Libre Management, LLC is a full service hospitality organization that owns and operates Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar and the affiliated brands. The owners and principals of Libre Management, Barry Gutin and Lawrence Cohen, bring a unique combination of expertise to every project. Gutin and Cohen have been business partners in the restaurant and nightclub business for over a decade and currently own and operate a number of restaurants, nightclubs and foodservice concepts including Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar, Missile Bar, Brulee: The Dessert Experience, Max & Me Catering, 32 LUXE LOUNGE and Shampoo Nightclub. Libre Management’s companies are founded on solid standards of hard work, strong management and aggressive marketing. The principals are dedicated to the hospitality industry and are in continuous pursuit of new opportunities.
PRINCIPALS
		Barry D. Gutin, President As President of Libre Management, Gutin is responsible for marketing, operations and growth management. A Summa Cum Laude graduate of the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, Barry Gutin took a different path from his fellow alumni, operating some of the most impressive and successful entertainment facilities in the Delaware Valley. In addition to his experience in food and beverage operations, he has expertise in marketing, promotions, public relations, entertainment production and security.
Mr. Gutin honed his experience at several top Mid-Atlantic hot spots, operating such venues as Pulsations Nightclub/Encore Dinner Theater and Hotel in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania and Taylor’s Nightclub in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Gutin has also provided a wide range of marketing and operational consulting services to restaurants, bars and nightclubs, including market studies, site location, feasibility analysis, new business development, marketing plan development and event planning. Gutin has written numerous articles and conducted seminars for leading industry publication Nightclub & Bar Magazine. He currently serves on the advisory board for Nightclub & Bar and its sister publication Salud! y Buen Provecho Magazine, which serves the Latin segment of the hospitality industry.
		Lawrence I. Cohen, Vice-President As principal and Vice President of Libre Management, Larry Cohen is responsible for business development and government relations. Cohen is the former President of Festival Food Management, a special events foodservice, concession and catering company which serviced over 350 grand scale events annually, each with attendance ranging from 10,000 to 1,000,000 people in 16 states.
Among these events were Governor Edward Rendell’s 2003 Inaugural Ball, the City of Philadelphia’s annual Welcome America Celebration and LIVE 8 Global 2005 Concert Series. He has served on both mayoral and gubernatorial Finance Committees and has been a key member of Philadelphia’s Waterfront Business Association for 12 years.
LIBRE MANAGEMENT Since Gutin joined forces with Cohen in 1994, during the second operating year of the award-winning Egypt Nightclub (closed in 2004 by fire), the two have been revolutionizing the Philadelphia and Atlantic City restaurant and nightlife arenas with a series of firsts: First progressive electronic music mega club in Philadelphia, Shampoo Nightclub First Cuban restaurant in Philadelphia, Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar First bottle service lounge in Pennsylvania, 32° LUXE LOUNGE First “ultra-lounge” in Atlantic City, 32° LUXE LOUNGE First all dessert restaurant in Atlantic City, Brulée: The Dessert Experience The creative visions of Gutin and Cohen resulted in a company that embodies current consumer trends and values through its brands. Together, the partners are hitting their stride while savoring every moment. They are focused, determined and passionate about the hospitality industry as they expand Libre Management and its brands.