FALL 2023 | 21 RAVEN GABRIELE Raven Gabriele ’19 was a Business Management and Marketing double major. Now, she’s the restaurant owner of The Raven 96. HOW DID YOU END UP BECOMING A RESTAURANT OWNER? I have been working in restaurants since I was 16. I worked at Giannotti’s Ristorante as a bartender while at school, and I became a restaurant manager at Blue Mountain Resort once I graduated. I have a friend that owns a business in the Simon Silk Mill building complex, and he knew a space was opening. I had looked at restaurant spaces before my current location, but this one felt perfect. It was a smaller spot for a first-time owner, and that felt manageable to me. WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO OPEN YOUR OWN RESTAURANT? All throughout my restaurant career, I had been working ridiculous hours. I would work shifts from four p.m. until four a.m., and at some point I thought to myself, “If I’m doing these crazy hours, I should at least work for myself.” HOW DID YOUR TIME AT KU PREPARE YOU FOR BEING A RESTAURANT OWNER? Originally, I was just a business management major, but I had taken a few marketing classes. I really fell in love with marketing during a class where I had to make a hotel business plan and utilize social media and marketing for that project. I talked about it with my advisor, Professor Gupta, and he suggested that I double major in marketing since I just needed to take an extra two classes. He really encouraged me to pursue my career path. ANY ADVICE FOR STUDENTS WHO WANT TO BE BUSINESS OWNERS? This job is very tiring, and if I did not have a support system of family and friends, I wouldn’t have made the leap to open my own business. It may feel super overwhelming, but there are really rewarding days that make it worth it. A supportive staff is always a plus for me, and having my support system motivates me. I did not have all the skills, but I knew enough from working in restaurants that I could do it. I am at the restaurant every day, running operations, and I have my dad help with financials. My sister (also a KU alum) is a server on the weekends and my mom helps out too. If you want to be a business owner, find your support system, and you can do it. ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
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