LAUREN SCHAEFER

partner & general manager

Lauren grew up on Long Island and was fortunate enough to spend summers in Newport with family. Lauren moved to NYC to pursue a degree in photography from FIT along with a minor in shopping. She is a 21 year NYC veteran with a career spanning multiple industries. Her professional life started as a commercial photography producer creating shoots for editorial and advertising clients such as Vogue, Vanity Fair and Nike as well as moonlighting as a nightclub bartender. This led her to fall in love with the hospitality industry and ultimately with a culinary degree in Business & Mgmt from the Institute of Culinary Education.

Lauren opened and operated a popular Italian wine bar in the West Village called Zampa focusing on small production wines and seasonal dishes. She also went on to expand the business into full service catering and events. After the restaurant fell to an unreasonable rent hike, Lauren stepped away from the business and pursued a career in marketing and advertising. She became a partner in a Brooklyn-based, women-led brand strategy agency Wolf & Wilhelmine as the director of operations for 5 years. This role took her to Asia, Europe and all over the United States helping brands evolve their businesses and marketing strategies.

With a desire to spend more time in Newport and be back in hospitality, Lauren took an opportunity at Forty 1 North as their events director. From there she met Kevin and Kyle and joined Giusto as part of the opening management team and became the GM in August of 2021. The shared vision Lauren, Kevin and Kyle have for genuine hospitality, superior ingredients and community led purpose led to their partnership (a love for pizza helped too). While her love of fashion has never faltered, her passion for Champagne has almost surpassed it. Ask her to saber a bottle (and eat a white pie) for you sometime!