Meet John Anthony | Restaurateur, Operating Partner, and Fortunate Human

We had the good fortune of connecting with John Anthony and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi John, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?

I have always been stung by the “be-your-own-boss” bug. My father was an independent soul, and when he wasn’t on the road as a jazz drummer, he was starting and operating his own businesses. It was never a lack of ability to work with or for someone else, but more of a burning fire inside of him that needed a point of expression. I spent the majority of my time with him; he would take me to open the doors to the pizzeria, The Purple Onion, or to work side by side with him at the commercial cleaning company he founded, JTV Cleaning. These moments were special, as I had the opportunity to speak with him not only as my father, but as my boss and mentor.

This passion was a seed that grew in me quickly and led me to start multiple businesses from an early age. I have had the privilege, the courage, and the powerful naivety to plow headstrong into a foray of industries that I had no business being a part of! From a mobile home brokerage to a mobile catering business, a pizzeria of my own to a fine dining restaurant with one of Las Vegas’ most celebrated chefs. Each of these endeavors allowed me the opportunity to fail and learn, to celebrate and grow, and to yearn to put all the pieces of the puzzle together to cement a legacy for my family for years to come.

And that, that single motivation above all others is the reason I continue to drive and open businesses. My opportunity to have a thriving business that lives past me, contributes to our community, and makes my family proud is my drive daily.

And that, that single motivation above all others is the reason I continue to drive and open businesses.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

My career was a path not set out upon, but more discovered and loved. The hospitality industry was not the direction I had intended for myself from an early age. As quite a few of the men in my family had dedicated their professional lives to it, I meant to steer clear from the business that kept my father away on the weekends, my uncle from attending family gatherings, and my grandfather from holidays. As I went to school with other ambitions, I made the fateful decision to take a job as a server to assist with my bills. I realized my mistake far too late, as I began to fall in love with the industry I swore to avoid. As I fell deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole of gastronomy, spirited libations, and debaucherously wine filled evenings, I could no longer resist the siren song, and gave into my new late-night mistress with hunger and thirst.

I embraced this new lifestyle vivaciously. I became a student of my field and wanted to learn all I could. Working in all restaurant positions that I was able to from an young age, I realized quickly that the front of house was where my skills were best suited. Service is an artform, and I loved painting with broad strokes.

My career has been a fortunate one. Not in racking success after success on the wall with awards and accolades, but because of the opportunity that I have had to learn from passionate individuals who took our work very seriously. And the even greater opportunity to pass that passion on to the literal thousands of staff members I have had the chance to coach throughout the years.

My career, like many of my colleagues, has never been easy. No career that takes you away from your family and friends on the consistent basis that food & beverage does is easy. We choose this career (or maybe it chooses us…) because we cannot escape the love we have for the smile of our guest, for the perfection of execution, and for end of the evening, when all the guests are gone, the room is put back together, and the chefs depart the kitchen to sit with the front of house team, exhausted and thirsty…. This group sitting together to have a drink at the end of the night… that comradery brought me back over and over again.

As I think of the lessons that I have learned throughout my 25+ years in F&B, the most important one is balance. Balance in all aspects, for this is an industry of insatiable demand. You can never work enough in a restaurant; there are too many moving parts. You will always have another holiday to celebrate, another staff member leaving that needs to be replaced, a new dish, a new wine, a new cocktail… You will always need to check the cost of beef, the P&L for overspending and too many manager comps… You will never stop shopping vendors, or tasting wines, or reaching out for relationships with suppliers… there will never be an AC unit that doesn’t stop working in summer, a walk-in fridge that doesn’t cycle off defrost on a Saturday night, an internet loss during Sunday service…

These things will never stop happening. What you need to learn is the ability to balance your personal life against the constant wave. This lesson came to me years ago, when I realized as I got older, that I was only one person. This realization came to me when my girlfriend (now my beautiful wife) asked me to schedule her in for some time on my calendar. I had been working for my 24th day in a row, and realized that this didn’t make me a hero, it made me a poor manager who did not know how to delegate and trust. This incredibly important lesson taught me quickly, that my priority as a high-level manager/owner, was to teach others to act-as-if. Act-as-if they were the owners (if they did, they eventually would be!). My job, from that point on, was to ensure that we had a team of leaders who led with the same fire and passion as me and my partners… Leaders who realized the hours it takes to master a task, and who understood that the most important person in any of our restaurants are our guests!

This lesson was a long time coming for me. It almost didn’t happen. I am sad when it doesn’t click quickly enough for my colleagues because burnout, and the mental strain of our beloved industry, can be devastating and even deadly. We need to learn balance- for work, for body, for family, for soul.

Either: myself and my partners or my partners and I (the latter is the most grammatically correct)

Are you trying to say that they understood the time it takes or that they were committed to investing the time it takes?

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

A week in Las Vegas is too long…. the last time I spent that much time here on vacation, I never left. That was 2004!

Here’s a strong 3-day weekend in Las Vegas, you will need the following 4 days to recover, thank me later:

Day 1: You get off the plane in the morning, and after “promising” to get you and your bags to the hotel room by your check-in time of 2p, we are off to grab breakfast at the Peppermill! I know it’s kitsch, and it’s been here for a long time, but you cannot beat the 2-egg plate with a ripping bloody mary to wash it down! It’s also the gateway entrance to Main Street, and where we will bar-hop right off the plane!
Main Street offers an awesome array of drinking, dining, and shopping. My wife loves to take me down to incredible thrift clothing shops like, Alt-Rebel, so I can visit my favorite local craft beer brewery, HUDL Brewery! We will pop around dining options like stellar BBQ: Soul Belly, Italian favorite: Esther’s Kitchen, or American comfort food: Main Street Provisions. We can wash it all down with cocktails and beer at ReBar, AbleBaker, Velveteen Rabbit, or the super fun outdoor space at Jammy Land. Too many options, but we will try as many as we can before you remind me of your check in at 4p (whoops!).
After your afternoon nap, we take off to for dinner at my newest favorite Strip restaurant, Carver Steakhouse with Chef Daniel Ontiveros at the helm. This test of debauchery will lead us to our destination of the evening, the show, Absinthe, still the best show in Las Vegas hands down, or skirts up, or pants down, or shirts off… I’m not sure what the saying is…

Day 2: We are going to wreck your world by waking early with an invigorating dip in the Boulevard Pool (did we fail to mention that you are staying at the fabulous Cosmopolitan???) After waking with the cold bath, we immediately embark on a drive to Red Rock for a day of hiking to the top of peaks that will make you curse my name on the climb but breathe a sigh of great fullness at the top, as you will be able to see the whole Las Vegas Valley in front of you with clear skies! We’ll descend and head back to town to get ready for dinner at the hottest restaurant in the valley you just surveyed, Sparrow + Wolf.
A modern American, live fire cookery, brought to us by Chef/Owner, Brian Howard, Sparrow + Wolf will take you on a culinary journey! A masterful cocktail program and playful wine list, this menu offers a bit for everyone, but challenges even the most advanced palates. This decadent dinner leads us to night-cap drinks at Herbs n Rye to get the best Aviation cocktail in town… a new Vegas classic late-night spot.

Day 3: No Sleep Till…. the rule in Vegas is, you cannot sleep the last night in Vegas! Let’s GOOOOO!
Breakfast at Bouchon… because, it’s Bouchon, and we can, and we should. I’m having oysters at 10a, and if you judge me, well, just know that I sleep soundly at night. Then we are headed to the speedway! Let’s get in finely-tuned $150K+  automobiles, and go 150 mph!! Loser buys dinner…. now we are really feeling our Vegas!!
Dinner that evening is going to be lighter, tapas at one of my favorite local spots, Forte Tapas. Nina and her father have owned this favorite hangout for well over a decade, and it is a room that transports you out of the desert upon entering and hearing the enchanting music beckon! Lots of wine, lots of vodka, lots of laughs later, we set our eyes on the goal of going until dawn! And we can, because it’s Vegas….
We won’t reveal the end of this story, as it is a choose-your-own-adventure…. tell the uber drive where to next… it exists, it is happening, and you can be there until the sun comes up as we drive to the airport, quiet, and a crooked smile across our faces.

Looking forward to your next visit…. get lots of rest before you do!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?

A wonderful question, and as a follow up to my original question, my father was absolutely the first person who inspired me to think for myself, His constant challenge to me was to ask “why, what, where, when, and who”. Why was it always done a certain way, what result did it always produce, where was the result taking us, when was it time to change, and who would be the one to change it? These questions were the carrot always dangling in the horizon that drove me to want to be the answer at the end of the questions, the one who would change it (and hopefully for the better).

As I entered the workforce, and found myself beginning on my career path, I have had the privilege of working for, and beside others who inspired and taught me, and I credit to this day with my success.

The first restaurant I had the privilege of being a manager for was Portofino, in Lancaster, PA. The owner, Jack Depew, was a barrel-chested man with an accounting degree and a poet’s soul. Jack gave me a chance long before I was ready because as he stated multiple times, he “saw something in me that reminded him of him”. Jack taught me the importance of knowing your numbers first. Understanding that if you know the numbers of your business, the P&L, where the wins and losses came from, where the leaks were, and what you made at the end of every business day, then, and only then, could you afford to be romantic about your business. Knowing that your business was headed in a profitable direction allowed you to be creative, gave you the freedom to promote, and ultimately, afforded you the opportunity to be passionate during operation. This was incredibly important, as I learned that energy begets energy, and if I were excited about opening the restaurant that day (because I had the peace of mind to be so), my staff would also be excited! A smile and laugh are infectious, that’s what Jack taught me.

Another early influence in my life was the co-owner of the next restaurant I managed in Lancaster, Molly’s Pub. Harvey Owen was a local socialite, who, along with his partner, was heavily active in the arts scene in my hometown. Involved with the opera house and local art houses, Harvey and Michael purchased Molly’s with no real prior restaurant operation knowledge. Hiring me was the opportunity to bring on board an operator, while Harvey was able to direct his attention to his specialty, marketing. Harvey had the ability to send an email blast newsletter out that would have a line around our building before social media was on our phones! Constantly throwing a party in his restaurant as if he were hosting at his own home became our mantra at Molly’s, and when I approached him with the concept of a martini lounge above the Irish Pub (what a mix!), he was all behind it. Harvey allowed me creative expression and taught me how to be a part of a community, so tightly engrained, that you are no longer a restaurant in the neighborhood, but you are a fixture within that neighborhood.

There are so many others, but we only have so much time. I truly believe that I have been able to learn from everyone that I have had the fortune to have spent any significant time working with. I have plenty of stories to share, and all of them have made me a better operator, and a better person.

Website: sparrowandwolflv.com

Instagram: halfbirdlv

Image Credits
Danielle Perea – The Golden Collective @thegoldencollectivelv