Sid Evans discusses Birmingham’s Heart of Hospitality with José Camacho, Kristen Hall, Qadeem Hassan & Rob McDaniel
Rotarians pack snack kits for Birmingham City Schools preschool students
This week, the Rotary Club of Birmingham (RCB) welcomed Southern Living Editor-in-Chief Sid Evans for a discussion Birmingham’s identity as “The Heart of Hospitality” with José Camacho, Co-Founder & Beverage Director of Adiõs Bar and Salud Taqueria and Wine Director at Automatic Seafood & Oysters; Kristen Hall, Owner & Executive Chef of La Fête and Founder & Co-Owner of Bandit Patisserie; Qadeem Hassan, Co-Founder of Ralph’s Listening Room; and Rob McDaniel, Executive Chef & Owner of Helen and Bayonet. Southern Foodservice prepared mimosas and a special menu for the club’s return to weekly meetings in The Harbert Center’s newly refurbished Beeson Hall. Evans gave Chef Cherri Koester and her team a shoutout from the stage in appreciation for the delicious meal.
Evans highlighted the national recognition Birmingham’s food and beverage scene has received from the James Beard Foundation, Michelin Guide, Eater, Southern Living, The New York Times and Esquire. The panelists discussed the elements that contributed to the growth, with Hall emphasizing the importance of balancing national attention with local support and Camacho noting that hospitality begins with how businesses treat their employees.
The conversation addressed the challenges facing Birmingham’s hospitality industry, including staffing and changing customer spending habits. Panelists discussed the need to introduce younger people to hospitality as a career and suggested focused training to develop the local culinary workforce.
The panel discussed the importance of collaboration among local restaurants, bars, music venues and other businesses, noting that a strong hospitality community benefits the city as a whole. Hassan discussed the integral connection between Birmingham’s music and hospitality scenes. McDaniel described the growing interest from people outside Birmingham looking to start businesses here. The group emphasized the magic of Birmingham businesses working together and supporting one another as the city’s hospitality scene continues to grow.
