MANHATTAN - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Assistant General Manager
- Key Member
The Harry's experience generally begins the moment diners enter the restaurant, and how fortunate we are to have Amanda's welcoming smile greet guests.
Amanda became a key member of the service team in 2010, and in 2014 she was selected as a member of Harry's bar and wine team. Her passion for detail, genuine disposition and sweet sense of humor are the perfect mix of leadership attributes for Harry's service team.
Amanda's winding path to Harry's traversed 11 hometowns - and an ocean. She has two bachelor degrees from K-State, one in political science and the other in international studies, and a master's degree in international relations with a focus in conflict resolution from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. This highly educated history buff is also a shameless promoter of unsung American heroes.
Andrea Grier are the Founders and Operating Partners of One Egg Group, which operates three of the Manhattan community's beloved independent brands-Harry's Restaurant, Bourbon & Baker, and Tallgrass Tap House.
Evan is a native of Wichita, while Andrea is a native of Maryville, Missouri. Evan and Andrea are both graduates of the Kansas State University Hotel and Restaurant Management program. Harry's Restaurant was their favorite destination for fine food and service during their college years, making such an indelible impression the aspiring couple bought the restaurant in 2006. Thus, began their foray as professional restaurateurs and entrepreneurs. Under their leadership, the Harry's team has accelerated the brand's operating and customer service reputation to regional acclaim.
In 2013, together with their key leadership team, they created Bourbon & Baker as a new experiential restaurant concept centered around Midwestern and Southern small plates and accompanied with a full-service retail bakery. In 2017, they expanded their hospitality ventures assuming management operations of the existing Tallgrass Tap House, a full-service restaurant and microbrewery. In 2018, Andrea and Evan founded One Egg Group and established it as their professional restaurant management company. Over 13 years, their hospitality group has evolved from the single-unit owner-operator restaurant to a multi-unit restaurant management company that is poised for continued growth. Their current operations include three restaurant locations with 625 guest seats and 175 team members. The Griers credit their highly experienced and talented restaurant management teams with their success.
The refined flavors that make their way to patrons' plates are the creations of Executive Chef Cadell Bynum. The St. Louis, MO, native came to Manhattan to study architecture at Kansas State University, but his future changed in 1991 when he found his way into Harry's kitchen as a line cook. Just two years later - his culinary expertise proven - he was named head chef in 1993.
Under Cadell's leadership over the last 20-plus years, Harry's culinary team has been recognized in publications such as Travel & Leisure, Midwest Living, The Manhattan Mercury, the Junction City Daily Union and the Topeka Capital-Journal. He has been recognized in the Best Chefs of America publication for six consecutive years from 2013-2018.
Cadell's other passion is the K-State Wildcats, as he is a season football ticket holder and lover of all things related to Wildcat Land. In his spare time, he cheers on his home teams, the St. Louis Cardinals and the Rams.
Kirsten Spear's passion for baking began as a child in the cookbook section of the public library in her hometown. Kirsten joined the Harry's team in 2010 as pastry chef, and her made-from-scratch breads, pastries and desserts delight all guests.
Kirsten trained at the California Culinary Academy and began her career as a pastry cook at Aqua restaurant in San Francisco. This talented professional was simply born to bake and is an amazing asset to the team.
Inspired by the seasons, Kirsten is a tireless worker who believes that the pleasures of the table begin with cooking and baking with beautiful ingredients with great love. When she isn't baking away at Bourbon & Baker, she can also be found knitting, reading, and cooking at home. She loves anything spicy, brined, pickled or salty, which she claims counterbalances all the cookies she eats throughout the day.
Job Titles:
- Chief of Staff
- Harry 's Chief of Staff
Megan recently ascended to the position of Chief of Staff, which is no surprise to those around her. Her capable hands are a guiding force in all aspects of the organization, where she is instrumental in keeping multiple teams moving forward all of the time.
A self-starter, Megan is highly motivated by the endless opportunities a single day brings and has added great flexibility, understanding, and leadership to the management team.
It was easy to see Megan's star power when she first joined Harry's as a server in 2011. In 2013, Megan assumed leadership of Harry's DELI, while also serving as a Harry's dining room manager two nights a week. An accomplished chef in her own right, Megan completed a culinary internship at Tan-Tar-A Resort in Osage Beach, MO, where she perfected her skills in both service and the culinary profession. She immediately infused Harry's team with a great love of the diversity of restaurant life since her return.
Raised on great country cooking on her family's cattle farm in Northeast Kansas, she now prefers Korean food, thanks to her significant other. While she certainly enjoys fine dining, Megan is a self-proclaimed connoisseur of macaroni and cheese!
K-State brought Zach Filbert to Manhattan as well. A transplant from Dodge City, Kan., Zach has held numerous leadership roles in kitchens throughout Manhattan. While his culinary career started at Harry's in 1998, he's been routinely sought out for his expertise by several regionally acclaimed restaurants.
In 2011, Zach returned to Harry's as Chef de Cuisine, guiding the culinary team in its daily tasks. He brought an expansive list of cooking experiences and interests while constantly developing the complex set of skills needed in his current position. His personal philosophy of "a day without progress is a day wasted" challenges the team to improve daily.
A lifelong fan of the Kansas City Royals and KU basketball, Zach is often found watching, or even better, attending a local sporting event while enjoying an array of his favorite foods and a few guilty pleasures: sushi followed by Pop Tarts.