Meet passionate restaurateur and CEO of Jamie's Italian SA
CEO and shareholder of Jamie's Italian South Africa, Stephen Gersowsky, is one of a group of passionate individuals, with a flare for developing the restaurant industry and young chefs, who brought this renowned chef's brand to South Africa.
Stephen Gersowsky, CEO, Jamie's Italian SA
Gersowsky has worked in the food and hospitality industry for close to 24 years, both as a restaurateur entrepreneur and also a developer and motivator for many brands we all know and have come to love. During the early days of his career, Gersowsky worked closely with the Panarottis franchise, as the regional operations manager for Gauteng before becoming chief operations director for a small restaurant group based in Johannesburg - which saw him handling between 40 to 50 restaurants.
An international taste of the business
Seeking new adventure and an international taste of the business, Gersowsky set his eyes on London where he landed up working for a contemporary Belgium restaurant group which saw him assisting in the opening of a host of restaurants and contributing to their brand development. After a few years in the UK, Gersowsky came back home and opened a restaurant called Zero 932, which was a high-end contemporary Belgium restaurant, similar to what he had worked on in the UK.
Setting his eyes on bigger plans, Gersowsky along with his brother took over La Cuccina restaurant located in Hout Bay, eight years ago, while simultaneously starting a hospitality consulting group with strategic alliances in Singapore, Sydney, and Dubai, primarily working on restaurants and cafés. The aim was to take brands from SA and Australia and develop them in the Middle East.
When asked who he admires Gersowsky, replied: “Mentorship comes in different guises. The key thing is to keep learning. I draw inspiration, leadership, and mentorship from a whole host of people from all industries. I look up to people who can grow and develop my ability to lead, to inspire and to give purpose to myself and in turn provide purpose to others. My 10-year-old is probably more of a role model to me than anyone else.”
It's more than a restaurant, it's a persona
Gersowsky explains, “Jamie’s Italian is more than a restaurant to me. It’s about the persona of the brand. It’s about the culture and food ethos that encompasses this restaurant. I love the ideology, integrity, and philosophy of Jamie’s Italian. At Jamie’s we are able to work with seasonal produce, smaller farmers, trace the origins of products, organic and free range, and truly understand the originality of Italian cuisine and its flexibility,” explains Gersowsky.
