Fincher pulls double duty at Monza and Closed for Business
William Fincher was home-schooled in Alabama, giving him the freedom to work in restaurants from a young age.
By the time he graduated from high school, he already was managing small restaurants; eventually managing Denny's on the corporate level. After realizing that the corporate chef life was not what he was interested in, Fincher decided to enroll in culinary school at The Art Institute of Charleston. He recently was named executive chef of Monza and Closed for Business.
Q: What changes do you plan to make or have you made as the new executive chef of Monza and Closed for Business?
A: Monza and Closed For Business are two totally different restaurants, so I have to manage them differently. Monza has a certain style and expectation that our customers have become accustomed to so my biggest challenge is just keeping the food consistent. I've had to do some hiring and training to make sure I have the right people in the right positions, but other than that Monza doesn't need to change. CFB is still a work in progress. There are some menu items that will change as the seasons change, but the base is solid. Once again, it's more about keeping things consistent — that's something I think our restaurant group is known for. One big change I've made is bringing on a pastry chef. Desserts are an important part of the menu, and I wanted to see our desserts change more.
Q: What is your favorite item on the menu of Closed for Business and Monza?
A: My favorite item on the Monza menu is the P83 pizza. Mozzarella/grape tomatoes/bacon/gorgonzola. It's my favorite pizza ever. As far as the CFB menu goes, I think our burger is where it's at. Add some gorgonzola, an egg and some bacon and you're in business.
Q: Why do you think Closed for Business was immediately accepted by the culinary community in Charleston?
A: Tim Mink and Karalee Nielson (owners of REV) are insanely good at creating restaurants that people feel comfortable in. CFB is a perfect combination of good food, good drink and good atmosphere.
Q: Do you plan on adding more daily specials to your menus?
A: Daily specials will run as the seasons change. I'd like to see some appetizer specials over at CFB as well as some entree specials. As far as Monza goes, expect our soups, salads and pizzas to change weekly, and hopefully I can slip in some fun pasta and entree specials.
Q: What is the biggest difference between corporate restaurant management and what you do now?
A: The biggest difference is creativity. I get to create new specials and manage my staff in a way that works for all of us.
Q: How did you make the decision to enroll in culinary school?
A: Culinary school was a personal vendetta for me. I could have learned everything I learned in culinary school just from working in numerous restaurants; everything in my management classes I had already seen first hand. I decided if I was going to be a chef, I was going to have every angle covered, experience and a degree.
Q: What is your guilty pleasure food?
A: LIVER! I love chicken/duck liver pate, and fried chicken livers. A close second would be sushi, I know it doesn't sound so guilty, but when I eat sushi, I eat obscene amounts of sushi.
