FSR September 2022

RI S ING S TARS

Iain Griffiths AGE: 35 CREATIVE DIRECTOR HIDDEN LEAF, MIDNIGHT CAFE NEW YORK

THE EMPLOYEE ADVOCATE Years ago, Courtney Mankin started working in restaurants as a cocktail wait ress. Today she’s president of The Social Order Dining Collective, which includes a mix of homegrown concepts and Fuzzy’s Taco Shop franchise locations. Mankin has taken the lead in building programs to better support its 400 employees— something that proved especially crucial at the height of the pandemic. The com pany offered staff up to six free, anony mous therapy sessions and hosted spe cial seminars called Intermissions that featured discussions around urgent top ics like the Black Lives Matter movement and mental health in the age of Covid.

FORREST MASON MEDIA THE SOCIAL ORDER

Courtney Mankin AGE: 35 PRESIDENT THE SOCIAL ORDER OKLAHOMA CITY

NOAH FECKS

THE NOMADIC MIXOLOGIST Iain Griffiths’ extensive hos pitality journey started in pubs in his native Austra lia before he felt the pull of cocktails. Since then, Griffiths has worked in— and often led—some of the most celebrated bever age programs across the globe, including Black Pearl (Melbourne), Eau de Vie (Sydney), Bramble (Edin burgh, Scotland), White Lyan and Dandelyan (Lon don), and Supernova Ball room (Toronto). In 2017, he won the first-ever “Bartend er’s Bartender” recognition by the World’s 50 Best Bars. Now, in addition to his work as creative director at new pan-Asian concept Hidden Leaf and cocktail bar Mid night Cafe in New York City, he’s busy at work on Jelly bone, a consulting, brand ing, and design collective.

Che Ramos AGE: 39 OWNER THE BLACK BOURBON GUY DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA

THE SPIRITED CONSULTANT Che Ramos has worked at some of the best restaurants in the Raleigh-Dur ham-Chapel Hill area of North Carolina, including French bistro Kitchen, Counting House at 21c Museum Hotel, and brunch destination STIR Raleigh. With plenty of experience managing both the restaurant and bar side of things, Ramos decided to strike out on his own and create a hospitality consul tancy centered around his passion: bourbon. Through The Black Bourbon Guy business, Ramos collaborates with local bars and restaurants, plans private tasting events, and provides professional bar training.

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