Tara Trevethan has progressed from bus girl to restaurant owner in 11 years.

She found her passion for the restaurant business at the age of 14 and committed herself to the long hours and hard work of restaurant life.

First, she worked five years for Tom Blodgett at Kahuna's.

"He's watched me grow up since I was 14," Trevethan said.

Today, Blodgett is Tara's general manager.

"So the roles switched," she said. "But we love it. We work very well together. He's like part of the family."

The other person who was very influential in Tara Trevethan's life was her father, Rich Trevethan, who died in January.

"I was in the restaurant business before my father," she said. "He started Andre's Restaurant in 1998 with a franchise. My father was very savvy. He always said that he was a businessperson who happened to be in the restaurant business. Whether he was selling shoes or steaks or widgets, he would make it work. He had the personality for it. He wasn't one to retire."

Nine months ago Rich divorced the franchise and went out on his own, renaming the restaurant Tara Steak and Lobster House.

"I think the ongoing story is that they didn't want to give me a raise," Tara joked. "They figured that if my name was in lights that would silence me for a little while."

"We have a cook, not a chef," Tara pointed out. "We have a system in place. We are never held hostage to that one person. I've been known to cook 200 dinners if I need to. I'm a server. I'm a bartender. Tom and all of my floor managers are required to cook 50 dinners as well. If the whole kitchen decided to walk, we would be able to save it. You need to be prepared in this business for anything."

Tara's is a restaurant with a relaxed environment and an emphasis on customer service. They require their staff to read Hug Your Customers by Jack Mitchell to prepare them for working with their guests. Managers pair customers with servers who will click with them and enhance their dining. They are known for the total experience for the customer, but Tara explained, "We don't like to keep the top button buttoned."

Trevethan said her mother, Eugenia, came up with a recipe for lobster bisque, which they're going to put on the menu. She said the Maryland crab cakes and the homemade garlic mashed potatoes that are on the menu are her mother's also.

All of the seafood is flown in fresh. Tara's features a 2 1/2 pound Maine lobster, which needs to be ordered with two days' notice. Chilean sea bass and aged porterhouse steaks are specialties.

Tara emphasized that the entertainment on Friday and Saturday evenings is an important part of the restaurant identity. Gary Michaels and Frances Starr play '50s, '60s, '70s and today's music from 7 p.m. until closing.

The restaurant recently received its first award, The Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, recognizing Tara's for their 200 plus labels of wine. In addition there's a full bar and their own private label wine called Tara.

Tara's opened a unit in Coconut Grove in Miami six months ago and will open a Fort Lauderdale unit in October.

"Nothing is going to change at the Marco Tara's," Trevethan said. "The quality of the food, the service, and how we treat our customers will remain the same. I love it. It's very rewarding."