Miguel Flores – general manager at Moby Dick

NoozHawk Article    Casa Magazine

Flores grew up in Mexico City and came to San Jose as a teenager. He attended De Anza Community College and started working in restaurants as a bus boy. He moved to Santa Barbara on recommendation from a friend and got a job at Moby Dick after the same friend, who worked at the restaurant then, referred him. Flores started as a server.

“The minute I walked into the restaurant, I was in love,” Flores said. “It was early in the morning and still dark when I first walked in. When the sun rose, I said, ‘This is it. I don’t want to work anywhere else.’”

Now, 10 years later, Flores is general manager, managing more than 60 employees.

Under Flores’ leadership, Moby Dick has a revamped menu with fewer, higher-quality options. All ingredients are local, purchased from The Berry Man Inc., Jordano’s Food service, Harbor Meat & Seafood and the downtown farmer’s market, Flores said.

“Our business is better than ever,” Flores said. “We are breaking records.”