The most valuable thing he has is his name. People want to work for me. You've got to empower the staff, delegate and give everyone a long leash. The six days he spent at the library studying demographics of metropolitan Detroit paid off. When banks turned their backs on him, family, friends and associates produced funds for the 70-seat restaurant.
Customers come from all over the Detroit area.
When Michael Heiden opened Tantra Restaurant in Miami's South Beach in December 1997, he beat the naysayers the same way he did when he created and published Florida's premier fashion magazine. Having friends such as partner Tom Hogle, a dentist and former restaurant investor with an extra property, helped. They countered the competition, offering an unusual menu of aphrodisiac ingredients and a decor influenced by the Middle East, India and Egypt. Networking with hotel concierges and being connected to Miami's hip crowd help, too. Heiden insists success comes from basics.