El Restaurante, an esteemed bilingual food publication specializing in Mexican and Latin foodservice trends, has named Luis Solano, the Restaurant Manager at Felipe’s Mexican Taqueria, as Restaurant Manager of the Year.
Luis first joined the Felipe’s team in New Orleans in 2017. At that time, he had no plans to pursue a restaurant career but was looking for a new job as a single father of three. “I didn’t think it was my type of job, but I soon realized it was right for me,” Solano reflects. He adds that he heard the call for leadership his whole life, and the opportunity at Felipe’s allowed him to answer it. “I like to be proud of what I do.”
Impressed by his work ethic, Lon Nichols, the director of human resources at Felipe’s, submitted a nomination form in support of Solano. Within three years, he had mastered all kitchen positions and was appointed general manager of the French Quarter location in June of last year. “In my time as the HR director of Felipe’s and more than 25 years in hospitality, I have not worked with a better manager than Luis,” Nichols stated.
Solano leads his team by fostering an environment where employees view each day as a learning opportunity and feel seen and heard in a fair and gentle manner. “Luis is amazing; he manages his restaurant with ease, has respect from all of his team, and cares for each and every one of them,” said Katie Kreubbe, the restaurant’s human resources coordinator. “Our French Quarter location is a well-oiled machine because of his skill, management style, and oversight. We are lucky to have him!”
