Meet Kate Green of Mozza Restaurant Group in Hancock Park

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kate Green.

Kate, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I first came to LA when I had just turned 21 and moved in with some friends in Los Feliz. A close family friend worked with a talent agency and convinced me to come in and take some test shots to see if I could get some auditions for some extra work in between classes. (at SMCC and Cal State Northridge) Thankfully for me, that took off a bit and the next few years I worked modeling on photo shoots, music videos, and getting the lay of the land in “the industry” (ie: not necessarily eating a well balanced meal three times a day and staying out too late at night) Next Chapter – I had a girlfriend from college who worked at a new restaurant that had just opened up and she suggest I put myself on a more positive path by having a stable job and answering the phone two days a week. That restaurant was Pizzeria Mozza. I went in and interviewed with then GM and managing partner David Rosoff who told me that my time in college working at Papa John’s was nothing to scoff at, since after all – they were a pizza place too. (that statement still cracks me up) I started working in the office as a reservationist, which I happened to be very good at and started to work more and more at Mozza vs. the agency. The turning point came when David sat me down (after running late from auditions multiple times) and said, “You need to think about which career is going to last you a lifetime.”

And that was it. I 100% focused on working on with the restaurant. Next steps were running the office, helping the kitchen with invoices, then events manager and then finally working with Nancy (Silverton) 100% of the time. I guess I skipped the part where Nancy took me under her wing and started dragging me around with her from restaurant to restaurant and really showing me the ins and outs of how it all goes. She was the first person in my life that broke my military upbringing of “you have to finish everything on your plate” and made it ok just to taste things. Let’s be honest – the amount of food that we taste on a daily basis would make you ill if you finished it all. The woman is a saint! 12 years later, I am still working for her, now as Director of Communications for our corner, lovingly named the Mozzaplex.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has been a smooth road in the sense that Nancy is a very hands-on mentor, who really leads by example. She is right there with you in the trenches of every service, every event, and sometimes every conference call when things have gone awry. On the other side, I think the biggest challenge for me over the years has been self-doubt at times. When I first started, I was surrounded by an office of people who all went to school for hospitality or restaurant management, or at the very least were a lot older than me and had worked at it for a very long time. I really just had to learn as I went along and at times I was really hard on myself when I made a mistake. Now that I look back on it, those are some of the biggest lessons that have stuck with me and made me better at my job.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Mozza Restaurant Group story. Tell us more about the business.
Our group of restaurants (Pizzeria Mozza, Osteria Mozza, chi SPACCA, Mozza 2 Go) hold a special place in Angeleno’s hearts for a reason. The level of food and service that our staff strives to provide on a daily basis has always left me in awe. I think what sets us apart trickles down from Nancy and the top. She really wants everyone to have a seat at the table and a platform for everyone to shine while bringing the best ingredients and experience she can to the guests. It shows.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I’m not a big “luck” person as I believe hard work usually provides for what you need in the end – BUT I will say that I feel lucky to have worked at the restaurant from the very beginning and work my way up. It has given me such a different perspective on how restaurants run and I’m not sure I would have that if I came in at an upper management position right away.

Contact Info:

• Address: Osteria Mozza – 6602 Melrose Ave. LA, CA 90038
• Website: www.osteriamozza.com
• Phone: 323-297-0101
• Instagram: @osteriamozza @funwithkate
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/osteriamozza
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/osteriamozza

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