NEW YORK—Arthur F. Backal smiles a lot, every day, and for a big chunk of his day. You could say smiling is a necessary accouterment to his profession, being at the “top of the heap” in the hospitality business. But his genuine smile probably hints more at an open secret. He knows how to keep a virtuous cycle going, and it starts with loving what you do.
“It goes back a long way,” Backal said, walking through a hallway of the sleekly designed Apella high-tech event and conference center, with vast views overlooking the East River. Apella is his most recent venture.
He giggled contagiously as he recalled how his father would take him to business lunches and dinners when he was just ten years old. “I would put on my little suit and go to some of the best restaurants in New York. It was very cool actually,” Backal said.
