Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore

In this episode with Brian and Brad Wasik, we discuss the history of Wasik's Cheese Shop, what growing up in a family cheese shop was like, never "aim an unloaded gun", the results of treating the assistants, secretaries, and truck drivers of the world well, changing and evolving with time, improving with every day, taking care of your people being the most important thing, having the same common goal within an organization, the struggles that come along with owning a family business, the importance of location, creating value added experiences, and being great without being pretentious. Wasik's Cheese Shop in Wellesley is a family business that has specialized in selecting and maturing cheeses since it was established by the late Stephen Wasik in 1979. Now run by Carol Wasik and her sons, Brad and Brian, the shop offers cut-to-order cheeses, wines, charcuterie, specialty foods, and other gourmet items.

In this episode with Dave Allred, we discuss how he got his start in the industry, always growing, creating habits, listening to your employees, the importance of standards, not standardizing personality, making sure your managers care, how franchises and corporations limit creativity, becoming an expert, empowering your team with system, the 10 steps of customer service, the difference between running a business versus a bar, why you can't make your people wait, a culture of teamwork, keeping processes as simple as possible, creating a complete experience, finding the best way to do something, giving away free stuff strategically, the rule of 3, spot checking, and selling your most proffitable items. When he was 16 years old, Dave Allred got his start bussing tables at a Chinese restaurant. He continued working in restaurants during and after college, and before long he was immersed in the world of bartending. After 15 plus years of industry work, Allred decided it was time to move in the direction of management and teaching. Today, in addition to being the author of 5 bar industry books, Allred is the founder and CEO of Bar Patrol, which helps owners and managers run more profitable bars.

In this episode with Juliette Gust, we discuss how the moral and behavioral standards trickle from the top down, how employees should handle being sexual harassed, how employers should handle sexual harassment, what NOT to do when someone reports sexual harassment or fraudulent behavior, using the ethicssuite.com platform to report these fraudulent reports, and the benefits of documenting these reports. Juliette Gust has led over 1,300 investigations spanning 74 countries and advised on close to 10,000 whistleblower reports. She is a former PwC Regulatory, Forensics and Hospitality & Leisure Advisory Services manager, and later developed and served as the Director of the global Fraud & Investigations team and Project Manager of the Anti-Corruption Compliance Program for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. Juliette also spent 15 years in industry operations from line positions to operations manager and general manager in high-volume hotels, casino hotels, convention centers and restaurants in top U.S. tourism destinations. On top of all this, she is the Co-Founder of Ethicssuite.com

In this episode with Bobby Marcotte and Bobby Buivid, we discuss how both Bobbys got into the industry, being original, changing the game, creating something from nothing, immersing yourself in the industry to get ahead, living in the moment, planning your next move, existing to care for your team, hiring people who care, how shared desires lead to partnerships, treating it like you own it, focusing on the experiences, knowing your story, and living to love the process. Marcotte, Buivid crossed paths a few years back. At the time, Marcotte was at the helm of the highly success Tuckaway Tavern serving as Executive Chef (which he continues to do), while Buivid was in Chicago consulting on restaurant design. About a year an a half ago they decided to join forces and began collaborating on a new vision that would "change the game". That vision would become Hop and Grind located in Durham, NH.

In this episode with Maria Campbell, we discuss focusing less on titles and more on "just being", the story behind Cooks Who Care, adaptability, sharing knowledge, putting yourself out there, why connecting people is important, knowing that you're not alone, the culture within the industry changing to support better quality of life, redefining what success looks like, and how to get involved with Cooks Who Care. Maria Campbell is the founder of Cooks Who Care. Cooks Who Care offers the food industry a new way to connect! With their unique digital platform, they provide management and staff with a way to meet others in the same field and to share leadership learning through online resources.

In this episode with Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg, we discuss the inspiration for their eleven books, following your curiosity, common habits of successful chefs and restaurateurs, the significance of listening, how creativity is the #1 skill or strength people attribute their success to, how creativity leads to competitive advantage, the 3 stages to the creative process, the 5 inner senses that guide the best chefs, and how meditation, yoga, and reading impact the creative process. Karen Page along with husband, Andrew Dornenburg, are James Beard Award-winning authors of numerous culinary and restaurant industry themed books including Becoming a Chef, Culinary Artistry, Dining Out, Chef's Night Out, The New American Chef, What to Drink With What You Eat, The Flavor Bible, The Food Lover's Guide to Wine, and The Vegetarian Flavor Bible. This past year, Karen and Andrew published their latest book, Kitchen Creativity where they shine a light on the creative process.

In this episode with Kate Edwards, we discuss 1) The unaware customer service rep: folks in open kitchens who are now customer-facing and have to deliver some sort of customer service. 2) How being decent to your fellow man is more powerful and actionable than trying to be amazing. 3) #metoo in the restaurant business and how to handle being sexually... harassed. Throughout her 30 years in the service industry, Kate has learned first-hand how to manage high volume and high standards, as well as how to fix operations that were poorly managed or on their way out. With the mission to bring excellent service to patrons of the service industry, Kate launched her full-service hospitality consulting business in 2007. In addition to being an instructor and writing for many publications, Kate is the author of Hello: and Every Little Thing That Matters.

In this episode with Jonathan Blakeslee, we discuss doing something better every day, being patient when waiting for good things to happen, how Blakeslee got his start, calmness, focus, presence, following your passion, selling your passion, starting where you can, scaling from wholesale to retail, choosing transformative relationships over transactional relationships, knowing who you are, focusing on who you are, letting your team weigh in on the decision making and creative processes, becoming a person of value, and using small business centers. After serving in the United States Coast Gaurd, Jonathan Blakeslee fell in love with Japnese culture and tea. Upon finishing his service, Blakeslee attended the Western Culinary Institute in Portland Oregan, and would eventually find himself working at the Toa of Tea also located in Portland, OR. Homesickness slowly crept in, and Blakeslee moved bake to the east coast where he would start his own wholesale tea operation, White Heron. Today he has scaled that operation to include 40 seat cafe and White Herons own house-roasted organic coffee.

In this episode with repeat guest Anese Cavanaugh, we discuss how to create a positive holiday experience for yourself and those you love, how taking care of others starts with taking care of yourself, the 5 steps of intentional impact, how to close out the old year, and start the new year on the right foot. Anese Cavanaugh is devoted to helping people show up and bring their best selves to the table in order to create significant positive impact in their lives. She is the creator of the IEP or (Intentional Energetic Presence®) method, an advisor and thinking partner to leaders and organizations around the world, and author of Contagious Culture: Show Up, Set the Tone, and Intentionally Create an Organization That Thrives

In this episode, Richard Celler dives deep into the topic of common wage violations. Specifically, how tip crediting works, why you need to track your employee's tips, qualifying factors of paying someone a tip credit, the amount of non-tip credit work your employees are allowed to do (20%), tip pooling, whos allowed to share in the tip a pool, and what you need to know about off the clock and pre/post shift work. Richard Celler is the Managing Partner of Richard Celler Legal, P.A., a/k/a the Florida Overtime Lawyer. Mr. Celler's practice focuses on all areas of the employment context from discrimination, harassment, Title VII, the Family Medical Leave Act, and other employment-related statutes. Additionally, Mr. Celler represents individuals in whistleblower and wage and hour litigation.

In this episode with guest, Mario Del Pero we discuss how you need to get better every day, starting with the core customer when opening a restaurant, being a student of the business, creating systems around "wow" experiences, owning your brand, finding a business partner that balances you, selling happy, scaling culture, recruiting/filtering the right people, coaching culture, creating process around R & D, and doing what you already do better. Mario Del Pero grew up in his family's meat processing business. He would go on to study International Relations at the University of Southern California and was on the path to becoming a career lawyer. Instead, he took a job at a Mexican grill where he started as a barback's back. He eventually became the Director of Operations. In 2005, Mario, along with wife, Ellen Chen, opened Mendocino Farms Sandwich Market in Southern California. 12 year later they've grown their business to 17 locations.

In this episode with Roger Beaudoin, we discuss building your dream team staff, the three key elements of service, how to get your customers to be your best marketers, educating customers, informing customers, entertaining customers, using your "A" players to attract more "A" players, Using "A" players to bring up your "B" players, what types of questions you can ask during the interview process to get more "A" players, doing things for someone VS to someone, conditioning fun behavior into your staff, never asking your guest yes-no questions, giving your guest options, and providing the same level of quality with counter service as with full-service. Roger Beaudoin's 18 years of experience in the restaurant and hospitality industry is backed with a business degree from Bryant College and an MBA from Babson College. He has headed four restaurant and hospitality operations in all. His most recent restaurant, The Matterhorn Ski Bar, a seasonal, 4-month restaurant and bar, which generated 1 million dollars in annual sales. Today, with all of his knowledge and experience at RestaurantRockstars.com.

In Today's episode, we're joined by repeat guest, Jennifer Desrosiers. Jennifer and I discuss controlling your focus and energy, hiring good people, putting good people in the right place, getting clear on your mission, writing your mission down, code of ethics VS core values, the transition from working on the business VS working in the business, implementation of a checklist, going from me to we, the mindset of "working with what you got.", knowing when to expand your business, the ripple effect, some tools and services Jen recommends, and making time in your life to recover. Jennifer Desrosiers founded Laney & Lu in September 2015 inspired by her own journey to holistic health and wellness and commitment to living her soul's purpose. Jennifer wants to live in a world filled with french press coffee, luxurious car camping, and effortless handstands. As a holistic wellness and lifestyle coach, yoga teacher, and self-proclaimed real food junkie, Jennifer believes great health is a synergistic balance of a healthy diet, tons of self-love, passionate relationships, and powerful movement.

In this episode with Chef Tim Boyd, we discuss what drew him to the industry, following passion not paychecks, not sacrificing quality, greatness attracting greatness, the dilution of passion with bigger operations, not letting your ego get the best of you, staying focused, having a balance of skill between FOH and BOH, being someones exit strategy, becoming a part of the community, having too many big egos under one roof, defining roles, getting sober, being the average of those you surround yourself with, and picking yourself up when you fall down. Chef Tim Boyd got his start at the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. After moving to South Florida and meeting his wife Lara, Tim's resume went from Executive Chef to owner of the well-known Upper Crust. Tim would go on to create Milk & Honey Cafe. Today Tim is the Executive Chef of The Mustard Seed Bistro with wife and owner Lara Boyd.

In this episode with Mark Chase, we discuss where to start when deciding whether to lease or buy a restaurant, the pros, and cons of leasing and buying, things to consider when negotiating a lease, first right of refusal, leasing with option to buy, how to give yourself control if your leasing, vetting your landlord before signing a legal document, what to consider if using a consultant to find a location, zoning, parking, and licencing. Mark Chase is the President of Restaurant Real Estate Advisors. He specializes in providing site selection and real estate advice to restaurateurs. He works directly with growing brands and provides coaching, consulting and training to first-time restaurateurs. Mark is also the author of How to Open a Restaurant at a Great Location at a Great Price. Today we're here to discuss the ins and outs of leasing VS Buying a space for your restaurant.

In this episode with Dan Margolis, we discuss why Dan fell in love with the industry, the importance of having a mentor, setting goals, humility, controlling your anger, recognizing your staff, the threat in redefining your brand too often, staying fresh, trusting your managers when transistioning to the role of Director of Operations, what to do when you get complacent, transitioning from DO to CEO, the responsibilites of a CEO, how to turn a struggling restaurant around, leveraging technology, leveraging data, and the importance of being a mentor to someone else. Dan Margolis earned a Bachelors Degree in Hotel and Administration from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, and an MBA from California Lutheran University. Over the past 11 years, Dan has held the title of Assistant GM, GM, and Director of Operations, for a number of restaurant groups. Today Dan holds serves as of CEO for Brendan's Irish Pub & Restaurant in Ventura County California.

In this episode with Sandra Arnerich we discuss, how she got her start in the industry, the power of surrounding yourself with the influence of great people, never accepting that your dream is not possible, discipline, getting everyone to believe in your culture, having fun at work, having your team established before your restaurant opens, the challenges Nick and Sandra went through in opening their first restaurant, determination, patience, hope, the difficulties of having a scratch kitchen, having a common vision, the challenges of having your name tied to the french laundry, and how hard it was to be named the best restaurant in Oregon after just opening. Sandra Arnerich sharpened her teeth in some of the industries most well-known restaurants, Thomas Keller's, The French Laundry and Corey Lee's Benu. It was at The French Laundry where Sandra met her future husband Nick Arnerich, (episode 403). In 2013 discussion of opening their own restaurant began to reverberate. Shortly after Renata was born. Today Sandra and her husbands are the owner/operators of two restaurants with the addition of Figlia.

In this episode with Sean McGrath, we'll shine a light on what should be considered when trying to get our products on retail shelves. What are the pros? What are the cons? We'll also be discussing the trends you should be aware and how you can take advantage of these trends. Sean McGrath holds a Food Science degree from Virginia Tech, and a Culinary degree from Le Cordon Bleu. Sean managed the Sara Lee Culinary Department for 10 years and then started his own company Chef2Shelf.com after realizing there was a need for fellow chefs, restaurants, and food companies to extend their product lines.

In this episode with Ouita Michel, we discuss how she got into the industry, cooking for people you know and love, the meaning of hospitality, manifesting destiny by letting your intentions be known, visioning your goals, creating a solid business plan, knowing your numbers, being financially stable, the impact of a great mission statement, not being so blinded by the numbers that you lose sight of the mission, Living your mission every day, when its time to call it quits on a concept thats not working, implenting systems, creating opportunity for your team, and openbook managemnt. Growing up in both Louisiana and Kentucky, Chef Ouita Michel is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. Wanting to cook food for those she knew and loved, combined with a desire to be more assessable, Ouita returned to Kentucky where she would start her career as a chef & restaurateur. Today, Ouita, alongside her husband, Chris, is the Chef-Owner of 7 restaurants located in and around Lexington, KY.

In this episode with Gail Hopps-Page, we discuss getting out of your comfort zone, how gail got her start in the restaurant business, being the best you can be in any given moment, building on your experience if you have no formal culinary education, why people burn out in the restaurant industry, identifying key employees, investing in key employees, embracing food values, keeping it simple, not taking short cuts, always moving forward, teaching what you know, replacing yourself, regulations limiting small farmers, subsidies, certain etiquette when sourcing from local farms, and the importance of food culture. Gail Hobbs-Page spent 26 years as a professional cook, working in restaurants including Magnolia Grill and the Fearrington House, both in North Carolina, and Hamiltons' at First & Main, in Charlottesville. Eventually, the restaurant business burned her out. Today Gail is the Owner, Farmer, and Cheesemaker at Carmont Farm located just outside of Charlottesville, NC.

In this episode with James Eling, we discuss the death of facebook for business, discovering your unique selling proposition, using your USP to create unique experiences/impact, Facebook live, and Facebook ads. James Eling is the Founder and Host of Secret Sauce: The Restaurant Marketing Podcast, where they discuss marketing ideas, strategies and tactics with restaurant marketing experts. In addition, James is the founder of Marketing4Restaurants.com where he helps restaurant owners master all things online.

In this episode with Nick Arnerich, we discuss how he got into the industry, creating opportunity for those on your team, discipline, never stop believing, surrounding yourself with people that will encourage you to grow, humility, visioning, planning, learning the culture of a restaurant no matter how good you are, Nick's biggest lessons learned from Thomas Keller, the importance of knowing and breaking down the numbers, challendges of transitioning from a GM to a Direct of Ops, asking questions before jumping to conclusions, the benefits of starting as a pop-up, how to create an "impactful" restaurant, the challenges of running a scatch kitchen, the importance of hanging onto your "core" employees, supporting your community with your restaurant, and advice on openign a restaurnat with a significant other. Nick grew up in Portland, Oregon and spent most of his first years at his parent's restaurant Delevan's. Over the last 15 years, Nick has worked in some of the most acclaimed restaurants in the country including The French Laundry. Most recently Nick was Director of Operations for the Delfina Restaurant Group in San Francisco. In 2013 Nick relocated to Portland to pursue his dream of owning his own restaurant, and the Renata was born. In addition to the Renata, Nick and his wife, Sandra, also own the Figlia.

In this episode we discuss how Chef Jeff Deloff got his start in the industry, why you need to follow your heart and "go for it", the importance of finding a mentor, hard work paying off, every role in a restaurant being critical, how being young, inexperienced, and hungry can hinder and help you, how to handle people, not taking a closing restaurant personally if you're a young executive chef, the impact of running a sustainable restaurant, emotional sustainability, knowing when you're wrong, and trusting in your employees. Born and raised in Oswego, NY, Jeff Deloff, at 16 Jeff took a job as a dishwasher and has never left the restaurant business. He enrolled in the Culinary Institute of America in 2005. After graduating he worked in several restaurants in NY, the most recent as Executive Chef at Bistro 197 in Oswego. In the fall of 2015, Jeff left for Charlottesville to take the position of Executive Chef at Threepenny Cafe. Jeff is committed to developing relationships with area producers and to spearheading Threepenny's mission to source locally, sustainably, humanely and healthfully.

In this episode with Seth Worby we discuss what makes Seth an authority on SEO and internet marketing, what SEO is, the 3 core things to focus on when increasing your search ranking, what effects the searchability of your website, what a "keyword" is, using "natural" or "organic" keywords within your website, getting "authoritative" sites to link to you, providing value instead of self-promoting with content on your website, how analytics play into SEO, making data drivin' decisions, the role social media plays on SEO, and the "cirlce of trust". Backed by a decade of experience in the SEM and SEO fields, Seth Worby founded Champ Internet Solutions in March 2009. A pioneering SEO strategist and web marketer, Seth's breadth of technical and business knowledge help drive results in terms of SEO, e-commerce, marketing and integrated solutions for Champ's clients, including many prominent restaurants and bars in Boston, MA

In this episode with Chef Jason Alley, we discuss working for the best- even if it means taking a lower ranked or position, getting experience to find your voice, doing work that fulfils you, finding your business partner, the pros of leasing VS owning, benefits in hiring close friends, helping open other people's restaurants before opening your own, being undercapitalized, asking "what am I really doing?", paying attention to guest needs and requests, leaning on trust to extend your operation, sharing a vision, molding your employees into partners, how to stay humble, how to stay humble after failure It is said that Chef Jason Alley started cooking at the young age of 4. After a few short stink at Hardee's, a Quaker-owned orchard and country club, Chef Alley started to find his passion. Fast forward multiple Sous and Executive chef positions later, in early 2000's Chef met his Business partner Chris Chandler and by 2003 the pair were opening their first restaurant. Today, Alley is the chef/partner of 3 restaurants Comfort Pasture and Flora.

In this episode with Salvador Sanchez and Allen Warford, we discuss saving and investing 10% of your income, visioning, planning, location selection, being lean, starting where you can and scaling up, being people focused, leaning on your community to get started, staying honest and transparent, forgiveness, going from working IN to working ON your business, the hiring process, planning your work, managing your ego, selecting a partner, creating culture, and creating structure. Salvador Sanchez always wanted own his own business. So... he started saving and getting clarity on what that business would be. In 2013, After getting some experience in the world of coffee and cafes, Sanchez opened A Cup of Commonwealth. In 2016 Sanchez acquired magic bean roasters. At the end of 2016, Allen Warford joined the team as a partner and they have since expanded again with the opening of Chocolate Holler.

In this episode with restaurant marketing expert, Nick Fosberg we discuss if this is the death of Facebook for small business. Facebook is breaking up the newsfeed into two separate segments; public(what you, your friends and family see) and business (the posts you create on your business pages). If you want your business page posts to get seen, you'll have to "pay to play." Nick also takes us through how to get the most ROI from your social media marketing. Nick Fosberg has become a leading authority on restaurant and bar marketing and promotions. He has helped hundreds of bar owners all over the US and Canada take their business to the next level by applying radically different direct response marketing strategies.

In this episode with Michael and Heather Harrell, we discuss how Michael and Heather got there start in the industry, why they love the work they do, having a well balanced partnership, staying in your lane, having a daily regimen or routine, not losing the human element as you expand your business, working for a chain or franchise to learn operations, the transition from a corporate operation to mom and pop, where to get help with your business plan, testing your menu, never under-valuing your knowledge, treating everyone with respect (they could be your future investor), and much more! Michael Heather Harrell got his start in the restaurant industry working in and opening Outback Steakhouses and Carraba's. As Carraba's grill started expanding and cutting corners, Michael began to lose interest and passion for the brand. The Harrell's decided to break out on their own and in 2014 they founded 11th and Bay Located in Columbus, GA.

In this episode with David Fafara, we discuss keeping it simple stupid, giving back to the community, being a hustler, starting small and scaling up, giving before you get, continuous learning, doing one thing really well, educating your staff and guests, scaling a business, and being someone's exit strategy. Chicago native, David Fafara is a graduate of North Park and West Virginia where he focused on physical education and counseling. In 1993 Fafara started a small coffee roaster called Shenandoah Joe. Almost 25 years later, this little specialty coffee roaster has expanded to 4 locations and is a staple in the Charlottesville community.

In this episode, we're joined by business, leadership, and culture consultant, Rudy Miick. We're discussing harassment- what it is, why you can't afford it, how to prevent it from happening, and what to do when it does happen. Also, we discuss how to make your restaurant a "safe space". This is Rudy Miick's 3rd appearance on the show. Check out episode 181 and episode 358. Miick began working in the restaurant industry at the age of 15, was a partner of a restaurant by the age of 24, and has been consulting for the last 40 years. Miick's work has pivoted to focus on successful start-ups, performance improvement, and the growth of restaurants, resorts, and other foodservice operations. You can learn more about Rudy at Miick.com.

In this episode with Jenée Libby we discuss, why she started her podcast (edacious), how to get out of your own head when starting a scary project, your brand as an extension of who you are, using technology to bring people together and promote the truly talented and passionate people in our industry, common threads and characteristics of successful food and beverage people, being generous with your knowledge, not focusing on money, focusing on becoming a person of value, how the Charlottesville community pulled together after the attacks, how to respond to hate, harassment in the workplace, and why you should consider hosting your own podcast. Jenée Libby is a writer of food, fiction, travel, and essay. A struggling photographer, a frustrated novelist, and a lover of diner ephemera. She's obsessed with vintage cookbooks and sells them in her Etsy shop, edacious (cook)booksellers. She's written for C-Ville Weekly, the 2015 Virginia Travel Guide, and UNITE Virginia magazine, Her most recent passion is the Edacious Podcast. Edacious is all about getting people to stop talking ABOUT people in food and to get them talking WITH people in food in an attempt to create connection and strengthen Community.

In this episode, we discuss how Chef Kyle Lee Mcknight got his start in the industry, why he does the work he does, when getting started- how cooking was a vehicle for travel, how cooking to make people change has changed his career, finding sobriety, how life changes once sobriety is found, being emotionally sound, developing emotional intelligence, how to deal with confrontation, training, culture, side hustling your passion, how to get a product to retail, growing and leveraging your network, and why buying food from friends is chef Mcknights mantra. Chef McKnight got his start washing dishes for a par of Adidas. 25 years later he has made a name for himself as a premier chef in the south. He's won multiple accolades for his work and has been invited to cook at the James Beard House. Today he's the founder of Nena's Meats and Provisions and serves as Executive Chef at Full Steam Brewery.

In this episode we invite Bruce Irving back on the shout to answer some Listener questions. The questions answered: Should you let your Facebook followers know when it is not you who is responding on your business page... if it is not actually you reponding? Should you feel obligated to like and respond to guest comments and reviews? Should you allow reviews on your business page? Should we allow our guest to post on our business page? Do we need to claim our business on EVERY platform? Should we respond to reviews on TripAdvisor, Yelp, Google, Facebook? Bruce Irving is the marketing visionary behind SmartPizzaMarketing.com and host of the weekly Smart Pizza Marketing podcast. On his podcasts, he interviews the leading minds of the pizza restaurant industry. Irving, a top marketing consultant and former pizzeria owner, also hosts PizzaTV's Marketing Insights livestream program, which streams at 8 p.m. (ET) every Tuesday on Facebook. You can listen to his Smart Pizza Marketing podcast at www.smartpizzamarketing.com. In addition, Irving speaks at conferences about how to better use social media in your restaurant or small business

In this episode with Howard Solomon, we discuss what made him fall in love with hospitality, the impact of great culture in your business, the "all for one mentality", paying attention to the details, the importance of listening, what Solomon learned from Wolfgang Puck, trying things outside of your comfort zone, how to be a great listener, how empathy is the soul of listening, how to gain trust, how to empower your people A graduate of the University of Iowa and Illinois State University, Solomon served Wolf Gang Puck as Director of Culinary Administration before starting his own Hospitality Consulting Firm, The Solomon Group. During this time Solomon was also an educator, teaching Restaurant Managementment at San Diego State University. Today, Soloman serves as Founder of Solomon 2.0 where his mission is to open the eyes of good leaders and give them a "great leader make-over."

This is the second part of a two-part series! In part two, Chef Scott Crawford and I discuss why shutting the door on opportunity is sometimes the best way to open doors to more opportunities, building a reputation by doing the right things for the right reasons, why you need to pay it forward once you've "figured it out", Keeping it simple, not spending too much money, investing in your people, how to handle the negative energy of a nasty critic, what happens when you have your team's back, why chef has a chiropractor and masseuse come in for his staff once a month Originally from PA, Chef Scott Crawford got his start in the industry as a server and bartender and would accidentally work his way into the kitchen. He built his career working in some of the finest luxury hotels around the nation earning 5 James Beard Semi-finalist awards in the process. In 2016 Chef Crawford open his first restaurant Crawford and Son located in Raleigh, NC.

This is the first of a two-part series! In part one Chef Scott Crawford and I discuss focusing on results, how Chef Crawford found his lane, how to find your passion, working for the best possible people, how to build relationships, giving before you get, what real commitment looks like, building reputations not resumes, blending life and work, how valuing the intangible in life gets you the tangible, the right way to enter a partnership, why you need to be principle in your business, the process for finding your right investors. Originally from PA, Chef Scott Crawford got his start in the industry as a server and bartender and would accidentally work his way into the kitchen. He built his career working in some of the finest luxury hotels around the nation earning 5 James Beard Semi-finalist awards in the process. In 2016 Chef Crawford open his first restaurant Crawford and Son located in Raleigh, NC.

In this episode with Chef Marc Jacksina, we discuss what attracted Chef Jacksina to this industry, why you need to "remember where the fence is", why a clean workspace is more than just a clean workspace, paying attention to your numbers, how to go about making change, the value of incredible service, the customers need is acknowledgement, carving out your niche, how Chef Jacksina found his niche, how to know when you've found your niche, counting inventory, taking the thing you don't know and doing it, what percentage you should take as a partner, why making money is the restaurant business is about volume, being properly capitalized, making the initial leap into ownership, not buying into your own success, how there is a time an place for play and it's not at 5 pm on a Friday, why you need great PR and story, why getting respect from your peers is more important to getting respect from those who hand out rewards, and why the blame game never works. Hailing from NY, where he got his start running neighborhood trattorias, multi-unit corporate restaurants, and a five star Adirondack inn, Marc Jacksina relocated to Charlotte with his wife Lauren, and two sons, Lucas and Ian, in 2004. It was there, where he opened multiple Best New Restaurant award winners including Nan & Byron's, Halcyon, and Lulu. Chef Jacksina is now Executive Chef at Earl's Grocery, an urban provisions larder and cafe serving inspired street food, grab and go dinners, and some of the city's tastiest fried chicken. In addition, Marc hosts the online video series, OrderFire where he interviews leading culinarians, mixologists, restaurateurs, purveyors, and farmers to paint them in a more multidimensional light.

In this episode with Chef Charles Carroll, we discuss the power in building your team, the inspiration behind his new book, and we share "Chef's Seven Rules of Greatness". Chef Carroll is an award-winning chef who travels the world speaking on championship thinking and personal greatness. For his work with US troops abroad, he was personally commended by five U.S. presidents. Chef Carroll current serves as Executive Chef and Houstons Prestigious River Oaks country club. Additionally, Chef Carroll is the Co-author of The Recipe: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Ingredients of Greatness

In this episode with guest, Pablo Fuentes we discuss how success starts with discipline, how to use your team to get inspiration for writing a good job post, the elements of a perfect job post, common mistakes to avoid when writing a job post and ultimately, how to write job posts that convert. Be sure to join us for the LIVE webinar on November 6th! Pablo is the Founder and CEO of Proven, a software company that helps small businesses hire. He is also the host and producer of Small Business War Stories, a podcast where he drives thousands of miles around the country interviewing small business owners and operators and learning about their stories. Today Pablo is here to cover elements of a perfect job post and he'll also share some of the most common mistakes.

In this episode, with Master Sommelier, Alex Lapratt, we discuss hiring those who are persistent about working for you, being positive and humble, knowing your stuff- if you don't know don't make it up, hard work making the difference between the successful and unsuccessful, surrounding yourself with the best, extreme attention to detail, making massive sacrifice to move your career forward, providing opportunity to your team, when you know to break out on your own, intricacies of selecting your partners, how to go from one to two locations, growing people before growing restaurants, and why you should buy instead of lease. Growing up in Detroit, Alex's love for wine came at the young age of 19 years old. His passion for wine provided him with the opportunity to work in some of the finest restaurants the industry has to offer including Michael Mina, The French Laundry, Daniel, Atera, Le Bernardin, and Jean-Georges. Today Alex serves as the Principal and Beverage Director at Atrium DUMBO, and Beasts and Bottles located in Brooklyn, NY.

In this episode, we bring back past guest, Business Manager of Bar Mezzana, Jefferson Macklin, and business partner, Executive Chef, Colin Lynch. When Jefferson first came on the show (episode 228) he and his partners, Colin and Heather Lynch, were in the build-out stage of opening their restaurant, Bar Mezzana. Jefferson, Colin, and Heather all worked with the Barbara Lynch Gruppo, out of Boston, MA. In 2015 they decided to break out and pave their own path. We discuss what Jefferson, Colin, and Heather did that made the opening go well, getting experts to take care of the details, how to resign gracefully when breaking out on your own, why this location stood out to Chef Lynch, how they raised the money, the importance of practicing your pitch, what being a servant leaders looks like during an opening, how to keep your team as motivated as they were on day one, removing those who bring the rest of your team down, the impact of having a tight partnership, sharing your financials with the team, and educating the guest on the cost of serving them right. At the Helm with a combined 30 years of experience in the hospitality business, Colin and Heather Lynch, along with Jefferson Macklin worked together at Barbara Lynch Gruppo for eight years before realizing their dream of opening a restaurant of their own. All three share a passion for creating an amazing dining experience rooted in exceptional hospitality. Most recently, Colin was the Executive Chef for Barbara Lynch Gruppo, while Jefferson served as the President and Chief Operating Officer. Today, Colin, Heather, and Jefferson are the Co-Owners of Bar Mezzana location in Boston's South End.

In this episode, we discuss what makes Erik Shellenberger an authority on the topic of marketing, and we cover the 5 areas you're most likely to find your next NEW customer: word-of-mouth, reviews, search engine optimization, social media, and others. We also discuss the power in paying for a mentor and spending money to make money. Erik Shellenberger is the founder of Bar Marketing Basics where he teaches bar and restaurant owners how to improve their online presence and bring in new customers.

In this episode with Donnie Madia, we discuss the power of collaboration, knowing your strengths, attracting onto yourself those who are strong where you're weak, taking the ideas of others and tweaking them to make them your own, no one person being greater than the whole, having a will to succeed, How Madia and his business partners got the money to start Blackbird, how to attract greatness onto yourself, What makes a successful partnership, the importance of finding the right real estate deal, opening restaurant close to each other, and the power of masterminding. Chicago-born, Donnie Madia got his first lessons in hospitality by observing his mother and aunt caring for and serving guests in their home. It is said that Donnie has mastered the art of collaboration, and is gifted with the ability to see and connect talent. Today, Madia serves as co-founder of One Off Hospitality Group In Chicago IL and has received 5 James Beard Awards acknowledge his work.

In this episode, we discuss how Jen Pelka got her start in the industry, how you got to "fake it till you make it", how to create opportunity for yourself by creating positions, the power of side hustles, having great connections, networking, how to get people to like you, summarizing your brand, picking one thing and being the best at it, focusing on what you're good at, surrounding yourself with those who are good at what you're bad at, using a cause to appeal to investors, hiring with the same vision, and using branded visuals. After a decade of experience leading branded events, influencer marketing, content strategy, and media relations in-house at OpenTable, Gilt Taste, Tumblr, Chef Daniel Boulud's iconic Restaurant DANIEL,m Jen Pelka launched Magnum PR in 2015. This past January, Jen took all of her experience helping other restaurants succeed and put it into opening her own restaurant and champagne bar, The Riddler, located in San Francisco, CA.

In this episode with Ian Boden, we discuss the power of gathering and sharing knowledge, how this industry is filled with misfits- which makes it awesome, why abusing your mind and body needs to be a way of the past, correcting processes not people, taking ownership of your people falling short, why Chef Boden needed time away from the kitchen, what brought Chef Boden back to the kitchen, why you need to learn the entire business before opening your restaurant, why Chef Boden's first restaurant failed, knowing the #'s, the importance of your reputation, getting everyone in your restaurant aligned, how to get your people to "drink the Kool-Aid", leading by example, the value of intent, doing what you say you're going to do, learning from your failures, doing market research, and how to set yourself up for financial success Originating from Northern Virginia, Chef Ian Boden got his start at the early age of 13 working in a local French restaurant. He would continue his culinary education at the New England Culinary Institute in Vermont before making his way to New York City, where he stayed until 2007. Back in his home state, Ian made a go at a number of ventures earning national acclaim and 2 James Beard Nomination for "Best Chef Mid-Atlantic" in the process. In 2013, Boden opened his community focused, casual dining restaurant The Shack, and has been crushing it ever since.

In this episode, how Jenny Peterson got her start as a baker, getting work experience before opening your own restaurant, learning what not to do from previous experiences, being a strategic/calculated risk taker, making it fun, honesty, values, trusting your gut, make the most of the slow time, scaling into your vision by taking it slow and steady, the impact colors have on your brand imaging, knowing your lane, asking "are you willing before making all decisions, checking your ego at the door, not correcting people; correcting processes, the impact of doing what you love, knowing and sharing your why. It all began with an Easy Bake Oven. From an early age, Jenny had her hand in whatever her mother was baking. she graduated from the Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris, then interned in one of the most successful bakeries in Paris, "Boulangerie-Pâtisserie Lohezic." Upon arriving back to Charlottesville, Jenny worked at the Boar's Head Inn, then soon after she continued to pursue her pastry dreams. Today she is the Chef-Owner of Paradox Pastry Cafe located in Charlottesville, VA.

In this episode, we discuss the path Charles Bililies took to get to where he is today, the value of working both FOH and BOH to get the "big picture", how Charles landed a job for Thomas Keller straight out of college, creating your own luck, getting out what you put in, the power of your network, lessons learned from Thomas Keller and Michael Mina, attention to detail, open book finances, creating a company of leaders, doing one thing and doing it well, why planning a restaurant is a full-time job, how Charles raised the money for Souvla, the importance of being scrappy, clarity in identity, doing few things really well, promoting from within, how to motivate your team, when you know it is time to scale, valueing your people, and promoting from within. Charles Bililies attended Johnson and Wales University and Cornell University where he studied Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management. After finishing his formal education he continued to learn under restaurant masters such as Thomas Keller and Michael Mina. In 2014 Bililies opened Souvla- a fine-casual Greek restaurant and wine bar located in Originating in San Francisco, CA, which today has a total of 3 locations.

In this episode, we discuss how Kirk Kelewae got his start in hospitality, never-ending transitional moments, rewarding ambition, taking initiative, creating opportunities for yourself, creating a culture where people feel they can contribute and grow, why mentoring is a "two way street", how to make special experiences, establishing trust with your guest, the transition to management, why being management means you have to work even harder, how to critique a best friend, the importance of opening yourself up to feedback, how to management managers, why you should never higher someone just to "fill a role" and transitioning from fine-dining to fast-casual. Kirk Kelewae is a graduate of Cornell University where he studied Hospitality Administration and Management. In 2008 he joined the team at the Eleven Madison Park as a food runner, which lead to becoming Dining Room Manager, which lead to becoming service director, which eventually lead to becoming General Manager. In 2017 Eleven Madison Park earned the #1 spot on the San Pellegrino Worlds 50 Best Restaurants. Today, Kirk GM at Made Nice.

In this episode, we discuss why you need to "make it exciting", how there is job security in hospitality, how turning your life around is as simple as making the choice to, showing up to work with enthusiasm, using enthusiastic energy lifts those around you, how doing the work opens up doors and creates opportunity, scaling into a high volume restaurant, why choosing the right partner can make all the difference, and why you need to make your operation foolproof. While in high school, Chef Tristan Wraight got his start as a dishwasher at a bakery. He continued to work hard and climbed the ladder to become sous chef at Parson's Chicken & Fish in Chicago. Along the way, he had a few stints as touring Guitarist but eventually found his way back to the kitchen. At some point he found himself in Charlottesville, VA and in 2014 he opened Oakhart Social, which has since been one of the hottest spots in Charlottesville restaurant scene.

In this episode, we discuss the Canlis family history, what mark has learned from his family history, highering people who inspire, the difference between being a "what" and a "who", The biggest lessons Mark learned working under Danny Meyer, how Mark almost got fired from Union Square Hospitality Group, how being honest and earnest saved his job, the role humility plays, the importance of having a company mission, why it's worth putting other people first, a lesson on humility, giving others the benefit of the doubt, being empathetic, the true meaning of hospitality hailing from Seattle, WA Mark Canlis is a graduate of Cornell University and served as a Captain in Air Force Special Operations. After his service, Marked helped open famed restaurateur Danny Meyer's fifth restaurant, Blue Smoke, in Manhattan.He returned back to Seattle in 2003, as a 4th generation co-owner of the family restaurant, Canlis. Canlis is nationally acclaim as one of the finest restaurants in America.