It’s a long way from Spain to Lehigh, and from international relations to hospitality. But that is the journey of Mike Hewitt ’97. He is the founder and CEO of One Haus, a premier hospitality-focused recruitment agency that offers tailored services to restaurants and hotel groups.
The path to Lehigh and beyond
Hewitt came to Lehigh from Madrid, Spain, the son of an American father and Spanish mother. He attended an American school in Spain, and it seemed like an obvious path to come to America for college. “I wanted the American experience and thought a college campus would give me that,” Hewitt says.
Arriving in Bethlehem from Europe was “a big jump — it was a bit of an adjustment. For instance, the whole fraternity/sorority thing was absolutely foreign to me. I thought, 'Why would I want to go Greek if I’m Spanish?'” Hewitt laughs.
Hewitt earned his B.A. in international relations and set out for California where he worked in the music industry for MCA Records. He returned to Spain and became a concert promoter, bringing artists like Elton John, Lenny Kravitz, Aerosmith, and Metallica to his home country and producing their tours.
Eventually, the touring lifestyle became less appealing, just as Hewitt was developing a love of hospitality and the world of restaurants. He earned a postgraduate degree in hospitality at EHL Hospitality Business School in Lausanne, Switzerland, and began working his way up the ladder with Houston’s (now Hillstone) Restaurant Group in New York City.
Pivoting to find balance — and success
“Working 14 hours on my feet all day, especially after my wife and I had our first child, made me start considering ways to pivot but stay in the industry,” Hewitt says. That’s when he launched One Haus.
“We’re in the front of the house, the kitchen, and corporate,” Hewitt explains. “That’s the meaning behind the name ‘One Haus’ — everything under one roof. We find chefs at all salaried levels, from executive to pastry to sous, as well as sommeliers, chief operating or marketing officers, and VPs of operations. A lot of our work is confidential, so we’re under the radar recruiting for these positions. They come to us when they have a role that’s hard to fill, and we move in like a SWAT team and find their winner.”
One Haus has worked with industry heavy-hitters like Virgin Hotels, the Four Seasons, Momofuku, and SingleThread, as well as “pretty much all the Michelin three-star and James Beard Award-winning restaurants coast to coast. About 90% of our work is in America, but we’re also in Dubai, London, and the Caribbean.”
The group also provides services to smaller mom-and-pop startup restaurants in New York and Philadelphia. “That’s on purpose — it’s how we grow our talent pool. We don’t work with the Applebee’s of the world — our niche is more upper-casual and fine dining,” Hewitt says.
It's been a recipe for success, which Hewitt credits to a dedicated executive team he has handpicked in key markets throughout the years. “They’ve been pivotal in developing and shaping the rest of the company, culture, and integrity-first approach,” he says. “Never underestimate the power of delegating, empowering, and trusting your leaders. It’s crucial to scale and move the ball forward."
Returning to his homeland
Hewitt runs operations from Madrid, where he recently moved from New York with his wife and two children. He commutes to the U.S. when needed. His children go to the same American school he attended, and his wife teaches at an American school.
Although he’s happily repatriated to Spain, Hewitt says he has very fond memories of Bethlehem and his alma mater. “Lehigh taught me how to learn, to have a good work ethic and good values, and I’ve been able to apply that in my life, in work, in projects — everything.”
Hewitt tells of having an opportunity to transfer to Pepperdine University in Los Angeles after his sophomore year. “It was exciting at the time, thinking of living in Malibu. But I chose to stay in good old snowy Bethlehem and finish strong rather than going to California to live that lifestyle. It was an adult decision I made as a kid that I’m very proud of.”