FOH®: Revolutionizing the Industry Landscape with Aesthetically Pleasing and Practical Solutions Under the Hegemony of Simone Mayer

FOH® came into existence in the year 2002 and hasn’t looked back since. With two well-known brands, Front of the House® and room360®, it has become a globally renowned design and manufacturing leader in the food service and hospitality industries thanks to its customer-focused behavior, passion for innovation, and numerous contributions to the growth and development of the economy.

FOH® has developed a highly qualified and competent team through cooperation, a healthy work environment, and health engagement. This team fosters an innovative attitude and a “people-focused” culture and provides substantial benefits that safeguard the employee’s well-being both personally and professionally. With a solution-focused mindset that supports its strategy to actively build connections rather than transactions, the firm benefits the team, partners, and industry. This method of thought has always set FOH® apart, and it will do so even as they grow.

Service Portfolio: Smart, Savvy, and Functional

FOH® is renowned for designing and manufacturing smart, savvy, and commercial-grade product solutions with the goal of complementing every restaurant or hotel’s design aesthetic and every chef’s culinary vision. Their distinctive collections include buffet necessities, tabletop accents, and more, along with contemporary, commercial-grade tableware and service solutions. They create the space for bold shapes in varied sizes and enjoyable presentations by being willing to explore the intersection of colors, blends, and distinctive textures. These elements are all intended to engage the senses.

When asked what inspired her to found FOH®, the inspiring leader, Simone Mayer, explained, “We wanted to change the industrial landscape by providing solutions that were both visually beautiful and functional. It became evident that we needed to develop a wholesale division in addition to designing and producing our own line of goods. FOH® was produced as a result, and over the past 20 years, it has steadily expanded.”

The Key Factors That Make FOH® One of the “Best Places to Work”

Since 2016, FOH®, a women-owned business, has been recognized as a Certified Great Place to Work®. Now, the company is proud to add the additional accreditation of Certified LGBT Business Enterprise®. On June 23, 2021, FOH® gladly accepted the exceptional accreditation from the National Third-Party Certifying Body, the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce. It is wonderful that the difficulties they encountered as young businesses are now their greatest strengths and contribute to people seeing them as an industry disruptor.

At FOH®, they manage the business like a family. Building lasting, service-driven relationships with customers is the key to success and the reason why customer loyalty and brand reputation are unmatched in the industry. In addition, the firm is constantly going high with its innovative, adaptable, and flexible work culture.

“Our FOH® family is at the heart of our success, and we take pride in our workplace culture, collaboration, and health engagement. Some of our major employee motivation techniques include a hybrid schedule, a partnership with Headspace in 2022, an in-house yoga studio and gym, and corporate coaching,” explained Mayer.

The Spirit Behind the Success

Simone Mayer, Founder & CEO of FOH®, is a pioneer in business and a seasoned professional. She truly enjoys working every day with the amazing team she has assembled, the customers she represents, and organizations from around the world.

Born in South Africa, Simone Mayer comes from a long line of manufacturing innovators who understand industry operations. Her actual journey began when she met Mayda Perez at Columbia University, where she was finishing up her MBA. In 2002, they combined all their resources and ambitions to create the business. Together, they created it after running real-life basic, an upscale home furnishings store on Lincoln Road that has won numerous awards for selling hip and distinctive tabletop accessories and goods. Local restaurateurs and hoteliers came to the popular store looking for alternatives to what the manufacturers serving the hospitality sector were providing.

Simone’s Take on Diversity at FOH®

Given that our corporate headquarters are situated in Miami, Florida, a city often referred to as the “mixing pot of the world,” I feel fortunate and appreciative to be able to thrive there. Again, Mayda is Puerto Rican, and I am South African, so our origins and traditions are different, which broadens our outlook on the world and inspires us to design and engage with a variety of traditions and cultures around the world. We value the diversity of all ages, genders, and skin tones that contributes to the development of the food service and hospitality sector’s community of thinkers and doers.

From a product perspective, our collections, which range from casual style to elevated elegance and custom capabilities, serve all hospitality business segments. We are pushing craft and creativity globally as your global solutions partner.

Impact of the COVID Crisis on FOH®

Given that the company’s primary clients were hotels and restaurants, which were practically shut down for almost a year during the epidemic, it was an exceptionally terrible and difficult time. 2020 was challenging in many ways, but it gave the company a chance.

“I wonder if we would have otherwise had to reanalyze not only how we did business but why. As a minority and family-owned business, we also face hardship from this crisis. As an organization that pivots quickly to meet our customer’s needs, we knew we had to do something. FOH® created FOH® Health Essentials to aid in the fight against PPE shortages. The division joins Front of the House® and room360 by FOH® as the third brand under the FOH® umbrella. The objective was to promote our industry while bringing immediate and long-lasting benefits to our clients and the clients they serve,” said Mayer.

They were able to give more than a million dollars thanks to a blessing in disguise.

Accomplishment and the Future Outlook of FOH®

For the past few years, there has been a focus on strategic planning for rapid worldwide growth. FOH® offers extensive product ranges, global distribution facilities, a wide network of showrooms, and WBENC and NGLCC certifications.

FOH® is dedicated to making a good difference in the world through its brands and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program, From Our Hearts™, now more than ever. This initiative holds them accountable for giving back 1% of team members’ time, 2% of product donations, and 3% of annual profits to various charities.

In the future, FOH® will keep developing cutting-edge collections that cater to all hospitality market sectors and push the limits of design. They believe that they are on the precipice of something fascinating.