Westport Cafe’s Kevin Mouhot on life as a general manager and the unsung role that holds a restaurant together

Restaurant work isn’t glamorous. It’s manual labor at its core, but through television shows and other media, it has become a source of public fascination, turning chefs and bartenders into lauded public figures. Meanwhile, general managers more often than not remain behind the curtain, despite orchestrating the entire dining experience. They’re the unsung heroes of the hospitality world.

Kevin Mouhot, general manager and co-owner of Westport Cafe (419 Westport Road, KCMO) knows this all too well.

“Chefs really get the spotlight, bartenders get the Instagram post—then there’s us,” Mouhot says.

Mouhot has been the watchful eye over Westport Cafe’s dining room for more than a decade. Alongside co-owners Romain Monnoyeur and Nico Mermet, he has helped shape the beloved neighborhood French bistro into what it is today. Before purchasing the restaurant in 2015  (Mouhot was just 23 at the time), he trained in culinary school in his hometown of Besançon, France.

Mouhot came to Kansas City through a school apprenticeship program where he worked at the French restaurant Cafe des Amis in Parkville. His other early career stints included time at internationally renowned restaurants like Paul Bocuse’s French Pavilion at EPCOT and Alain Ducasse’s three-Michelin-starred The Dorchester in London.

“When you work at a three-Michelin-star restaurant, guests can’t see any stress or issues,” he says. “You learn to keep your cool under all circumstances. If something goes wrong, take a few steps back, figure out how to fix it, and make sure the guests never notice.”

Mouhot has a cool, calm French demeanor about him that could convince you that scheduling and training staff, taking care of payroll, creating the wine menu and resolving customer complaints, all while still noticing when a diner’s water glass is half-empty, might not be all that difficult. I know better, however, after having worked in the industry too. And while Mouhot agrees that you have to be wired a little differently to enjoy long-term restaurant work, he credits his resilience to experience. At this point in his career, there isn’t much he hasn’t seen.

“You have to love the idea that each day brings something new,” he says. “Maybe it’s a table of six suddenly becoming twelve when you’re fully booked. Or the internet goes down and you have to figure out how to take payments. Or the AC breaks when it’s 100 degrees out. It’s never boring.”

Even on days where everything seems to be going wrong, Mouhot insists, “I’m having fun.”

“I remember during Covid when everything was shut down, someone asked me what I missed the most. I said it was a busy Saturday night when the kitchen’s full, we’re sending a bunch of dishes out, the bartender is shaking two shakers at a time, there’s three people walking in and the servers are decanting the wine. I just look at all of that and think, ‘Wow, this is great. It doesn’t get any better.’” 

In an industry known for burnout, Mouhot’s continued love for his work after all these years is a feat. Even the most passionate of hospitality workers can succumb to being worn down by long hours, catering to the customer and the physical labor of it all. It’s chaotic, often underappreciated work, but Mouhot has a way of keeping things fresh. He doesn’t thrive on chaos necessarily, but he does enjoy a challenge, which keeps him on his toes and rejuvenated when things are feeling too redundant in the dining room. 

In addition to running Westport Cafe, Mouhot and his partners provide consultation for other restaurant owners and host events. They recently purchased a nearby art gallery space, Cezanne in the Crossroads, where they host dinners such as Cinema Club, which pairs French films with coursed menus. (I attended the first one and was struck by how seamless the experience was, despite it being their first go.)

Mouhot also prioritizes something many in the industry struggle with: balance. He reads, works out, spends time outdoors—habits that keep him grounded outside of the restaurant.

General managers are a restaurant’s backbone. Chefs make the food, bartenders make the drinks, but general managers make the experience. If a restaurant were a band, the GM is the bass player: not flashy, rarely front-and-center, but essential to the harmony. Sure, the guitarists and drummers might get the glory, but the bass holds the whole thing together.

“I take pride in seeing guests come in and leave happy,” Mouhot says. “It’s not uncommon for someone to come up to me at the bar and tell me it’s the best dinner they’ve had in KC. That’s my daily dose of recognition.”  

Kevin Mouhot’s Perfect Day in KC

Lunch 

I live near Macken Park in North KC, so I’ll head to Vietnam Cafe or Baramee Thai Bistro. But if I’m cooking, I’m part of a CSA program, and every week I get fresh veggies from Greenwillow Farms, so I’ll make something with that.

Biking 

I love to go mountain biking, and there’s some very cool trails in Wyandotte County Lake Park.

Sip

If I’m grabbing a drink, I’ll usually drink beer. I love Alma Mader. But, of course, I love wine, and I think one of the best places to get wine in town is Tannin Wine Bar. 

Dining Out

Lazia never disappoints, but for something more casual, I’ll head to Extra Virgin for their Monday Pizza Nights. I’ll get a pizza, salad or some oysters with a bottle of sparkling rose on the patio. That’s hard to beat. I also really like King G or Jim’s Alley Bar. Their food is really good.

Nightcap

I’ll find myself at Harry’s for their Averna soda. Averna is an amaro from Italy, and I’ll have that with a slice of lemon.

Live Music 

I’ll go to Green Lady Lounge for some jazz, or I’ll gather a few friends and head to In The Lowest Ferns, The Ship or Le Lounge.

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