Our Team
Ed Conlan, Owner
Ed’s entire career has been focused on customer service with the past twenty years in the hospitality industry, specifically full-service restaurants. The Backroom Steakhouse concept came about as an idea to create a fine dining establishment featuring aged angus steaks, craft cocktails, with an extensive wine and craft beer selection served in an unpretentious environment with a focus on personalized service. The Backroom humbly opened their doors in Apopka in 2001, an area not renowned for fine dining. It was a gamble—but they slowly built a loyal following and expanded the restaurant after the first five years in business. Ed is especially proud of the awesome team he assembled including both the wait staff and culinary team who take tremendous pride in their work.
Ed is a hands-on owner operator and you’ll find him making the rounds in an attempt to visit each table during our dinner service to ensure guest satisfaction.
Thomas Vitek (Chef Tommy), Executive Chef
Hailing from Allentown Pennsylvania, chef Tommy moved to Orlando with his family when he was 13. at age 17, he went to work at the 94th arrows squadron restaurant. He worked there for six years moving up the ranks from dishwasher to lead line Cook in just two years. Next move was a 14 year stent at Interlachen country club. working under an Olympic culinary trained chef.
In 2004 he excepted his first executive chef position at Heathrow country club. after five years at one of the busiest clubs in the state, it was time for a new challenge.
Eight years at Ginuwine bistro a casual concept created by his best friends, Chef Tommy built and designed the kitchen And menu from scratch to say it was a success is an understatement winning the taste of West Volusia five times in a row (Michael Jordan style 🤪) was his crowning achievement
In 2019 at a chance meeting with Ed conlan, he was welcomed into the backroom steak house world, jumping at the idea of running a true steakhouse. With his dedicated staff he developed the back room kitchen and menu into the amazing experience It is today. The years have brought a lot of hard work and wonderful experiences and nothing delights Chef Tommy more than walking out into the dining room and seeing everyone truly enjoying their experience and, of course, the food.
Jennifer Camara, Front of the House Manager
Jennifer is Front of House Manager and Bar Lead at The Backroom Steakhouse. She is responsible for leading the staff and providing the best guest experience. Jennifer has been in the service industry for 20+ years and started her fine dining serving expertise here at Backroom in 2015. She is a customer favorite and is well-known and loved in the community. Just enter the doors of The Backroom Steakhouse and you will usually find her creating new, innovative cocktails, chatting with guests and keeping our standards high. Trust us—she’s meticulous!
Service Staff
The front of the house team at The Backroom Steakhouse is not just passionate about serving you delicious food, but they also have serious love for their customers. Our team of dining superheroes is on a mission to make your time at The Backroom Steakhouse a stellar experience.
Kitchen Staff
The kitchen team behind the scenes at The Backroom Steakhouse is constantly pushing the boundaries of flavor, always on the lookout for new and exciting ingredients to elevate our menu to new heights. From perfectly seared steaks to delectable sides and irresistible desserts, every dish is crafted with love and precision to ensure an unforgettable dining experience.