When the Room is Buzzing

This past Thursday night, The Local Epicurean East Lansing hosted our largest private class yet: a full 60-person Pasta 101 experience.

The room was alive. Six instructors moving fluidly between tables, guests laughing as they kneaded dough and dusted flour across workstations, our bar team pouring wine and cocktails at just the right pace. Every detail clicked. The place was buzzing with energy — not just from the group that booked the event, but from our own team working together at the highest level.

These moments don’t just “happen.” They’re built on trust.

We trust each other to handle the details we can’t see in the moment. We trust that when one part of the operation is stretched, someone else will step in. We trust that everyone is pulling toward the same goal: creating an unforgettable experience for our guests.

That night, our team was on fire. Instructors led confidently at each table. Support staff anticipated needs before they were spoken. Small handoffs and adjustments happened seamlessly, often with no words exchanged. That’s the power of teamwork in action.

It reminded me of something Phil Jackson once said about his championship teams:

“The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team.”

That quote came to life at TLE EL. Each person had a role, each role mattered, and the combined energy created something larger than the sum of its parts. When you hit that rhythm, when trust and teamwork click, the work feels effortless. Guests feel it too. They don’t just notice good service, they feel the energy of a team that is aligned and moving as one.

It’s easy to talk about culture and teamwork in the abstract. But you know it’s real when sixty guests walk out the door with smiles, full stomachs and the kind of stories they’ll tell for months. And you, as a team, look at each other knowing you just did something special.

Hospitality is never a solo act. It’s not just about the recipe or the wine pairing. It’s about people working in sync - trusting, adapting, supporting. Nights like this remind us why we opened The Local Epicurean in the first place: to bring people together, and to create experiences that feel alive.

We couldn’t do it without this team. And we can’t wait to do it again.

- Gina and Mike