Jeff Spiegel

Jeff Spiegel



Long-time community member Jeff Spiegel passed away February 20th, 2024 surrounded by his family, after a six-year battle with leukemia. At the time of his diagnosis, he was told he had six months. He loved red chile, and swears it's helped keep him alive. His fighting spirit that kept him alive six more years is the same spirit he brought to every venture. He brought that passion to everything he did, from raising a family to founding M'tucci's Restaurants, to building sustainable homes with his son-in-law, to donating to the causes he cared about. Jeff's joie de vie was contagious. He put people first. He really cared, invested in and celebrated the people he cared about. He did not care about your status, but your character. He was known for easily crying with joy, pride & gratitude.

Jeff was a visionary who loved to formulate ideas and bring them to fruition. Nothing made him happier than helping people cultivate their strengths and step into their potential. It's what he did over and over with M'tucci's Restaurants and every venture he touched. His restaurants are a reflection of his care and character. M'tuccis creates lots of space for growth and upward mobility, provides healthcare, has a four-day work week and an educational program for employees' children. He wanted people to feel like they were coming home when they came to the restaurants. He deeply valued creating spaces where people could connect. He believed that we could set our differences aside and find common ground over good food and a warm environment. He created this in his home as well.

In total, Jeff owned and operated 16 restaurants in New York and New Mexico during his 42-year career. Prior to the restaurant industry, he was a Peace Corps volunteer and lived deep in the jungles of Peru. He loved New Mexico where he was born and raised, and returned after 30 years in New York to live the last 16 years of his life.

In the six years of successfully fighting leukemia, he traveled the world with his wife Katie, made new friends, opened two restaurants and a speakeasy, co-founded Spiegel Kinsley Construction, went to two of his kids' weddings, met his granddaughter, and saw his other child get engaged.



Jeff is survived by his wife Katie Gardner, children Ben Spiegel, Jesse Spiegel and Suzanne Spiegel, son-in-law Evan Kinsley and daughter-in-laws Megan Powell and Laurie Bludman, his brother Arthur Spiegel, as well as countless friends.



His celebration of life will be Sunday, February 25, 2024 from 12pm-3pm at M'tucci's Twenty-Five. His ceremony will be at 1pm-2pm so please arrive before 1pm or after 2pm, and if you do arrive while the ceremony is happening, please enter quietly. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the M'tutoring program, his final visionary project to offer tutoring to any of the children of his 350 employees, who need extra help to succeed in school, via the APS Foundation at https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/WebLink.aspx?name=E329881&id=37 or feel free to make check to the APS Education Foundation and specify it is for the M'tutoring Program.