Chef Andrew Markert Values Quality + Creativy — Then Expansion

It’s past time we remixed the entrepreneur archetype. The tried-and-true definition of an emerging or aspiring business owner feels tired. The modern entrepreneur is a mover, shaker and doer who’s not content with simply breaking all the rules. Our 52 trailblazers featured in the October issue are rewriting the rules, tearing them up and doing it all over again. It’s creation at its purest, because the fruits of one’s hustle are not actualized overnight or by following one jet-lagged recipe. It’s no longer adequate to measure entrepreneurs by the brick-and-mortar spaces they manifest or the jobs they create. Those are all important elements but fall short of what it truly means to build something — often with blood, sweat and tears. Whether you’re revamping the vintage clothing industry, introducing a fresh dining concept, cultivating an advocacy-focused creative agency or advancing the cause of equality for the LGBTQ+ community, the only thing that matters is freedom — the freedom to march to the beat of your own badass drum. Read our full rundown of trailblazers here. 

Chef Andrew Markert constantly works to build bigger without sacrificing better with his growing restaurant empire that includes the Beuchert Saloon, Fight Club D.C., and soon to-be-opened Newland. Focused on sustainable practices and always providing quality — with a creative kick — his continued success is no surprise to any D.C. Foodie. 

Advice that keeps you hungry
AM: My favorite quote was actually given to me by [Brendan McMahon] when I was having a rough time long ago. “For what it’s worth: It’s never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald

Early bird, night owl or in-between
AM: I used to be a huge night owl, but the older I get and the longer I have been working in restaurants, I have become something in-between. I still enjoy sleeping in when I can, but that happens much less than when I was a young cook.

Burning question for an iconic trailblazer
AM: “What was the hardest part of scaling up your businesses while still holding on to the quality and style you had developed over many years of success?” I would ask [chef] Thomas Keller. As a young cook, he was always someone I looked up to, as many others in the industry did and still do.

The current soundtrack to your life
AM: Pearl Jam’s album “Vs.” It’s one of my all-time favorites and has a great mix of amped-up, energetic songs like “Go” and amazing mood changers like “Indifference.” I love every song on that album.

@beuchertssaloon; beuchertssaloon.com // @fightclubdc; fightclubdc.com // @newlanddc; newlanddc.com

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