Conversations with Kasie Waxman

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kasie Waxman.

Hi Kasie, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’ll start with my post-graduate life…I attended Boston University, where I played college basketball all four years while pursuing my degree in Hospitality. I always felt drawn to the field, I have a natural inclination to manage, and love entertaining, so for me, I felt the two went hand-in-hand. After graduation, I didn’t spend a lot of time job searching like my peers but instead entered the MIT (management in training) program for the Hillstone Restaurant Group. It’s a program renowned for accelerating the business education of young managers in the industry and providing exposure to high-level volume and attention to detail. From there, things really accelerated for me, I officially started my career in Miami and moved to 11 different cities over the course of the next ten years in various roles. Upon landing back in Denver, (move number 11) I was introduced to Francois Safieddine and not shortly after partnered with him to create the brand My Neighbor Felix. A pan-Mexican restaurant with an approachable yet authentic feel.

The concept idealistically started in 2017, but we didn’t break ground on construction until January of 2020. Yes, that’s right, the year the entire world shut down for a global pandemic, we were just getting started. Fast forward three months later, as shutdowns were beginning, we paused construction given the uncertainties in the state the world was in (no need to belabor this point, right?). By mid-May, we decided that although the odds were stacked against us, we needed to move forward and deliver for the people counting on us. We re-started construction and officially opened on September 11th of 2020. The level of excitement vendors had in a very dark time when we called to tell them we needed to open another account was a profound and encouraging moment for us. We use over 100 locally sourced ingredients in our kitchens and bar program at Lotus Concepts Management. To be able to start not only a business but a full-blown brand during such a dark time when restaurants all around us were closing made us feel like we were really helping.

Our hiring fares consisted of 6 feet apart interviews. What an unknown territory….for the first nine months we were open, all we knew was the pandemic and how to constantly adapt to changing guidelines such as: no inside dining, tables 6 feet apart, and countless employees and managers calling out due to contracting COVID themselves.

Although this time was incredibly challenging, I look back and am amazed by how it also turned out to be such an incredibly rewarding time. We really feel like our foundation couldn’t be stronger because of how we started. We have retained so many of the original team members since we opened, which I’m super proud of. I look back and think, if we were this successful through the pandemic as a team, we can do anything together.

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?
As I alluded to when I laid out my story, COVID-19 was a super hard time in my career. Launching a brand new concept during a worldwide pandemic was just about as challenging as it gets. However, learning to adapt to each change during that time ended up becoming invaluable experience for my team and I as a whole.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
It’s tempting to sit here and tell you about the marquee, big-budget stuff that comes with running a business. Meetings with business owners, politicians, striking big deals, all of that Bloomberg stuff — it really can be fun! With that being said, those things don’t make our team who we are, and they certainly didn’t make My Neighbor Felix what it is today.

You’ll learn a lot more about me and Felix by finding a cozy corner in one of our bars and watching us do our thing on a busy Saturday night. I picked up an expression earlier on in my career, “be like a duck.” Their flippers move faster than the eye can see, but above water they look graceful and organized. You’ll see me and the rest of the team acting like ducks for as long as it takes to serve every guest that walks through our door. They see me giving 110% and it makes it easy for them to do the same. I’m proud of so many things that Felix has accomplished so far, but creating and sustaining that environment, attracting those people, that is what sets us apart.

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Much of my determination, focus and leadership style in my work came from my love for playing sports! I played college basketball and will always credit my leadership skills to my many coaches along the way.

Contact Info:

• Website: myneighborfelix.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/myneighborfelix/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/myneighborfelix

Image Credits
Becky Freed