Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Fraga.
Hi Amanda, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I went to college with a strong desire to travel, I’m sure like most people, and I made it a priority to save and go to as many places as possible, near and far (by 19 I was spending 2 weeks in China, and by 21 I was in Senegal for a few weeks, for example). I loved learning about beverages every where I went. It was a way to understand and taste the culture. This lead to me going into the Hospitality Program at FIU and getting a Minor in Beverage. From there, I knew I wanted to work in wine but in the restaurants. It was 2011 when I graduated from FIU and the somm jobs were scarce, and with no fine dining restaurant experience my application was barely getting looked at. It wasn’t until I went to a job fair for The Setai in Miami Beach, and sat in front of the F&B director and shared my passion and knowledge that I got my first job, as Wine Steward at The Setai.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My first two jobs I had in the industry, those restaurants closed within 1 year of me working there. I knew that restaurants were a volatile industry but I had also seen people who had jobs for years at the same place, so I kept searching for the right fit. That’s when in 2014 that I started at MGFD as Sommelier.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about The Genuine Hospitality Group?
I work for a small group called the Genuine Hospitality Group, operated and owned by James Beard Award Winning Chef Michael Schwartz. I focus on overall beverage at the restaurants, I assist in managing the bars and wine programs for Michael’s Genuine and Amara at Paraiso. I’m most proud of working at a place with a focus on food and beverage, around Miami sometimes you only see the focus on one aspect.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I think there will be a continued push on what is in what people are consuming. For example, in wine over the last years people have become more aware on what else might be in their wines, whether it be sulfites, or if pesticides were used on the grapes. In the next few years I think people will be more aware on % of alcohol in the beverages, including cocktails. I think we will see more restaurants putting the ABV of their cocktails on the menu
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @quepasamanda
Image Credits
The Genuine Hospitality Group
