Hakan Hare, owner of Le Cakery in Elm Grove
Name: Hakan Hare
Title: Owner
Company: Le Cakery
Company address: 13320 Watertown Plank Road, Elm Grove
Company web site: www.lecakery.com
Industry: Café and Bistro; food and beverage industry
Education: Tourism High School, Istanbul, Turkey
Family: Wife, Olivia Marshall Hare
Hobbies and Interests: Food and wine, golf, soccer, motorcycling, travel
Favorite movie: “Gladiator; it’s a classic!”
Favorite musician: Sting
Favorite place to visit/vacation: Napa Valley, Mexico, and the south of Turkey
Favorite local restaurant: The Knick
Words to live by: “Work like a dog, and live like a king. Also, I’m thankful for every day and try to appreciate life to its fullest, with the good and the bad.”
What is your core philosophy for doing business? “Make people happy and see them smile. I’m a people person and that’s what I focus on first and foremost.”
Who is your role model and why? “I don’t have just one role model. I pick up a little something from a lot of different successful people. Everyone has their own way of doing things, and you can take the positive aspects and relate them to yourself. I would mention Mustafa Kemal Ataturk though. He was the first president of Turkey and brought democracy to the country. I admire him for his strategic thinking, his ability to stay calm, his intelligence, and the way he inspired the trust and respect of the whole country.”
What was the funniest thing that has ever happened to you? “The funniest things happened to me when I was learning the English language and American culture. For example, a long time ago when I was working on a cruise ship as a server, I had a customer who joked that he was “pulling my leg.” I looked down confused, pointed at my leg, and said that he wasn’t pulling my leg. He laughed, said he was joking and explained the saying. I’ve never forgotten it since.”
If you or someone you know would make a good candidate for the BizTimes Bubbler Executive of the week please send suggestions to alysha.schertz@biztimes.com
