7/30/2023 0 Comments Mad hatter restaurant![]() ![]() In such a small space any problem would be magnified, but because of the attention to detail, from the hand-written reservation system to the seamless seating process, everything flows effortlessly. The service staff is among the best on the island for professionalism, courtesy, class and menu knowledge thanks to Michelle’s guidance and training. ![]() “The feeling we try to create is approachable sophistication,” says Michelle. And while the whimsy has stayed in the bright and colorful decor, the menu was dramatically improved by Kurt who elevated the cuisine to pair with Sanibel’s million dollar sunsets. ![]() It’s comprised of a small dining room and an even smaller kitchen. Once a lunch shack for fishermen with food served on a back deck, the little beachfront bungalow evolved from its humble beginnings in the 1950s into The Mad Hatter in the ’80s where it was known as a whimsical, quirky place with decent food. But it’s sort of like the Mad Hatter found us,” says Michelle. “We really didn’t come to Sanibel looking to relocate, I mean we had such a loyal customer base in New York and our family up there. By the end of the season, Michelle had a look at the books and decided to have a sit-down with Kurt to actually consider buying The Mad Hatter. And all season long the owner tried to convince the couple to buy his restaurant so he could return to Europe. “So I went to work there.” Michelle eventually started helping with the accounting when the owner was out of town. ![]() “The Mad Hatter was the first one to call me back,” says Kurt, a little grin spreading on his face. Quickly, Kurt got bored and decided to get a job to fill the time. But then the restaurant just took over,” adds Kurt.Īfter running two successful restaurants of their own near Woodstock, New York, Kurt and Michelle were looking for another restaurant up North when they decided to spend the winter at a friend’s house on Sanibel. “Yeah, and catering was going so well, we thought we should get a restaurant with a real kitchen to run catering out of and make the leap to just running our own business. “We worked about eighteen hours a day, minimum,” Michelle says, glancing to her husband sitting next to her. Before food trucks were glamorous, they operated one together while both held down full-time jobs in upstate New York. “All the other girls would baby sit for a few hours, but there I was every Sunday working a 10–hour shift bringing home more than they’d dream of,” laughs Michelle.īoth tireless and passionate workers in their respective parts of the restaurant world, it would stand to reason that when they met they’d become a culinary power couple. Meanwhile, his wife-to-be was working hard in the front of the house waiting tables at a diner every weekend. Eventually I worked my way up and by 19, I was head chef. “I’d show up early every day, and I’d ask the chef if there was anything I could do to help. “I started working in a kitchen washing dishes when I was really young,” he says matter of factly. It’s just something I always knew I wanted to do, I liked to do.”Īs chef and co-owner of The Mad Hatter on Sanibel Island with his wife, Michelle, he has achieved his dream, but he doesn’t sprinkle fairy dust on it. “I even knew to heat the oven to 200 to keep things warm while everything else was cooking. “Bacon, eggs, pancakes, the whole deal,” remembers Kurt. When he was 7, Kurt Jarvis walked into his family’s kitchen on Christmas morning and cooked a full breakfast. ![]()
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