wcw JANUARY 2024

We’re sitting in
the Palm Avenue
Deli in downtown
Sarasota.
New Yorkers and
connoisseurs of all
things traditional
deli now have a
place to enjoy pastrami, bagels and lox
and vanilla egg cream sodas while kvetching
(or kvelling) if it’s like the deli of their
memories. Put it this way, midmorning the
restaurant had a few people eating breakfast;
by 11:30 the place was packed.
Tremendous attention to detail went
into creating Palm Avenue Deli from the
checkerboard floor to the lengthy menu
that offers the classics, but with some innovative
spins on those favorites. The person
who made that attention to detail happen is
across from me in a booth and her name is
Natalia Levey. She and her husband Mark
own and operate the Palm Avenue Deli
which opened last year in June. I’m sure
they had to clean the windows often from
all those pastrami-starved people peering
in, hoping to see if they were open yet.
But the couple not only own the Deli,
but two other establishments on the same
block: Bar Hana and Kojo. The three restaurants
couldn’t be more different - each
offers a unique and different experience
— visually and cuisine-wise. They opened
Kojo in 2021 while Bar Hana opened in
April, 2023.
But wait, there’s more. They also own
Speaks Clam Bar on St. Armands and in
Lakewood Ranch. And soon, they’ll be
announcing another restaurant concept
at the Central Park Food Hall in St. Petersburg
just to the north. No, she doesn’t
have a twin. Natalia admits up front a great
management team makes their restaurant
group, Hi Hospitality Group, run smoothly.
But she’s very much hands on. A creative
person, Natalia says they come up with a
new concept - sometimes based on their
travels or else what seems like fun - and
then create a restaurant around it and then,
“We make it our own,” as she explains.
They then test the idea, do careful research,
then employ a design firm (BLOK Design in
PA) to create the right look.
At Bar Hana you have a surf-themed,
modern tiki bar offering Asian-inspired light
bites and tons of drinks to choose from. Kojo
offers upscale Asian fare and a wide variety
of sakes. When you read this it will be peak
season and reservations at Kojo are a must
and must be made well in advance. “I can’t
even get a table,” she says seriously, and I
believe her. Celebrities happen to like Kojo
and that’s why they created a private dining
room — but she’s not naming names.
Whereas Kojo and Bar Hana have similar
pan-Asian cuisine, Speaks Clam Bars on St.
Armands Circle and in Lakewood Ranch
have classic seafood dishes like clam chowder,
but many dishes have Italian influences
such as cioppino, lasagna, linguine and
more with a variety of seafood.
The couple — he’s from Long Island,
she’s from eastern Europe — lived in New
York City, but always visited our area. They
have a home base in Tampa and another
home on Longboat Key to be close to their
restaurants.
Does she have a favorite cuisine? She’s
sensitive to spice and strong seasoning, but
has a fondness for soup going back to her
childhood. The buckwheat porridge is her
personal go to food as she finds it so comforting.
“I listen to my body,” she explains,
adding, “I like food prepared with love.”
Natalia is the founder of Hi Hospitality
Group, a “high touch operator of dining
destinations in Florida with focus on inviting
collaboration, integrating technology
and inspiring excellence…We are driven by
the love that we carry in our hearts: a love of
dining, a love of family, respect, communication
and service.”
Hi Hospitality Group created all the
restaurants, but Natalia is also a TEDx
speaker, author of “Cravings Boss” and a
“hospitality wellness advocate.” From her
website, it notes that she’s traveled extensively
to over 40 countries. Her background
is eclectic. She trained at the Art Institute of
New York and is a graduate of the Institute
for Integrative Nutrition. Natalia’s also a
certified nutritional consultant accredited
by the American Association of Nutritional
Consultants.
In 2021 she was given the Women’s Entrepreneurial
Leadership fellow by the James
Beard Foundation and distinguished as that
year’s Top Entrepreneur. When Hurricane
Nicole hit the Bahamas in 2022, Natalia
reached out to José Andrés’ World Kitchen.
She asked what was needed, and then flew
in to help, bringing chef’s tools. “It was an
extraordinary experience,” she recalls,
while helping to make thousands of meals.
Thus it is clear, her business is not all
about bottom line watching and fretting
about reservations. “Natalia believes that
a meal isn’t just a meal—it’s a step towards
global well-being and connection,” according
to the website.
Natalia follows social media closely and
if a patron has a special meal request say, at
Kojo, she works hard to deliver, finding that
item at one of her other restaurants. She’s
also creative and that’s why you’ll see watermelon
gazpacho on the menu at the Palm Avenue
Deli - and it’s very popular. “I approach
everything with creativity and openness.”
You don’t often see “empathy” on a
restaurant website or “respect” or “mindfulness”
for that matter. During our conversation
there was no gazing about the room
or any sign of concern showing across her
serene face. In part, that’s due to good business
practices. “With a good management
team in place and lots of training, staff are
empowered,” she explains.
When the Deli first opened they started
with breakfast to make sure that went
smoothly. They then added lunch and then
later, added dinner. She doesn’t micromanage,
instead relies on her team in particular,
“Robert Castelloin, our solid director of operations
who understands the vision of the
company.” As well, she also mentions Chef
Hart Lowry, their culinary director. “They
really deserve a lot of credit for where the
restaurants are.”
They have operations meetings weekly.
Natalia oversees all photography, does
social media. Marketing and branding are
done in house. Mark has a background in
technology and created their unique ordering
system where diners can scan a QR code
at the table (or not).
While it’s not a literal translation, Kojo, by
the way, means “continuing improvement,”
and to Natalia, “that’s what we do and that’s
what keeps everyone interested.”
STORY: Louise Bruderle
Courtesy image
Find out more about Natalia at
www.natalialevey.com.
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JANUARY 2024 WEST COAST WOMAN 17