Graduate insight with Paul Antoine Fabre, General Manager at Takato
Faire défiler la pageA 2012 graduate of the Bachelor’s degree in International Food Service Management and today Founder and General Manager of Takato, a restaurant concept that invites you on a culinary journey between Japanese and Korean inspirations in Miami, Paul-Antoine Fabre shares his experience with us.
Can you tell us about your career since the Institute?
Following my third-year internship, I developed a fast-food concept in Paris and then decided to go abroad and settle in Miami. I worked for the Zuma group for a few years before opening a Franco-Peruvian restaurant in Lima, Peru.
After this amazing experience, I returned to Florida as the manager of a Japanese restaurant in Fort Lauderdale before opening in 2020 my own restaurant, Takato, at the Conrad Fort Lauderdale, a jewel by the ocean.
Tell us about your concept and your responsibilities today?
Just under two years ago I opened my restaurant in Fort Lauderdale. Passionate about Asian cuisine, especially Japanese, I wanted to create an upscale restaurant in a city that didn’t have one.
The result has exceeded all my expectations with more than 500 covers every night and a regular clientele.
We have just developed a second restaurant concept within our establishment, called Oku. Oku is an omakase room, a restaurant where you leave the choice of dishes to the chef, where we offer a 16-course tasting menu.
What have been the biggest challenges you’ve faced?
We opened the restaurant in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic. The difficulty of sourcing raw materials and the changing prices were not easy to manage.
For the staff too, we had to be very creative to meet the demand. We made sure to train employees in different tasks to make them more versatile and flexible
What is the greatest source of pride for you?
The success of the restaurant and its reputation.
We received the award for the best “customer service restaurant” in the city after only 8 months of opening.
I’m proud of my staff too, because we are one big family. Staff turnover is very low compared to our competitors and the energy of the teams on a daily basis is exceptional.
How has Institut Paul Bocuse enabled you to achieve this result today?
Rigour, professionalism, attention to detail and hard work are values that were passed on to me at the Institute, and which help me on a daily basis.
Do you have a special anecdote to share?
Meeting my future wife, Julie Richaud, in the first year at the Institute, we haven’t been apart since!
What is your ambition for the future?
I want to expand the business by opening another restaurant in Florida and developing the Takato brand internationally.
What message would you like to send to students who want to go into the food service industry?
In three words: Passion – Energy – Curiosity
The Bachelor’s degree in Food Service Management at Institut Paul Bocuse prepares you to become a future decision-maker in the food service industry. If, like Paul-Antoine, your entrepreneurial dream is to open your own restaurant concept, the Food Service Management and Entrepreneurship specialization prepares you to become a successful player in tomorrow’s food service industry by focusing on trends, changes in the sector and new managerial practices.