Today we’d like to introduce you to Christopher Kinne.
Hi Christopher, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
They both started at sixteen, long before owning a restaurant was even a thought.
He was a high school dishwasher and busser at Bill Knapps, learning the industry from the least glamorous angle. At eighteen, he moved onto the line, where the rhythm and pressure of the kitchen set the course for the next twenty-eight years. Without culinary school or shortcuts, he worked his way up station by station, eventually becoming an executive chef and, later, a business owner. His education came from repetition, failure, and an unshakeable respect for the craft.
Oriana’s path began on the floor. She entered the service industry at sixteen, working support roles and serving tables, learning hospitality from the ground up. Bartending came later, earned through experience rather than entitlement. She learned early that great service isn’t performance—it’s awareness. Reading a room. Anticipating needs. Making guests feel welcome without ever making it about herself.
She later stepped away to pursue healthcare, becoming a certified nursing assistant. The work sharpened her sense of responsibility and empathy, skills that would ultimately reshape her approach to hospitality. After the disruption of COVID, Oriana returned to the service industry not out of convenience, but with renewed clarity and purpose.
They met in the grind—where pressure reveals competence. He brought systems, leadership, and long-term vision shaped by decades in kitchens. She brought intuition, emotional intelligence, and a relentless focus on the guest experience. Together, they bridged both sides of the house under a shared philosophy: no job is beneath the people responsible for the whole.
Today, even as owners, they still work every position in the restaurant. You might find him on the line or in the dish pit when needed; her greeting guests, running food, or stepping behind the bar. Not for show, but because that’s how they’ve always worked—and how they believe trust, culture, and consistency are built.
The restaurant itself reflects that mindset. Intentionally unflashy, it prioritizes substance over spectacle and culture over trends. Built by people who have done every job in the building, it feels grounded, personal, and quietly confident.
This isn’t a breakout story.
It’s a long one.
And that may be exactly why it works.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not even close.
Nothing about this road has been smooth. We both started young, worked our way up without shortcuts, and learned early that this industry doesn’t hand you anything—you earn it shift by shift. There were long stretches of uncertainty, financial pressure, and moments where the workload felt relentless. Advancing meant taking on more responsibility without guarantees, and often learning lessons the hard way.
For Oriana, stepping away from the industry to work in healthcare—and then finding her way back after COVID—came with its own challenges. Re-entering a changed industry required recalibration, resilience, and a willingness to start rebuilding momentum. For me, rising through the kitchen without formal schooling meant constantly proving myself, adapting, and staying accountable to the work over nearly three decades.
Ownership brought a different kind of struggle. Every decision carries weight. There are no off days, no safety net, and no one else to blame when things go wrong. Staffing shortages, rising costs, and the emotional responsibility of leading a team can be as demanding as any service.
But those struggles are also the reason this works. We’ve done every job, faced failure directly, and stayed involved at every level. The road wasn’t smooth—but it was honest. And that honesty shaped how we run the business today.
As you know, we’re big fans of Arms & Embers Grill. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Our business is built on experience, not shortcuts.
We own and operate a restaurant shaped by decades on both sides of the house. We specialize in food that is thoughtful, approachable, and executed with precision—dishes that feel familiar but are elevated through technique, quality ingredients, and consistency. We love taking classic, everyday dishes and giving them a delicious twist, turning the ordinary into something memorable. Our motto says it all: **#daretobedifferent**.
What sets us apart is that we are fully hands-on. Even as owners, we work every position in the building. We are on the line, on the floor, in the dish pit, and behind the scenes. That involvement isn’t symbolic—it’s operational. It allows us to maintain standards, support our team, and stay connected to the guest experience in a way that can’t be delegated.
We’re known for balance. Strong systems that support creativity. Hospitality that feels genuine rather than scripted. A culture where staff are treated as professionals and guests are treated like regulars, whether it’s their first visit or their fiftieth.
We’re also deeply committed to our community. We regularly support other struggling small businesses and run monthly charity initiatives. We do this because we know the struggle is real. We didn’t have much help getting to where we are, and we want to be the support we wish we had—helping others build, grow, and thrive.
Brand-wise, what we’re most proud of is trust. Trust from our team, because they know we’ve done the work and still do. Trust from our guests, because they know what to expect every time they walk through the door. We’ve built a place where people feel comfortable, taken care of, and confident in the experience they’re getting.
What we want readers to know is that our restaurant is the result of long careers, hard lessons, and a deep respect for the industry. We don’t chase attention—we focus on longevity. Our goal is to create something lasting: a business that serves great food, treats people well, stands up to time, and lifts up the community—all while daring to be different.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
We’d like readers to know that running a restaurant isn’t just about food—it’s about people, persistence, and passion. Every dish, every shift, and every interaction reflects decades of hard work and learning. Even as owners, we still work every position in the restaurant, because we believe in leading by example and staying connected to every part of the business.
We also want people to know that our journey wasn’t handed to us. We faced setbacks, long hours, and challenges that could have stopped us—but we kept going. That’s why giving back to our community is so important. Supporting other small businesses and running monthly charity initiatives isn’t just something we do—it’s who we are. We want to be the help we wish we had when we were starting out.
Finally, we hope readers will see that you can take something ordinary and make it extraordinary. That’s at the heart of our restaurant: taking familiar dishes and giving them a twist, doing things differently, and always pushing to #daretobedifferent. If there’s one thing we hope people take away, it’s that with persistence, passion, and a little creativity, you can build something meaningful and lasting—both in business and in life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://armsembers.com
- Instagram: ArmsEmbers
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087388657046
