Risk & Business Magazine Nesbit Agencies Fall 2019 | Page 4

HELL'S KITCHEN
Hell's Kitchen
BRINGING FIRE TO THE
MINNEAPOLIS CULINARY SCENE
L
ocated in the heart of downtown
Minneapolis, Hell’s Kitchen is
a fiercely independent, award-
winning restaurant that’s
open seven days a week for
breakfast, lunch, happy hour, dinner,
and a killer weekend brunch. This
cheeky underground lair features locally
sourced and uniquely inspired American-
style cooking, plus a vibrant bar with
local craft beers, affordable wines, and
imaginative cocktails. Walking into the
restaurant is like walking into a piece of
art, both very stylized and lighthearted at
the same time.
The company was founded by Mitch
Omer and Cynthia Gerdes. At age 19,
Mitch—a football star at Iowa State—
walked off the field in frustration, gave
4
up a full scholarship, and returned home
to begin a new life. He got a “temporary”
job as a cook, stayed in the restaurant
industry through numerous personal
struggles including a bipolar diagnosis,
and the rest is now history. In 2001,
he married Cynthia (who cheekily is
known as “Cyn”) and in 2002, the two
started Hell’s Kitchen by selling their
house, their cars, and almost all of their
possessions. They talked Mitch’s sidekick
Steve Meyer (“the hardest working man
in the industry” according to Mitch) into
joining them in the venture.
At Hell’s Kitchen, things are simply
done a little bit differently. Run with
an independent spirit, Hell’s Kitchen
knows the heart and soul of the business
is the people who work and run it. That
simple fact permeates its philosophy.
What is that philosophy? Simple: servant
leadership. Nobody, from the owners
to the management, asks anyone to do
anything that they aren’t willing to jump
in and do themselves. In fact, the higher
up you are on the metaphorical totem
pole, the more you are expected to jump
in to help.
That philosophy was put on display when
Kris Ransom, HR Manager, bounced
around from station to station during the
rush of the Final Four. During that one
day, he ran two payrolls, went upstairs
to help cut potatoes, and helped out in
the pastry department while the CEO
did everything from running food to
helping do dishes. It’s an “all hands on
deck” mentality that truly helps to build