Benny Shabtai is a longtime New York and Miami entrepreneur with leadership roles across luxury retail and consumer technology. As founder and president of Raymond Weil USA from 1977 to 2009, and later president and CEO of Di Modolo International beginning in 2001, Benny Shabtai built expertise in timing, merchandising, and customer flow around high demand cycles. He invested and advised at Viber from 2011 to 2014 and co-founded Botanika Life in 2018, a clean luxury wellness brand with placement in retailers and resorts such as Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks, Aman, MGM, and Bellagio. With an early career in the Israeli army and as an embassy security officer in Paris, he brings operational discipline to topics like operating restaurants around major event schedules. He also supported the Shabtai Jewish Global Membership Society at Yale University.
Operating Restaurants Around Major Event Schedules
Restaurants located near major urban event venues follow service schedules and traffic patterns that differ from those in typical neighborhood locations. Concerts, basketball games, and large performances drive concentrated surges of foot traffic before and after each event. Operators that align their systems with these schedules can fill seats more predictably, stabilize service quality, and maximize their location advantage. The new Serafina restaurant at Miami Worldcenter, which sits just steps from the Kaseya Center, offers a clear example of how this strategy plays out in practice.
Operators first map the event landscape surrounding the restaurant. Nearby arenas and concert halls follow predictable calendars that determine when thousands of visitors will pass through the area. By mapping these schedules, operators can identify pre- and post-event waves that shape demand. Managers use these patterns to project diner volumes and anticipate traffic windows tied to major events.
These projections then drive operational planning. Managers use them to set staffing numbers, adjust seating configurations, and plan inventory levels well in advance. Clear forecasts give team leads time to structure their workflows instead of reacting on the fly.
Preparation cycles shift to match these projections. Kitchens simplify menu structures for speed, pre-portion ingredients, and batch sauces. Managers raise inventory orders on high-traffic nights to prevent last-minute shortages. These adjustments keep both back-of-house and service teams ahead of the surge.
Staffing strategies follow a structured path of their own. Flexible scheduling puts more staff on at specific times instead of spreading people evenly through the day. Teams adjust training and coverage to match peak periods, so managers can place staff where they’re most needed as volumes shift.
Reservation systems play a central role in managing flow before events begin. Many restaurants set buffer windows to avoid overlaps between early diners and the pre-event rush. Adjusting booking software in this way keeps seating patterns predictable and minimizes delays for groups heading to a game or concert. These systems stabilize flow ahead of the event itself.
Post-event demand requires its own response. Many guests return looking for late-night dining or drinks, creating a second peak after the final buzzer or encore. Teams adjust staffing and menu focus to match this late surge, keeping turnover smooth while maintaining kitchen capacity for lingering customers.
Beyond the restaurant’s walls, coordination with external partners becomes critical. Working with venue operators, security teams, and other vendors helps align opening hours, signage, and crowd direction. This coordination ensures smoother transitions between venue exits and dining spaces, reducing bottlenecks and improving guest experiences.
The most effective operators track results and refine over time. Teams monitor metrics such as average check size, peak periods, sales per labor hour, and reservation volumes across multiple event types. These data inform adjustments to prep levels, staffing models, and booking rules for future nights, turning what was once guesswork into a structured operational rhythm.
Urban event schedules give nearby restaurants a stable operational structure that can shape everything from forecasting to staffing. By integrating these predictable calendars into daily systems, operators build reliable patterns for service, revenue, and neighborhood engagement. Over time, this structured approach transforms proximity into a sustained competitive edge.
About Benny Shabtai
Benny Shabtai is an entrepreneur with leadership experience in luxury watches, jewelry, and wellness. He founded Raymond Weil USA in 1977 and led it until 2009, later serving as president and CEO of Di Modolo International starting in 2001. He invested and advised at Viber from 2011 to 2014 and co-founded Botanika Life in 2018, a clean luxury wellness brand with products sold through leading retailers and resorts. He previously served in the Israeli army and worked as an embassy security officer in Paris. He has also supported the Shabtai Jewish Global Membership Society at Yale University.
