Adam Gomes has worked in the restaurant industry since he was 11 years old. His father opened the original Via Brasil in 1978 in New York, where Gomes started out polishing silverware. He moved up to busser, waiter and eventually, bartender and manager. Now, he owns Via Brasil Steakhouse near Summerlin.
Do you have any recent news you’d like to share?
Via Brasil recently started a brunch program that has been very successful. It has your traditional breakfast foods, as well as the rodizio meats that Via Brasil is known for. We have a waffle station and an egg station where you can get your food made to order, and our meat runners serve guests eight types of meat, including Picanha (our signature cut top sirloin), Brazilian pork and garlic steak. There’s also a salad bar with more than 35 hot and cold dishes. Our fresh-squeezed strawberry, pineapple, orange and other juices have been popular as well.
What is the best business advice you’ve received?
One thing that always stuck with me is when my father told me, “Your restaurant is an extension of who you are, but when you begin to put yourself ahead of what the restaurant is supposed to be, you’re heading in the wrong direction.”
What do you find appealing about the restaurant industry?
It’s the part it plays in people’s lives. Many of life’s great occasions are celebrated in restaurants — birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, proposals, first dates. ... And each one of those memorable occasions needs to be handled just right. That’s the part we play, and it is the thing that really motivates me — trying to exceed each guest’s expectations and add to those special moments.
How do you remain competitive in the restaurant market grows with competition from restaurants with similar menus?
What makes Via Brasil Steakhouse something special is the care we put into it. I don’t just sit back and watch. I take part in the daily service to make sure the guest experience is something customers will truly appreciate. And while the Summerlin-area restaurant market is growing, Via Brasil Steakhouse is constantly changing as well, introducing new menu items, seasonal cocktails and special events.
You run a house-infused spirits program. How did you come up with the idea, and what does it entail?
Bartending was always one of my favorite jobs. I started behind the bar at age 18 and was always trying to match different liquors and cordials to create cocktails I thought might be interesting. We started playing around with infused liquor at Via Brasil last winter. A friend had brought back from Brazil an interesting infused Cachaca (a popular Brazilian distilled alcoholic beverage) for me to try. I realized there weren’t any infused flavors for Cachaca and set out to create one for my restaurant. I decided to recreate a cocktail my grandfather would make in Brazil, something to warm guests up after or during the meal. My infusion is called Warm Apple Pie and to make it, we take a bottle of Cachaca and add in slices of green apple and a few sticks of cinnamon, store that in a dry, dark place for about a week and then strain it. The resulting infused liquor is mixed with honey and served warm. It was such a hit with guests that other infused cocktails were soon added to the menu.
What do you do after work?
I try to just relax with my wife and take care of our three dogs. Since I never know for sure when my workday will end, I play it by ear — maybe take in a movie or check out a local restaurant for a late dinner.
Describe your management style. How did you refine your management approach?
My management style is very hands-on. Having worked so many positions and knowing what is expected of each, I try to impart any knowledge I have onto new hires and those looking to learn and grow in the industry. On the flip side, I also listen to what my employees have to say and try to see things from their point of view. I don’t know everything, and you never know where you might learn something new or unexpected.
You run Via Brasil with your wife, Anna. What are the perks and pitfalls of working with your spouse?
One of the perks is definitely spending so much of our time together, seeing how she goes about her job and finding myself impressed by things she does on a regular basis. One of the pitfalls is when work is done and we go home and discuss our day, it is about the business. It sometimes can feel like you are always working.
Where do you see yourself and your company in 10 years?
I definitely see myself opening more restaurants in other parts of the country. There are some ideas I have for the Brazilian steakhouse concept, as well as other styles of restaurants I would like to explore.
What is your dream job, outside of your current field?
I could see myself working in graphic design. I went to school for many years studying it and actually do a lot of the design work for the restaurant.
Whom do you admire and why?
I admire my mother, because she was the kind of rare person who always put others ahead of herself and sacrificed many of her own dreams to take care of our family. She had the kind of strength and will that made others around her stronger.