He started washing dishes at 15 in a small Washington cafe; decades later Michael Mina had built a restaurant empire with more than 25 restaurants

Michael Mina’s journey from a teenage dishwasher in rural Washington to the founder of a restaurant empire is a story shaped by hard work, curiosity and a determination to learn. Born in Cairo, Egypt, and raised in Ellensburg, Washington, Mina discovered his passion for cooking while working at a small café at the age of 15. What began with washing dishes quickly became an obsession with the kitchen, eventually leading him to culinary school and some of America’s most celebrated restaurants. He would go on to help create the acclaimed San Francisco restaurant ‘Aqua’ before building ‘The Mina Group’ into a collection of chef-driven dining concepts across the United States and beyond. According to Visa, Mina had founded more than 25 restaurants worldwide by 2023. Yet behind all the awards and growing business was a young dishwasher who simply wanted to learn how to cook.How did washing dishes lead Michael towards the professional kitchenMina’s professional story began in Ellensburg when he was 15 years old. According to Visa, he started as a dishwasher at a small café in his hometown. However, his interest in the work quickly went beyond the sink. The café’s owner began teaching him how to cook, and Mina became increasingly absorbed by what he was learning. He recalled lying in bed thinking about cooking and arriving at work four hours early so that he could spend more time learning in the kitchen. Within three months, he was cooking full-time. By the age of 15, he had already decided that cooking was the career he wanted to pursue. The Culinary Institute of America(CIA) describes Mina’s early years as a period in which he worked as a dishwasher, bus boy and prep cook before gravitating fully towards the kitchen. His willingness to use his own time to learn more eventually convinced him that he wanted to become a chef.Culinary school as a turning point in Mina’s careerAfter finishing high school, Mina pursued his ambition of becoming a professional chef at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. His parents initially had reservations about his decision to choose culinary school. They had hoped he might follow a more traditional professional path, but Mina remained committed to cooking. While studying at the CIA, he spent weekends working at ‘Aureole’ in New York City alongside chef ‘Charlie Palmer.’ The experience gave him valuable exposure to a demanding professional kitchen. After earning his degree, Mina worked with chef ‘George Morrone’ at the ‘Hotel Bel Air’ in Los Angeles. His next opportunity would prove particularly significant. Within six months of working with Morrone, the two chefs began developing the concept and menu for Aqua, a high-end seafood restaurant in San Francisco.Impact of Mina’s childhood in his approach towards foodAlthough Mina grew up in Washington state, his family’s roots remained an important part of his relationship with food. The CIA notes that he was born in Cairo and moved with his family to Ellensburg when he was two. At home, his mother cooked Middle Eastern dishes, and Mina has recalled learning from the spices and flavours that filled family meals. According to Eater, Mina’s childhood in rural Ellensburg also influenced his understanding of food and hospitality. He experienced the town very differently from San Francisco, which he first visited at the age of 13. Mina later described the city as a place where he felt a greater sense of belonging and where the sights, smells and diversity of its food culture made a lasting impression on him. Those different experiences would eventually become part of his culinary identity. His later work combined the flavours of his Egyptian background, memories of his upbringing in Washington and the polished techniques he developed during his professional training.How did ‘Aqua’ put Michael Mina on the culinary mapAqua opened in 1991 and quickly attracted attention. Mina initially worked as chef de cuisine before becoming executive chef in 1993, a position he held for almost a decade, according to the CIA. The Mina Group reports that he devoted himself to refining the menu and improving the guest experience while personally training the kitchen staff. His work at Aqua brought major recognition, including the ‘James Beard Foundation's Rising Star Chef of the Year’ award in 1997 and ‘Best Chef: California in 2002.’ Yet one of Mina’s proudest memories was not necessarily an award. According to Visa, the first time his parents visited Aqua stood out as the highlight of his career. Seeing what he had created helped demonstrate that his decision to become a chef had been the right one.How did one successful restaurant become a restaurant empireIn 2002, Mina left the Aqua Development Corporation and established ‘Mina Group’ with tennis star Andre Agassi, according to the CIA. The business soon began developing restaurant concepts across the country. The growth was driven by more than a desire to simply open as many restaurants as possible. Mina developed different concepts while maintaining a strong focus on food, service and the overall guest experience. The Mina Group describes the company as having more than 30 chef-driven concepts across the United States at present.Visa reported in 2023 that Mina had founded more than 25 restaurants around the world. His career had grown far beyond the small café where he had first washed dishes as a teenager. Along the way, Mina also learned that culinary talent alone was not enough to sustain a restaurant. He told Visa that he wished he had spent more time understanding the business side earlier in his career. He also learned the importance of building long-term relationships with guests, supporting employees and knowing when to rely on other people rather than trying to do everything himself. Today, Mina’s career reflects the journey of someone who entered a restaurant kitchen at 15 simply looking for work and emerged decades later as one of America's most successful chef-restaurateurs. His story suggests that sometimes a career begins not with a grand plan, but with the willingness to stay a little longer, work a little harder and keep learning.Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.