Brian Owens moved from New Orleans to Baton Rouge last summer to become general manager of Tsunami, the popular rooftop restaurant at the Shaw Center downtown. He brings a wealth of experience to the role—and not just in the realm of fine dining. For nearly 20 years before he moved to New Orleans, Owens was an EMS professional in Texas.
“I initially came [to New Orleans] to assist with the rescue/relief effort” following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Owens tells Business Report for the Executive Spotlight feature from the current issue. “I fell in love with [New Orleans] and was ready for a change, ready to try something new. And in a city of food, the restaurant industry sounded like the way to go. I started waiting tables, tending bar and eventually worked my way up the ladder.”
By the time Owens ended his EMS career he was director of communications in Houston, and he says there is overlap in some of the required skills for his former and current professions.
“Customer service, for sure,” he says.
At Tsunami, Owens oversees a staff of 55 and says he relishes opportunities to mentor his employees. In the few months since he’s became Tsunami’s GM, the one essential thing Owens says he’s learned is: “Always have your finger on the pulse of your community.”
Read the full Executive Spotlight Q&A with Owens. Here’s a sample of what you’ll find:
If you could have dinner with any three living people, other than relatives, who would they be?
“Oprah, the Dalai Lama and Wolf Blitzer.”
