schmincent has been fun, it’s been interesting, and most of all it’s taught us that the usual way isn’t always the right way. With that said, Vincent and all of its hoity toity high society practices are also getting a 2020 vision revamp. We’ll be tweaking things from top to bottom, starting with our pay structure and service style. The rest of this document will express our values and goals, as well as some of the methods we plan to implement towards that end.
First, a walkthrough of what eating at Vincent wil be like starting this week. When you visit our website you will find that it looks more like making a reservation, that’s very astute! Once you’ve selected your table (identified by unique findings from our neighbors at Brown Elephant) you will have the option to increase your party size from 2 for $45 per person. This screen will also have your dining options (real dish descriptions will be found on our website menu) for the prix fixe menu. Once your selections are made, you can peruse for various beverage options to add on or order those upon arrival from your phone or our new “lifeguard”, Scott. Once you’ve made all of your selections and paid, the ticket will print directly to the kitchen to be prepared at the proper time.
When you arrive for your meal, locate your hilarious knick knack and get cozy. Wave at Scott and you will be marked present and ready, and the kitchen team will start preparing your meal! If you’d like to add beverages this is a great time, you can either order directly from your phone or by hollering to your new best friend, Scott. As these items start to come out, a post apocalyptic food runner will place them on a table near yours and call your attention. Once you’ve finished your meal just pack up and head out, no waiting for the check!
But what about gratuity? To be perfectly frank, this is one of the biggest issues that Vincent is trying to tackle. In the past, employees like dishwashers and cooks were paid a base rate (generally very near minimum wage) by the restaurant while “tipped” employees only earned 50% of minimum wage and shared their tips with each other. Since small, single proprietor restaurants like ours don’t usually make any money, neither do the people only paid directly by it. This isn’t to say that the front of house employees are to blame, it’s simply a broken system and we don’t intend to participate any more. Instead, gratuity will still be very, VERY gratefully accepted and divided amongst the entirety of our hourly staff (everyone but Michael, Jake, and Chris) to ensure a reliable, equitable, and livable wage for ALL employees that contributed to your experience. Transparency practices will be implemented so folks can check on what actually happens to their money, please reach out if you have any questions or concerns regarding this system.
We sincerely believe that we’re at least on the right track with these new ideas and practices, and we would love nothing more than the support and patience of each and every person to grace our dinky little patio. These are a lot of big changes, for us and you, but they are designed with the shared American vision of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness that we believe may have taken a back seat to profit gains and expansive practices in modern times. Change starts small and demands much work, but eventually becomes an effortless larger movement, so here goes.
OWNER and GENERAL MANAGER
MICHAEL BRANSFORD
MICHAEL BRANSFORD
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Mike's introduction into the arts was in theater, receiving accolades for his portrayal of Doody in Lake Braddock High School's production of Grease. Upon graduating, Mike went on to pursue an arts degree in New York City. Serving tables at night for Eleven Madison Park to eek out a living, his genuine desire to relate to and make people happy came alive along with his fascination for food.
During college Mike pursued his creative interests in graphic design, film, photography and law, but always ended up back in a restaurant, working with people and food, so he decided to go to culinary school. After living in New York, San Francisco and Hawaii, Mike forfeited his dream of selling shave ice in paradise and moved to Chicago in 2010 to open his own restaurant. Now, Mike's not a savvy businessman, nor has he ever pretended to be. In fact, financially, he doesn't know exactly what he's doing. His father knew that, but he invested in Mike's restaurant anyway, knowing that his son's love of food, people, and dedication to create a positive dining experience for guests is what matters most, after all. So, with his creative talents, professional experience and the lessons he learned in hospitality from Danny Meyer, Mario Batali and Wolfgang Puck, Mike opened Vincent, a New American neighborhood Bistro. Along with the dedicated staff that share his vision, Mike's commitment and enthusiasm for what he's creating is what makes Vincent warm and welcoming. Come see Mike at Vincent. There's nothing else he'd rather be doing. |
DIRECTOR of LIBATIONS
BRIAN RIESTER
BRIAN RIESTER
A simple, yet steady approach to Vincent's beverage program has kept Brian Riester behind the bar since 2012.
Brian's objective with the cocktail list at Vincent is to give people a drink that isn't fussy, is always balanced, and well executed. The juices are hand squeezed, the syrups are homemade and working in tandem with Chef, the produce is processed with as little waste as possible. Rinds and trimmings make shrubs, syrups, vinegars, bitters, and infused spirits.
There is no room at Brian's bar for pretension or judgement (for the most part) so ask a question about the wine you've never heard of, or try the liquor that you've heard of, but not tasted. At the end of the day, it's just a drink - and there will always be another one.
Brian's objective with the cocktail list at Vincent is to give people a drink that isn't fussy, is always balanced, and well executed. The juices are hand squeezed, the syrups are homemade and working in tandem with Chef, the produce is processed with as little waste as possible. Rinds and trimmings make shrubs, syrups, vinegars, bitters, and infused spirits.
There is no room at Brian's bar for pretension or judgement (for the most part) so ask a question about the wine you've never heard of, or try the liquor that you've heard of, but not tasted. At the end of the day, it's just a drink - and there will always be another one.
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Chef
JAKE CHAPPELL
JAKE CHAPPELL
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Too busy cooking to give us an bio.
He makes cold stuff hot. |