S3 E23 | Doing Dishes at 2 AM: What it Takes to Run a Restaurant That Lasts 5+ Generations

Andrea Gonzmart Williams, the fifth-generation caretaker of the Columbia Restaurant Group and Tampa’s 2024 Hispanic Woman of the Year, joins Owen LaFave to tell the inspiring story of an establishment that needs no introduction if you’re a local. Founded in 1905, the Columbia Restaurant survived historical events like the Great Depression, Prohibition, and the Spanish Flu and has expanded to include other restaurant brands such as Ulele, Goody Goody, and Cha Cha Coconuts in Sarasota. Andrea describes how consistency has allowed this family-owned business to balance tradition and innovation across generations for nearly 120 years. From surviving financial challenges to hurricanes and COVID, Andrea recounts how her father’s leadership and resilience helped save and grow the business while always prioritizing community and working alongside staff. She reveals how the company makes caring for employees a priority—keeping them paid and supported through the pandemic and other crises—and reflects on the emotional weight of carrying on her family’s legacy. What is Andrea’s own approach to leadership in the restaurant industry? Spoiler: It involves putting in the hours, even when that means rolling up your sleeves to do dishes at 2am.

 

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