Putting people first makes the difference for Chef Ferrell Alvarez
Culinary school can teach you a lot of things: Knife skills. Bread baking. Food safety.
But there are other qualities – like originality, authenticity, and empathy for others – that you won’t find on a class syllabus.
These are the skills that guide chef Ferrell Alvarez’s approach to hospitality, and that have made him a leader in the Tampa, Florida, food scene.
Over 25-plus years in the industry, Alvarez has worked his way up from dishwasher to the recipient of a coveted Bib Gourmand from the Michelin Guide for his restaurant Rooster & the Till. What he’s learned along the way has shaped his leadership style.
Most notably, Alvarez, who along with three others leads Tampa’s Proper House Group (PHG), has built a reputation for challenging the notion that restaurant kitchens must be high-stress, cutthroat environments to be successful.
“I think it's silly to think that our industry can't evolve like every other industry,” he says. “Why can't we care for people like real human beings while also demanding culinary greatness from them in the kitchen?”
Across all of PHG’s concepts, he and his partners strive to build an open and positive workplace culture where family comes first, with mental health benefits, four-day workweeks and an emphasis on respect. He cites communication and patience as the key to a smooth-running kitchen.
DISCOVER THE FIRE
inside you
“The most fulfilling part of my work is helping care for our 127 employees and their families,” he says. “I think that's a really large responsibility that we have as owners and founders. We take it seriously.”
Giving employees space to be themselves helps to foster the type of positivity and fun that radiates through every PHG concept. That authenticity is one reason Alvarez believes his brands resonate with customers.
“We’re not quiet. We're not soft and gentle. We're extremely hospitable, but we're just ourselves. We're just real people. And we're just trying to offer exceptional product in a very non-pretentious environment.”
When it comes to running successful restaurants, Alvarez is proud to march to the beat of his own drum, eschewing the trappings of traditional fine dining to create experiences that resonate with staff and guests alike.
“If everybody was the same and everything was the same, this world would be very, very boring,” he says.
“If everybody was the same and everything was the same, this world would be very, very boring.”
That natural ease and laid-back feel is evident in his menus, a blend of originality and approachability influenced by seasonal ingredients, his chefs’ current interests, and even concerts.
The result is a one-of-a-kind fusion of surprising techniques and world flavors that flips the script on “mainstream” dining experiences. “You can tell when you see a dish written by me that it's a unique approach to it,” Alvarez says. “And I think that's the way I like to create and get to the design perspective of a dish.”
Just as important as the food is the ambiance his teams aspire to deliver to guests.
It starts with the aesthetics of the space, which for PHG restaurants translates to urban and upbeat, with a specially curated music selection setting the vibe. Plates and glassware are thoughtfully chosen to send bold flavor to the palate, improving the guest experience and making dishes better.
Tying all together is the high energy-feel that Alvarez says makes the environment more enjoyable and more memorable for guests. Because at the end of the day, all the precise chopping, artful garnishes and high-end liquors can’t replace the warmth and hospitality that comes from true human connection.
“I think when you can get all those things to line up, it creates an energy that's super infectious,” Alvarez says. “Hopefully everybody feels when they walk into one of our concepts that they're just embraced with genuine humanity, which is something that we value.”
