Landy Labadie
Director of Operations

“It’s not the years in your life; it’s the life in your years.” At the tender age of 25, Landy Labadie, has earned the reputation as a highly respected and effective leader in the food and beverage industry.

Born in North Bergen, New Jersey, Labadie left his hometown in 1998 to attend Florida State University where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics with a Minor in Multinational Business. To help ease the burden of tuition costs, Labadie was able to secure full time managerial positions at popular student bound establishments including Sloppy Joe’s and Fat Tuesdays. He successfully managed his studies while simultaneously managing restaurants, which helped to shape and train him for future executive posts in a highly demanding industry.  It was during this time he developed a taste for the business and a real passion for catering to the appetites of patrons.

Upon graduation, Labadie relocated to Miami and at the youthful age of 23, landed a job as the General Manager of Bongos Cuban Café, the trendy-tropical restaurant and night club owned and operated by Emilio and Gloria Estefan. It was in this position Labadie had the opportunity to hone his skills in operations and management. The wide range of duties and hands on experience helped fine tune his talents in the hospitality industry. The intense training, professional and personal development, received at Bongos has helped to guide Labadie through his career at the critically acclaimed Chispa Restaurant & Bar in Coral Gables.  

In 2003, Labadie joined the management team at Chispa as Assistant Manager, and shortly after began climbing their corporate ladder. It was not long that he was promoted to General Manager and most recently to Director of Operations in 2006.

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