Peter Vitolo, general manager of the restaurant division at AREA15, works in the belly of the beast. Seriously. “You walk into the belly of the beast when you walk into The Beast,” says the Bronx native. “The design of this restaurant is you walk through the rib cage of the animal.”
Vitolo also oversees the immersive arts and entertainment district’s other eateries, Kaia Handroll, Conduit Café and Dream Weaver Milk & Boba Bar. “It’s a breath of fresh air to work in a place like AREA15,” he says. “It’s great that not a day goes by that someone walks into the doors and isn’t blown away by some facet of this place.”
Before Vitolo was a part of the mind-blowing experience that is AREA15, he spent decades working as a bartender, food and beverage consultant, beverage director and manager in New York and all over Las Vegas. A couple of years ago, just as a side hustle, he began bartending at various events at AREA15 which eventually led to his current management position of overseeing the restaurants.
“I can never be a 9-to-5 office worker because it would not hold my attention,” Vitolo says. “I need constant stimulation and to be pulled in every direction, and you don’t have that in any other business than F&B. I love working under controlled chaos.”
Libation: The Aquarium
Check out this fun, shareable cocktail. Served inside a fishbowl, The Aquarium is mixed with Svedka blue raspberry vodka, blue Curaçao, simple syrup, lemon juice and champagne, all topped with cotton candy. On the bottom, you’ll find Nerds candies mimicking rocks in a fish tank and you’ll see Swedish Fish candies swimming around.
Benefit: Ask about the Feast at The Beast Food Challenge. It’s a free meal if you complete the challenge in an hour or less.
AREA15, 3215 S. Rancho Drive. area15.com
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