Cherif Mbodji’s passion for hospitality is deeply rooted in his upbringing in Senegal. When he came to America in 2000 to attend the University of Michigan, he had no way of knowing that homesickness for the liveliness and generosity of his big family in Senegal would lead him to a career in hospitality. 

When Cherif stumbled into Rain, a Thai restaurant on the Upper East Side, he got a summer job as a busser that kicked off a journey that took him to the dining rooms of the China Grill Group, Bouley, and Daniel Boulud, to being nominated for a James Beard Hospitality Award in Houston with his partners Aaron and Victoria Pappas Bludorn.

Join us to hear:

- What it was like to grow up in a family of 9 kids

- Their family tradition of always saving a plate of food in case a stranger or visitor passes by

- The time Cherif got in big trouble with Charlie Rose

- How he created an 8-top in a packed dining room and saved the job of a bigwig’s assistant 

- What he learned about the real role of manager on the floor at Bouley 

- How working for Dinex prepared him to run his own business

- What’s happening in Houston with Bludorn Hospitality Group