Staff at now-shuttered Glenview House given job opportunities at new Chuck Lager
Like many people, David Falato stopped into the Glenview House restaurant during its final weekend of operation.
With him he brought employment opportunities.
"I offered most of them a job," he said.
Falato, a financial partner in The Glen Town Center's new Chuck Lager America's Tavern with veteran restaurateurs Mike Avella and Marcus Cook, came to Glenview House after the dinner rush on March 25.
"I could pick up some really experienced people," Falato suspected.
He also posted the job offer on the Daily Herald's "Everything Glenview" Facebook group, requesting Glenview House employees to email Avella if interested.
Since Chuck Lager opened to the public March 21 at 2601 Navy Blvd., things have been "going great," Falato said.
Crowds have been good, he said, and the reviews on social media have been strong. Meanwhile, staff is getting up to speed on the fly.
"We've had a couple super-busy nights where we had to fix a few things, but we're getting there," Falato said.
Chef and restaurateur Fabio Viviani's entrepreneurship firm, Viviani Hospitality, is in partnership with the Colby Restaurant Group, whose principals, Craig and Mike, are in turn partners with Chuck Lager.
Falato, of Chicago, works for Nadel, a manufacturer of promotional items for companies, but he also is an entrepreneur who has helped develop Sola Salon Studios and Jet's Pizza locations in Chicago, California, Texas and Nevada.
"The restaurants we've built around the country have been real successful. A lot of people have advanced their careers with us over the last several years," he said.
As seems to be the case everywhere, attracting quality staff currently is at a premium. After Glenview House employees were told March 22 that the restaurant would be closing March 27, Falato saw opportunity - both for them and for Chuck Lager America's Tavern.
Some of those employees have gone in to talk with Avella about working at the new restaurant, Falato said.
"It was kind of the perfect timing. If I could help someone it makes it even better," he said.