Meet Michael Elmore of Arcana Restaurant in Boulder

Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Elmore.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Michael. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I’ve worked in restaurants my entire life. I was with The Kitchen group for eight years and worked as GM of The Kitchen Boulder and Upstairs before moving to Chicago to open The Kitchen there. In between, I took a six-month wine-focused sabbatical. I moved back to Colorado in 2015 to open Arcana and have been here ever since acting as GM/Partner and Wine Director. In the fall of 2018, I passed the Court of Master Sommeliers Advanced Examination. This summer we had the pleasure of opening our second concept, a tiki bar, in downtown Boulder called Jungle. I currently split time between the two concepts.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Restaurants are all about challenges and obstacles! No restaurant is immune to challenge. Great restaurants and teams are able to navigate challenges with grace and humility. Opening a restaurant is always a heavy lift, but just as difficult is consistency in the long run. It’s fun when you are handed a shiny new project. It takes another type of determination to incrementally push the business and team in a positive direction day after day over the course of many years.

ARCANA Restaurant – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am a Partner in Arcana and Jungle. I also run the wine program here. I have a true love for working the floor, taking care of guests and guiding a team. I’m very fortunate to have an amazing set of peers that teach me new things everyday. I’m most proud of the culture that we’ve established here at Arcana and Jungle. We work really hard so that we can have fun doing what we do. It has to happen in that order, otherwise, it just comes off as sloppy.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Positive movement. Success isn’t attained, it’s a practice. It’s important to never settle where you are at. No matter how good things are going, you have to continue pushing to make them even better.