40 Under 40: Katy Knauff, Kamp Social House
The restaurant is designed to make customers feel like they're at home.Kamp Social House is a restaurant that was created with the intention of making customers feel like they are at home. The restaurant's tagline is "Don't be a stranger."
Katy Knauff uses her years of experience in the restaurant industry to bring a more inclusive twist to fine dining.
Knauff’s Kamp Social House, located in Seattle’s Madison Valley, offers a variety of cocktails, from the boozy to the partly boozy to unboozy.
She told Business Journal that she thought this was a good way to show our inclusiveness and level of service. "We want you to get to understand us. We are your neighbors. "We're your neighbors."
What made you decide to pursue a career as a chef and stay in the restaurant industry?
In the end, I enjoy throwing parties. I love creating memorable experiences for others. It is my goal to create experiences for people every day, both professionally and personally. There are some people who thrive off the daily challenge of creating amazing experiences for others. These are the people who excel in the restaurant world.
How did you create those experiences as a restaurateur?
We kept in mind that when we began to think about Kamp we wanted it to be inclusive. This is a big word. How can you communicate that to the people, so that they feel at ease coming to Kamp and having that elevated experience but it is accessible to everyone? We are very aware of the fact that some people in the LGBTQ+ communities do not feel comfortable going to a restaurant and holding hands at the table. We wanted to create an environment where you feel included as soon as you walk in. The tagline "Don't Be a Stranger" was born.
Restaurants have a reputation for being toxic workplaces. What is your approach to working in an industry that has such a reputation?
The golden rule is the answer, right? This is the standard that I strive to set. In business, this means being transparent - talking to my management team about the current state of the company, discussing next steps and potential opportunities, all the way down sharing our P&L so that people can see what the possibilities are. This is something I would not have done 5 or 10 year ago. It's important to show that there are many career options in the restaurant industry.