Shannon BinderPhoto: Courtesy of RPM Events
How she got her start: "I started in hospitality as an intern while in college, working at the host stand in the evenings. From there, I became an hourly supervisor, opening the restaurant and getting service started before managers arrived for the day. This felt both completely natural and absolutely exhilarating at 21 years old!
When I graduated from college, I was offered a salaried management position, and for the next couple of years, I rotated through all the areas of responsibility, from scheduling staff to ordering and inventorying beverages to social media marketing. At 25, I was ready for a new challenge, and my industry peers told me that Lettuce Entertain You was planning RPM Restaurant’s second location.
I met with LEYE [Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises] leadership and was offered a position on the opening team of RPM Steak. I was trained at RPM Italian, the first and original RPM, while the new space was under construction. I began my journey at RPM Steak as a parties and special events manager and loved it—thus remaining in that role from 2014 to 2019 when RPM Restaurants unveiled the plans for our four-story riverfront property! I participated in the back-to-back openings of Pizzeria Portofino, RPM Events, and RPM Seafood.
We opened Pizzeria Portofino, a vibrant coastal Italian concept, in July 2019; RPM Events, our large-scale ballroom-style space, in September 2019; and RPM Seafood, with a stunning second level boasting seven private rooms, in January 2020. After stabilizing and rebuilding the team post-COVID, I became director of events and now lead our building’s three programs. Leading this team is truly the proudest accomplishment of my career."
For a recent wedding, Binder and her team set up a cocktail hour "in the dreamiest garden setting where we created bountiful seafood and charcuterie stations while tray-passing canapes and hosting full bars," she remembers.Photo: Courtesy of RPM Events
What innovation means to her: "Innovation means evolving and adding value. If we are doing these things in tandem, we’re successfully innovating. When evolving anything within our programs, from the booking process to the presentation of a food station, we aim to add value to either our spaces, our guest experiences, or our own team.
Innovation does not mean complication. My motto for managing parties and special events has always been to 'make it easy'—in my experience, this is what clients want. They want to express their ideas and for me to take it from there, making the planning and execution as simple and seamless as possible.
Some of the best ideas come from my guests themselves. It doesn’t need to be my idea to be a good idea that I can creatively layer onto. I get constant inspiration from all of my teammates. Whether someone has 15 years of experience or 15 days, any idea can be born into something incredibly special and unique. Having a team with a variety of backgrounds and perspectives adds exponentially to our ability to innovate."
"I hope the chefs, the service and support staff, the managers, and the planners who make it all possible—in an industry that is so extremely challenging to be successful in—get the respect and acknowledgment they deserve," says Binder.Photo: Courtesy of RPM Events
To start, guests enjoyed cocktail hour, which took place in the dreamiest garden setting where we created bountiful seafood and charcuterie stations while tray-passing canapes and hosting full bars. After heading into the tent for seated dinner, we provided tableside French service throughout the coursed meal. After dinner and cake-cutting, we displayed petite desserts and featured crushed-Oreo-rimmed espresso-tinis (definitely the drink of the year!), tray-passed on the lively dance floor! The couple trusting us with the most important day of their lives is the highest compliment of our work."
Her all-time favorite food: "My grandma’s matzo ball soup! But currently, a perfect day of eating would look like this: Breakfast: fluffy lemon pancakes from Beatrix. Lunch: Shaki-Shaki tuna from Hub 51 (obsessed!). Dinner: Westholme wagyu strip and Millionaire’s Potato from RPM Steak. Dessert: banana cream napoleon from RPM Seafood. Chaos: Cheesy Gordita Crunch from Taco Bell!"
Her biggest hope for the F&B industry: "Our spaces are where core memories are made, where literal dreams become reality, and people come from far and wide to be together and break bread. Every single day there is a reason to gather and something to celebrate. My hopes are that the spectacular people who are preparing and serving the holiday celebrations, the surprise parties, wedding receptions, and impressive corporate client dinners get to shine!
I hope the chefs, the service and support staff, the managers, and the planners who make it all possible—in an industry that is so extremely challenging to be successful in—get the respect and acknowledgment they deserve. I feel beyond lucky to love my work—the good, the bad, and the ugly! My hope is for my peers to enjoy that same luck. Whether it be new concepts breaking into the industry, or longtime pillars of the restaurant community, I hope we all get to continue to do what we love. Cheers!"
