Husband-and-wife restaurant owners find success as business and life partners
New Smyrna Beach, Fla. – A creative chef with a lifelong dream of becoming a restaurant owner, Henry Salgado didn’t think he had found the ideal location when he walked into a diner for sale in the small beach-town of New Smyrna Beach; his wife, Michelle, however, had a different feeling.
“When I looked around inside, all I saw was an old diner,” Salgado said. “She envisioned something much more stylish.
“She pictured the way it would look once we made changes with the interior design and décor,” he added. “What she saw was the start of our ambition to have our own business and build our own dreams.”
Operating a restaurant is a difficult task itself. When the owners are husband and wife, that challenge is compounded, yet the Salgados have found a recipe for success at their dining destination, Spanish River Grill, a quaint, yet elegant restaurant offering Modern Spanish cuisine.
“Some couples cannot work together effectively and maintain a healthy marriage, but we’ve discovered that our skills and traits compliment each other well,” Michele Salgado said. “Just like any team of business partners, we have occasional disagreements at work; and just like any married couple, we have occasional arguments at home, but the key is handling them in a mature and professional manner, resolving them and moving on together.”
Spanish River Grill specializes in Modern Spanish cuisine artfully prepared by Henry Salgado, whose grandparents are of Cuban and Spanish descent. Many of the menu’s selections are reflective of his family’s roots. As head chef, Salgado prepares the menu and manages the kitchen. Michele Salgado, who earned a degree in psychology before the couple moved from Atlanta to open the restaurant, manages the front-of-house operations and is also the pastry chef known for delectable desserts like Caramelized Flan and Chocolate-Chocolate Bread Pudding.
The Salgados actually met at a restaurant where Henry was a chef and Michele was a waitress. After dating for a year and marrying, Henry worked as a chef for an assortment of restaurants in Atlanta while Michele completed her college education. They favored the small beach town lifestyle over the face pace of a big city, so when Michele shared her vision for transforming an old diner into a charming restaurant, Henry was convinced, and they transferred to New Smyrna Beach.
The Salgados have learned many lessons that have confronted husband-and-wife business owners before them, such as how to deal with a disagreement.
“The restaurant business is intense, so it is inevitable there will be times when we disagree with each other,” said Henry Salgado, whose brother is also a chef at Spanish River Grill. “It’s crucial to not let a disagreement at work affect our personal lives, and to not let an argument at home impact our relationship at the restaurant.”
“When we have a disagreement, we handle it behind closed doors, and not in front of the other team members,” he added. “Fortunately, we are best friends, and we respect each other’s opinions and strengths, so disagreements are not common.”
Finding a balance between work and life is a struggle since they are so passionate about their restaurant, the Salgados admit.
“We love being together away from the restaurant, but it is hard not to talk about business. It’s important not to let the business completely consume you as a couple,” Michele Salgado said. “But truly are best friends, and I can’t imagine a better business partner. Henry makes me laugh every day, and we’re a perfect balance for each other – he’s the creative force who wants to play all day, and I’m the workaholic who pushes things forward.”
Regardless of the demands presented by operating a restaurant, the Salgados are thankful that they took a chance on the old diner in New Smyrna Beach. Because of Spanish River Grill’s success, they are planning to open a new concept in the area within the next year.
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Editor’s Note: High-resolution photographs are available upon request.
About Spanish River Grill
Spanish River Grill & Wine Bar features Modern Spanish cuisine, a blend of traditional and non-traditional tastes from around the world, strongly influenced by the culinary innovations of Barcelona, in an upscale, yet unpretentious dining atmosphere.
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