Hurst's passing leaves void in restaurant industry

The foodservice industry has lost a major entrepreneur and memorable leader with the death of Michael E. Hurst.

Mike was a most successful restaurateur, who owned the 15th Street Fisheries restaurant in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. He was also a past president of the National Restaurant Association and past chairman of the NRA Educational Foundation.

Mike showed his commitment to excellence in a number of ways. First, he believed that basic fundamentals and disciplines were the keys to successful restaurant operations. "Hot food hot; cold food cold," was as much a part of Mike's repertoire as, "We're glad you're here," an NRA slogan dating back to the days when Mike's good friend Richard W. Brown headed the association.

Mike was an innovator. He promoted exotic menu items, such as bugs, which are crustaceans from Australia with a lobster-like taste, and kangaroo and ostrich meat. He was among the first restaurateurs, to my knowledge, to introduce alligator meat to his menu. Every day, his restaurant baked four different types of bread, served hot, because Mike believed that the breads were the introduction to the restaurant experience.

In addition to Mike's personal success as a restaurateur, he was a most generous giver of a most precious commodity -- his time. He selflessly committed himself to teaching and motivating young people at Florida International University, where he taught students for more than 25 years. He was also a board member of The Culinary Institute of America.

One of Mike's past students at FIU gives great insight into Mike's teaching skills: "Mike Hurst was a great teacher because he was real, down to earth and gave his students the real picture. Hurst was not a book professor." He was a teacher who lived on the front lines and taught according to his restaurant experience, which gave him great credibility with all of his students.

Mike was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in February, and he still fulfilled his commitment to attend the CIA board meeting at Greystone in the Napa Valley shortly thereafter. He not only attended all of the functions, but also participated as if nothing was wrong, never calling attention to his fatal plight.

I spoke with Mike two weeks before his death after learning of the critical nature of his illness. He had been named a Silver Plate winner by the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association and was to receive his award at the annual banquet held during the NRA Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show in Chicago in May.

After talking with Mike and offering whatever support I could, Mike proceeded to ask me if I planned to attend the IFMA banquet, intimating that he definitely intended to be present at this prestigious event. Mike's last words to me were "I will see you there." And he definitely will.

Thomas J. Haas is president of the consulting firm Thomas.! Haas & Associates in Amelia Island, Fla.

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