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CADILLAC — From the moment Hermann Suhs first donned a chef’s apron more than half a century ago, his goal has been simple — to achieve excellence.
“I decided that whatever I do, I will do the best,” Suhs said.
In his lifetime pursuit of this lofty ambition, the 73-year-old Austrian immigrant has earned a reputation as someone who expects from his employees as much passion and commitment to the craft as he has.
“That overshadowed everything,” Suhs said in regard to his belief that everyone on his team should be working synchronously toward the same goal of service excellence. “The commitment of the team has to come through. I’ve shared this analogy with people in multiple languages: ‘I’m the conductor and you’re the orchestra.’ The only answer I should hear from anyone on my team is one answer: ‘yes, chef.'”
While controversial and a little rough around the edges at times, Suhs’s management style has served him well.
The sale last week of Suhs’s landmark restaurant in Cadillac — Hermann’s European Cafe — is the culmination of a career that started when he was a teenager.
In 1961, Suhs began his apprenticeship at the Hotel Sacher Wien in Vienna, Austria. There, he cut his culinary teeth under the tutelage of “Herr Kuban,” who demanded unwavering obedience from his pupils.
Suhs recalls an incident when the hot-headed Kuban threw a fork at him after Suhs forgot to put flour on a pot handle to let kitchen staff know it was hot to the touch. Other times, Kuban told Suhs to perform job duties that were unnecessary and unpleasant — as a test to see if Suhs was able to follow orders, no matter how ridiculous they seemed.
During his apprenticeship, which lasted a total of five years (two and a half years doing pastry and two and a half years as a cook), Suhs was able to prove himself to Kuban; after that, Suhs could do no wrong in the eyes of his proud teacher, who took him in like a member of his family.
The close relationship Suhs developed with Kuban ended abruptly one day when Suhs walked into his office and discovered the chef had passed away while sitting at his desk.
“It (Kuban’s death) really had an impression on me because he loved me,” Suhs said.
While Kuban was gone, Suhs said the lessons he imparted have stuck with him the rest of his career and shaped the type of restaurant manager he eventually became.
“You’re only as good as your last meal,” Suhs said. “That mentality is important. For me, it’s not just a profession, it’s a calling.”
Following his apprenticeship, Suhs worked for a time in Stockholm, Sweden as chef saucier at the Berns Salonger restaurant and as a chef at the Austrian embassy; he also served as head chef of several large hotels in locations around the world, including Bermuda and St. Lucia, to name a few. He prepared food for commoners and royalty alike, including both the king of Sweden and king of Nepal.
With such a wide range of experience, Suhs could have gone anywhere in the world … so why did he end up settling down in the small city of Cadillac, Michigan?
It was a job Suhs took at the Grand Traverse Resort that changed the trajectory of his life: there, in 1982, Suhs met his future wife, Mardi Carlson.
After about a year of dating, Hermann and Mardi tied the knot and moved to Florida for a time, during which Suhs worked as the head chef of the brand new Hawks Cay Resort.
The couple soon moved back to Michigan when they heard about a storefront in downtown Cadillac that was for sale.
In 1984, a buffet-style restaurant called Ursula’s was for sale at 214 North Mitchell St. With financial help from Mardi’s family and a family friend, Suhs purchased the building, along with a liquor license that the owner had never used.
“This was a family project from the beginning,” Suhs said.
At first, Suhs opened a “white table cloth” restaurant with bowtie-wearing staff members but found that a more relaxed atmosphere fit the clientele better in Northern Michigan.
“Younger people didn’t want that (the white table cloth setting),” Suhs said. “So we casualized the restaurant but didn’t casualize the food or the service.”
Not long after opening, Suhs hired Steve Gorski, who would go on to work at Hermann’s for the next 34 years and become head chef.
“He’s an artist with food,” Suhs said. “He’s been with me for years. He had a talent and having a commitment to excellence is not an easy thing to learn. You have to be born with it.”
The advent of computerized ordering systems in the 1990s was a difficult adjustment for the old-fashioned Suhs, but one he felt was necessary for the restaurant.
“It’s more efficient and faster,” Suhs said. “More up to date.”
Other changes at the restaurant over the years have included the transformation of the deli into a wine bar and adjusting the menu to meet a demand for foods from around the world rather than solely from Europe.
The latest change that Hermann’s European Cafe will undergo is new ownership.
On Thursday, Suhs closed on a deal to sell the restaurant to business partners Mike Blackmer and John Kulhavi. Under new ownership, the name of the establishment will remain “Hermann’s” and Suhs will be staying on for a time as a consultant to assist with the transition and to help retain key personnel, such as Gorski.
With the exception of turning the wine bar into a pub, Blackmer said little else will change at Hermann’s, although he will be doing extensive renovations to give the restaurant a modern touch while also retaining its authentic European appeal.
Protecting the quality of the “Hermann’s” brand, as well as his legacy, was very important to Suhs as he considered selling the business.
“Our town deserves a quality place where people come to stay from all over America,” Suhs said. “I had to prove myself here (in Cadillac) but once I did, I was taken into the community. The kindness of this town will stick with me until I pass.”
Now that Suhs no longer has the responsibility of owning a restaurant, he’s looking forward to spending more time in Florida, cooking for himself and his family, playing tennis and reading. He’ll also be continuing to film the cooking show that’s aired for several years on a local television station.
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This article was originally published by a www.cadillacnews.com . Read the Original article here.
