Today we’d like to introduce you to James Renew.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started washing dishes in a small seafood place in Oviedo Florida when I was 15. I didn’t like the work but when I got a chance to do any kind of prep work I jumped at the chance! Pealing shrimp, cleaning calamari, scaling fish, battering coconut shrimp (yes coconut shrimp this was the 90’S) HAHA. When I turned 16, they “let” me use a knife. I started prepping full-time and working on the line when I got the opportunity. I work there for a few years then moved on the a more corporate restaurant. I opened 60-70 chain steak houses for this: said group over the course of 6 years. I was fried, burnt out, and getting frustrated with not being able to create my own food.
I then moved on to a fine dining restaurant in Orlando Florida and really started to get into the menu design part of things. That was pretty fun time in my life.
In 2006 I left fine dining to try my hand at another aspect of the business. I took a role as Executive chef at an Aramark property. I was quickly promoted to a traveling executive chef. I would create, design, and execute conventions for groups like Microsoft, CES, Starbucks. Parties to feed 10,000 people 3 meals a day, and 1 opening 1 closing reception. We did that for a few years. I decided to stop traveling when my wife got pregnant.
I didn’t want be away from home anymore.
We ended up moving to Las Vegas, I took a role and Executive Chef at Aria resort and casino. What a beautiful property. I worked there for a little over a year and was approached By my Food and beverage director to move to Australia and open a very high-end Steak House called BLACK By Ezard (the named has changed since). I obviously took the role. I mean who wouldn’t…
We lived in Sydney Australia for 2 years and worked at the Star casino Black By Ezard. This an amazing adventure. I really started to cut my teeth at this point working with some of the best chef in Australia and the world for that matter.
When my kids were old enough to start school, we decided to move back to Florida to settle down and bit.
I went back to Aramark and did a season working for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The BUCS!
Well, that was a hard transition. Going from UBER fine dining to selling pallets of hot dogs and precooked chicken wings. I followed though with my contract and did a season then ran out the door!
I new I had to open my own place at this point. I found an investor and decided to open a small 30 seat restaurant in Safety harbor/ Clearwater area in a terrible strip mall. We opened in 2016 almost went broke in 2 months. It sucked we had a cool place, great food, and some great staff. But no one coming through the doors.
In January I think like the second week? I got to work normal around 7 or 8 am. was doing some prep and wondering if we do even do 20 covers that day. At around 10:30 am we had some people out front waiting to come in. I was ok that’s pretty cool! at 11 am we had about 20 people outside waiting to come in. I was like what the hell is going on??? I had a little panic attack because no one was ready for this AT ALL.
After about an hour of service and since we hard an open kitchen I asked one of the quests how they heard about us. She said you’re in the paper today! You guys got a great review from Laura Riley. (Former food critic).
I ran down the street to Walgreen’s and grab a few papers for the me and the staff to read. Just like that, we were off to the races!! I can’t thank Laura enough for that write-up I don’t think anyone here knew how close to shutting the doors we really were.
The Lamb had a great following at this point. thru 2018. I wanted to expand! add a liquor bar and 130 seats. We had a little money saved and started to process. It took about 11 months to complete due to me doing most of the work. We finally opened our expanded side with 156 seats and a brand-new bar on March 7th, 2020. Opening day, I was hearing murmurs of NYC shutting down due to covid. I started really freaking out and didn’t know what the hell to do. Later that week they shut down all dine-in restaurants in Florida. That’s it! “WE’RE DONE!”
I just spent every penny I had and then some to tripling this building.
I was ready to quit, be done with everything! I was lost, scared, I mean not only was this my restaurant and my livelihood I had 15 other people to worry about. These people have worked for my for years, my friends, I mean I spend more time with these people than my family most days. What the hell are going to do, I was asking myself every day.
We did some takeaway stuff, a dumb market thing (that didn’t work) I mean whatever we could do to try and survive.
We had a restaurant meeting with most of the staff and ran ideas around on how when could stay open. and still make enough money to play our bills and the staff.
We all decided to take major salary cuts, I mean like 75-80%.
Luckily, we got a few grants from Pinellas County. I paid our rent for a few months.
We finally started seeing a few quests coming back slowing but surly after the vaccine was available.
2020-2021 has been the hardest year in this business that I’ve ever had, we are still clawing out of the red on our P/L’s.
Hopefully, 2022 I can get back to cooking with passion for food, rather than cooking just to keep a roof over our heads.
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 the restaurant and hospitality business never a smooth road. There are daily struggles.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am the Chef and owner of the Little Lamb Gastropub. Clearwater Florida. We are an eclectic American gastropub that focusses on quality products and local ingredients.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Look for a mentor that is willing to work with you. I have had multiple Chefs as mentors over the course of 30 years. The best people are the teachers, not the trainers.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.thelittlelambgastropub.com
- Instagram: thelittlelambgastropub
- Facebook: little lamb gastropub
