Meet Michelle Allaire of Michelle’s Country Diner in Baldwin Hills

Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Allaire.

Michelle, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My journey began at the age of 19 when I was hired as a hostess at a JW Marriott. At 23 I moved from Cleveland, Ohio to Los Angeles, California. I have held an array of jobs over the years but most often in or related to the food service industry. After an interesting series of events, experiences and growing pains, life presented me with the opportunity to become a partner of S&W Country Diner in Culver City. It was there that I found comfort, a sense of belonging and even more opportunities to learn and grow. During my 18 years at S&W, I gained a wealth of experience about the business and most importantly about human nature. I truly loved being of service and creating an amazing team who also loved coming to work and being of service. To my surprise, in September of 2014, I was approached by a team member from the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza. She was sent to inquire if I was interested in relocating or adding another location. After several meetings, the plans were in motion to expand and become Michelle’s Country Diner. My new location would be replacing what was a Fatburger at the time and open in 2016. I had the privilege and honor of working side by side with the architect to create, design and decorate MCD. My vision came to fruition and opened for business 29 September 2016.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road to MCD has been anything and everything but smooth. There were the usual setbacks with construction, permits and the like, but the biggest challenge was finding the “right fit” for my staff. I made a decision to hire primarily from the neighborhood, and I did. We went through a lot of changes in the first month or so, but I am grateful to say we are now a solid squad. Most of these kids, yes, I say kids because they are primarily 19-23 years of age, have never had a job before and if they did it was not in a restaurant. They have been so open and exhibit a hunger to learn and grow from the inside out. They are truly shining stars.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Michelle’s Country Diner – what should we know?
MCD is a comfort food restaurant. We serve breakfast all day and are open 7 days a week. Shortly, we will have our beer and wine license which at that point our hours and menu will expand. I am currently creating a brunch menu including shrimp and grits, smothered French toast and mimosas to name a few. We will also have dessert and a bar menu.

I am most proud of the warmth you feel when you walk in the door. My staff is friendly and welcoming, the decor is cozy and the food feeds your belly and your soul.

As a company I am most proud of my staff. We are a family and we are here to be of service. We rang in the New Year with family dinner, 20 of us at the same table, and made vision boards together. It was truly magical because as a result, they have each taken that beautiful, creative and compassionate energy and put it straight into their work.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Love. I love being here and doing what I do. My cooks sing to the food when they cook. My busboys listen to their own music when they wash dishes and sing along. My servers love being here and getting to know each customer and what they like. We work and communicate as a team of people who genuinely care about each other, about the customers and about being of service to the community.

Contact Info:

• Address: 4070 Marlton Avenue
  Los Angeles, CA 90008
• Website: michellescountrydiner.com
• Phone: 323.290.0575
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: michellescountrydiner
• Facebook: michelle’s country diner
• Yelp: michelle’s country diner

Image Credit:
James Craigmiles