director of operations, silver pig restaurant group

born and raised in michigan, general manager sarah pham oversees a staff of 30 across both tallulah wine bar & bistro and bellapiatti, ensuring continuity and a constant exchange of new ideas between the sister restaurants.

looking back, sarah recalls all of her strongest, most vivid memories as being associated with food of some kind. raised in a traditional vietnamese household, sarah was routinely found observing in the kitchen while her mother prepared dinner each night, and gleaned much of her culinary knowledge this way. both her mother and her grandmother illustrated the essential role that a strong matriarch plays in bringing people together. sarah values cooking as one of her strongest cultural ties to her vietnamese heritage, and fondly remembers the welcoming feeling of having food on the stove at all times.

sarah was introduced to the world of hospitality through her first summer job at an ice cream shop at the young age of 14. after earning years of serving experience, she moved on to the cocktail industry while running a speakeasy-style bar in ann arbor before joining mina group. it was here that she first began working with chef daniel campbell and antoine przekop as saltwater and bourbon steak’s dining room manager, later moving up to assistant general manager for several years. the trio quickly established a strong professional dynamic, all sharing a noticeable passion in their respective fields. sarah credits her success in the industry to a fierce commitment to continual learning. “early in my career, i learned to be comfortable with being uncomfortable,” she says, “when you’re ready to tackle things outside of your comfort zone, you experience the most growth.” a university of michigan graduate with a degree in psychology, sarah found her leadership in the restaurant industry to be a fascinating avenue for a better understanding of everything from people and personalities to food and drink.
to sarah, tallulah dining group presented an opportunity to move beyond a mere job, and become part of something exciting as it continued to grow. she considers it her primary role to ensure each service is better than the last, and each guest’s evening is at once seamless and memorable. under her guidance, her staff has developed a keen sense of whether a guest might prefer a light or an educational dinner experience, and aptly tailors their service accordingly. she believes everything about a guest’s time at tallulah and bellapiatti should be extraordinary, and prides her team on knowing everything from the guests’ names to their favorite tables and favorite dishes.

in her free time, sarah enjoys boating and spending time outdoors with her fiancé, with whom she shares a home in ann arbor. a oenophile through and through, she continues her study of wine beyond her current level one certification.