Menu
Mikey started working in restaurants as a dishwasher when he was 15. He has worked in every position in restaurants over 25+ years in the industry, eventually owning restaurants of his own, and helping his best friends grow their family's business from one restaurant to three in two different states. Over his time running restaurants, he also remained steadfast in his commitment to the justice movement, volunteering as an advocate for healthcare and immigration reform, environmental justice, and solutions for homelessness in San Diego where he lives. In 2017, Mikey co-founded Business For Good San Diego, an association of local business owners who believe in investing in their employees and their communities as being critical to true success in business. Most recently, Mikey worked as Policy Director for Climate Action Campaign in Southern California, but has returned to High Road Restaurants to focus on uplifting hospitality workers across the country. As National Director, Mikey focuses on policies that can level the playing field for high road restaurants, so that everyone in our industry can do well while doing good.
Andrea Borgen Abdallah is a mission-driven hospitality consultant focused on the intersection of independent restaurants, social justice, and public policy. She has spent her career in the hospitality industry, working for Hillstone Restaurant Group and Union Square Hospitality Group, before opening her own restaurant, barcito, in Downtown Los Angeles. She owned and operated barcito for 6 years, and often advocated for an improvement in wages, benefits and standards in the hospitality industry. Abdallah was named a 2016 Eater Young Gun, and has been featured on Zagat Los Angeles’ 30 under 30. She closed barcito in June 2021, with a desire to pursue this advocacy work full-time. She recently completed a fellowship with the Women’s Foundation of California, attending a year-long state policy training program that culminated in the passage of SB521. As the Community Manager for High Road Restaurants, she is primarily focused on internal operations, member engagement, strategic partnerships, and ensuring our restaurants have the support and resources they need to continue to pave a better future for our industry.
Joya is an enthusiastic food systems specialist with a robust background in farm-to-table restaurants, gardening education, and farmers market management. Her belief is that everyone should have access to fresh food grown and prepared in the most regenerative and humane ways possible. She is excited to be engaging with a community dedicated to building a better quality of life for all. When Joya is not working she enjoys canoeing, dance parties, and nuzzles with her rabbit, Antonio. Her favorite quote is from author Octavia Butler, “All that you touch, you change. All that you change, changes you.”
Betty started her career in food service as a pastry cook 35 years ago and went on to own two restaurants in San Francisco, and become bookkeeper and controller for several top establishments in the Bay Area. She has always been drawn to the people who choose this industry and wanted to make a difference for them and their experience of work. Working from the operators’ perspective, with her knowledge of finance, operations and culture building, Betty is focusing on implementing on-the-court solutions aimed at making the food service industry the best it can be. In addition to her accountability as New England Community Manager, Betty has her restaurant consulting and coaching business, RedTruck Consulting.
Get notified about updates, and find out how we can continue to build a better industry together