Barcelona-born entrepreneur Mike Hewitt grew up breakdancing in the streets, working the dough, and handing out fat stacks—of “free slice” coupons, that is—for his parents’ pizzeria chain in Spain. He was hustling ever since he was a kid, and he was good at it.
“At that age, you are a sponge, and it all sticks,” says Hewitt, reminiscing over the days of spinning pizza and entertaining hungry guests.
Supporting a restaurant at a young age, he learned a thing or two about hiring the right talent, running a business, and making people feel right at home.
He went on to study hospitality in Switzerland and opened a Spanish tapas restaurant in Williamsburg before the hipster heyday. The game plan was to “learn how Americans run restaurants and head back to Europe.” But things didn’t go the way he had envisioned.
Instead, he fell in love with his wife and embraced the culturally Brooklyn mindset.
“We are adventurous, entrepreneurial, slightly fearless, savvy consumers, outside-the-box thinkers, pioneers, and visionaries,” says Hewitt, a WeWork Dumbo Heights member.
Hewitt and his wife even named their 5-year-old daughter, Marlow, after their favorite Brooklyn restaurant where they had their first date. While running his Williamsburg restaurant, Mercat Negre, they also operated a women’s vintage clothing boutique in Greenpoint.
Once the recession hit, and his restaurant business permanently closed, Hewitt shifted into a director role at a human resources agency. It wasn’t long before he started his own recruiting agency, responding to the call of the entrepreneurial spirit within.
Last year, Hewitt and his former restaurant partner launched One Haus, a platform of resources for clientele in the hospitality and restaurant industry. One Haus provides access to recruiters who track potential hires for corporations and mom and pop operations alike, as well as consultants who provide food and beverage advice and digital support.
“We don’t rattle off résumés and see if someone sticks,” Hewitt says. “We need to do cross comparisons to see what talent different restaurants are hiring. So a lot of research is done in-office—lots of interviews with chefs, mixologists, and general managers.”
Though not all the recommended candidates might be actively looking for a new job, Hewitt views headhunting as an opportunity to propel people into a new career trajectory.
“We’re handpicking people who are currently employed,” Hewitt says. “Some people think it’s poaching, but we think it’s educating and giving them space to decide on their own. I always tell my recruiters, ‘You wait, wait, and wait for the right set of waves.’”
The company is quickly expanding with a satellite office in Nashville, where Hewitt’s top recruiters are entrenched in the territory there. Next stop? Mexico City next month, and San Francisco, and the Midwest thereafter.
Photo credit: Lauren Kallen