Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore

In 2004, Moses Sabina joined his brother, Alec, and they embarked on a gastronomic tour, eating their way across America's finest diners, barbecue fests, soul food joints, and fish frys. Their goal was to learn how a good neighborhood restaurant becomes a food institution. Today, Moses and his brother have spent the past decade practicing what they've learned with their restaurant, Hot Suppa, located in Portland, ME. In this episode we will discuss: Always trying to make things better for guests and employees. Running a "neighborhood restaurant." The desire to work for the independent restaurants. Independent v. Corporate company mentality. People-dependant businesses v. Systems-dependant businesses. Working with family. Owning real estate is important for building equity. Taking the time to establish your concept before you put its in motion. The importance of choosing the right market for your concept. Not having financial room for error can help you take your time in establishing a business. You need to be at your restaurant, especially in the beginning. Finding your life-balence. Making people happy through hospitality everyday.

In 2008, After traveling the world learning how to brew and distil alcohol, Eric Michaud, opened Novare Res Bier Cafe, which has nestled itself comfortably on multiple national best beer bar list. In 2013 Eric Opened Liquid Riots Bottle Company to satisfy his need to create. Their spirits have been winning awards ever since. Today, Liquid Riots Bottle Company consist of a Brewery, Distillery, and Rest0-Bar. In this episode, we talk about living to embrace the work we do, following your passion and living intentionally from an early age, what Eric learned about hospitality from living with Buddhist Monks, learning the business on someone else's dollar, treating the business you work in like you own it, the steps Eric took in opening his first bar, how to take initiative, listening to the advice of your future customers and the locals when opening a restaurant or bar, the impact of being a hands-on owner who teaches his/her staff first hand, leading by example, stepping back and trusting your people, sharing your business's equity with your best employees, and how being interesting can help you attract great people.

In 1994 Mary Allen Lindemann and Allen Spear opened their first Coffee By Design coffeehouse in Portland, Maine. 23 years later, what started as a humble coffeehouse with a part-time barista has grown into a sustainable business that currently employs 60 individuals in its 5 coffeehouses and its sustainably sourced roastery. Their growth is attributed to their fantastic employees, exceptional coffee, and strong underlying belief that what we do can make a difference. In this episode we discuss: Doing what is right for YOU! Community. How do you define success? Making sure your job is right for you. Proving your doubters wrong. Choosing the right market for your concept. What it means to truly be an entrepreneur. How politics can come into play when opening a business. Honoring your mistakes. Staying true to who you are. Slow growth. Good communication with your team. Doing good for your community and getting your name out there in other ways. Don't be afraid to be you. Knowing your numbers.

Originally from Malden, MA Chef TJ LaRosa is a two-time transplant. He first moved to San Francisco where he got his start working in the kitchen of the historic Alioto's at Fisherman's Wharf. In 1998 he would relocate again, this time to Texas. In 2012 he opened Fulbelli's Restaurant, located in Sherman, Texas. In this episode we discuss: the joy of taking on a challenge. The importance of mentors. The importance of asking questions. Patience in the kitchen. The importance of being a hands-on owner. Passion in the industry. Saying yes to customers. Pitching restaurant ideas to get investor interest. Taking a leap of faith. The importance of saving money. Word-of-mouth marketing. Lead by example.

Tommaso Bunker has over 20 years of outstanding experience in operations, finance, human resources, marketing, & Corporate Officer-level management for both stable & turn-around corporations and independents. During his tenure as Director of Operations at Sushi Ran, the restaurant earned a Michelin Star. He would then go on to share his knowledge by helping restaurant operators turn things in their own business around. Today he is the Director of Business Development of Mr. Esspresso located in Oakland, CA. In this episode we will discuss: There's always a solution, you just have to find it. Taking the initiative and where that gets you. Getting involved with your team as much as possible. The business side of running a restaurant. Working in a vast array of restaurant styles and what you learn from that. Staying calm in stressful situations. The importance of mentors. Sympathy. Empathy. Culture-clashing in the kitchen. Conflict resolution. Repetition and communication are keys to success. Discipline. A smile costs nothing but means a lot. Being willing to learn.

Chris Schultz spent 15 years with the Starbucks Management and Leadership team before joininging MOD Pizza, aka the MOD Squad in 2009. Since then the MOD Pizza has gone from 1 location to 100 locations in 2016. Since the beginning the driving force behind MOD has their philosophy of putting their people first. Today Schultz holds the title of Senior Vice President of Operations. In this episode we will discuss: Team importance. Everyone on your team is equally important to getting the job done: no star players. Not worrying about who gets the credit and just focusing on getting the job done. You have to believe in your team. Culture-driven organizations. Failure is not an option. Growing big while remaining small. Move slowly. Make sure you have the confidence to go being before you try to grow. The customers need to want to go back to your restaurant. Customers need to feel comfortable. Being a part of a company that stands for more than just profits. Everyone deserves a second chance.

Tracy Chang is from Cambridge, MA where she first experienced the restaurant industry while observing her Grandmother, a multi-unit restaurant owner. She would go on to study finance at Boston College. After college and a short stint in a kitchen, she would continue on to travel the world learning about food, marketing, media, and public relations. Today, Tracy is the Chef, Owner at PAGU, in Cambridge, MA. In this episode we discuss: Living intentionally. Drive and determination and where it gets you. The early days of opening a restaurant. Being passionate about what you do for work. The importance of learning how every job is done properly under your management. Being self-made. Informal training is not a deal-breaker; we can learn the skills we need from anywhere. A willingness to do anything to get what you want. The willingness to contribute fully to your team. Looking at your situation and attempting to add value. The importance of family in your life no matter your profession. Serve your community and your community will serve you. Ramen. Starting small and scaling up. Staying local. You need to care and be intentional. Thew importance of having endurance in this industry. This is a "people" business as much as a "restaurant" business. The importance of treating your staff like family.

Chef Edward Mendoza comes from Augusta, GA and has a bachelor's degree in Business Management from Agusta State and a Culinary Degree he earned in Vail, CO. He would go on to cook all around the country and world and has garnered countless accolades along the way. Today he is the owner of Cucina 503 and serves as corporate chef at major events like the Masters, U.S. Open, Kentucky Derby, Super Bowl, and the Salt Lake City Olympics. In this episode we discuss: Tweaking the system to make it your own. Looking at cooking in a restaurant as hosting a party every single night. For every one dollar you spend, you need to make three dollars to make that dollar back. Standards are very important. Your partners can't follow your vision if you don't clearly lay it out for you. How to operate when failure is not an option. Location and dependable events near your restaurant are guaranteed money made and guests served. The importance of earning a good reputation in your community. The importance of being prepared. The importance and ease of having a payroll company. There's no room for error in catering. There is no such thing as being too prepared for a catering event.

Lisandra Pagan is the founder of Deliberate Plan Consulting LLC. She helps restaurant owners prepare for business interruptions such as natural events, day to day crisis, or anything that can prevent them from doing their job. Then she helps develop strategies to bounce back quickly and prevent permanent business closures. RJ Joyce, is a past guest of Restaurant Unstoppable, episode 299. In 2015 he partnered with James Woodhouse to open his second restaurant Louie's, located in Portsmouth, NH. Two months ago they were forced to close indefinitely. In this episode we discuss: The importance of planning. Planning for a catastrophe at your business. Planning for a fire in your building. The emotional response to tragedy. The strength of keeping things positive in the face of disaster. No matter how loved and successful your business is nobody is natural disaster-proof. Picking yourself up after tragedy. Planning during peace time. Contingency planning. Time is of the essence in disaster response. How insurance comes into play.

Originating from Boston MA area, Debi Saltzberg holds a degree in hotel and restaurant management from UMass Amherst and has spent the last 15 years working in the San Diego restaurant industry. Today, she is the founder and host of Just Forking Around: The podcast show for Restaurateurs, Creative Chefs, Kick-Ass Servers, Wicked Cool Winemakers, Fresh Farmers and frankly, anyone who plays a pivotal part in this beautifully insane sexy world of Food and Beverage. In this episode we discuss: Perspective and how it determines your outlook on what's positive. The importance of your team! The feeling of making your guests happy. The choice to move from bartender to manager. Wanting to be part of a team. Picking yourself up when you fall down. The important part of failing is the recovery. Viewing your restaurant in the "macro." The desire to be the best! The feeling of being worthy of rewards. Hard work and what it earns you. Being a mentor. The joy of inspiring your employees. LEADERSHIP! The importance of looking up. Your employees want to be great so it's YOUR JOB to foster that. Don't freak out; find the solution! Filling your mind with positivity through podcasts.

In this episode we discuss: The power of journaling. The power of positivity. Setting the stage at your restaurant. The history of food. The importance of having goals. the importance of mentors. Living intentionally! The importance of time management. Time delegation. Time-blocking. The nitty-gritty of opening a restaurant. Making sure your restaurant concept is good for it's geographical location. Making your brand known. getting your name out there with pre-opening marketing! Operating a business "lean." Do the research to get the best prices and quality. Negotiating with vendors. Increase your bottom line without just increasing prices for guests. Budgeting your work employee Labor management. Track your data. Rafe is an exceptional leader with more than 20 years in the restaurant business. With outstanding relationship building, training and presentation skills, Rafe is a results-orientated business professional with proven abilities in strategic planning, managing projects, improving the efficiency of operations and team building. With both Sommelier and Cicerone certifications, Rafe is a vital asset to the Puccini Group, where he serves as Vice President of Restaurant Operations.

Hailing from India, Chef Jehangir Mehta is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. After graduating in the mid-90's Chef Mehta got busy working in and opening some of the finest restaurants in New York City. Today Chef Mehta is an author and restaurateur at Graffiti, Graffiti Earth, and Me and You. In this episode we discuss: Not following the crowd. Sustainability. Sociology and how it applies to the restaurant environment. The right way to speak to guests. The importance of working under difficult managers early in your career.Taking something positive from bad experiences. The importance of maintaining integrity. The importance of teaching our youth the process of cooking and where their food comes from. The most important part of your endeavors is that you tried. The importance of carefully choosing your team! Mentors are key to success. Learn from your mentor's mistakes so that you don't have to make them. Sustainability and how easy it is to improve in your business.

In this episode, we discuss: Focusing on and enjoying the work you do, living purpose and intention, surrounding yourself with people who are better than you, the evolution of a good manager, treating others the way you would want your children to be treated, how to build a team, the importance of good communication, making yourself obsolete, storytelling, adding more to the world than you take out, and not being afraid to ask for help. Hailing from Montana, Chuck Samuelson is a high school dropout turned award-winning chef and restaurateur. In 2004 he sold his restaurant, the Bird Rock Café, to head food services for Stone Brewery. Today he is the Founder and President of Kitchens For Good, a social enterprise that is designed to break the cycles of food waste, poverty, and hunger in the San Diego community.

In this episode we discuss: Food as a central aspect of life. The science of food. The emotional response to food. The importance of choosing the proper location for your dream restaurant. Why do fancy restaurants have white table clothes? Anything is possible as long as it obeys the laws of physics. The struggles of building a restaurant. Bars should work like restaurants. Fixing inefficiency. The business side of owning and operating a restaurant. After graduating with a degree in philosophy and a successful 10-year stint as an independent derivatives trader, Nick Kokonas partnered with Chef Grant Achatz to open Alinea Restaurant in 2005. In the 123 years to follow, Nick would go on to co-find Next, The Aviary, and Roisters. In addition, Kokonas is the Founder and CEO of Tock, a cloud-based comprehensive booking system for restaurants, events, and pop-ups around the world.

Restaurant Unstoppable's first every LIVE episode! In this episode, we discuss what to do after you've accomplished what you set out to do, needing a symbiotic relationship with landlords, how to sell the dream to your investors, focusing on doing a few things really well, why opening a restaurant is an equation, attracting the right talent, why sharing the profit upfront pays in the long run, starting small and scaling up, the benefits of operating a fast-casual vs a full-service restaurant, and how to maintain your essence as you grow. We first had Chef Matthew Gaudet on the show over 2 years ago! That was episode 106. In that episode, we found out how Chef Gaudet came to be the chef and partner of one Boston's most well know restaurants, The West Bridge. Much has changed since then! Today, Chef Gaudet is a Partner at the fast-casual Superfine Food, located at Manchester by Sea, The Chef at Freepoint Hotel, plus he has numerous other projects in the works.

In this episode, we discuss why we live in a world dominated by a disengaged workforce, how to find your passion, why branding should be a reflection of culture, why there is a shift in people choosing to work for purpose over profit, how your passion comes from finding your purpose, the age of manipulation and decent coming to an end, how to create your product once you've found your purpose, and using story to deliver your brand. Adam Fridman is a seasoned entrepreneur who enjoys the challenges and excitement of startup companies. He founded AdvisorTV, a Chicago-based advice and mentorship community for entrepreneurs, and Mabbly, a digital marketing agency. In addition, Adam is a contributor at Inc. Magazine where he writes on topics related to storytelling from a place of purpose.

In this episode, we discuss what can happen once you understand your job as a restaurant owner is to make it about everyone BUT yourself, why you should view neighboring restaurants as comrades; not competitors, knowing your strengths, finding the right partner to offset your weaknesses, staying in your lane, the power of masterminding, The name, La Finca Chiquita- or The Little Farmhouse- has been a part of Oscar Cavazos's life since childhood, as it was the name of the family restaurant his parents opened decades prior in Gilmer, TX. Today, Along with his wife, Ashley, Oscar is the Owner and Operator of La Finca Chiquita in Allen, TX. The restaurant has become a staple in the community, and it is safe to say Oscar's making his parents proud. I met Oscar through the mastermind I'm hosting. I've just been so impressed with who Oscar is as a person. He shows up to every meeting with such positivity, He always hits his goals. He even lost 30 pounds last month! I just really like Oscar and felt the need to make an example of him. When I asked Oscar to join me as a guest on the podcast he said, "Eric, are you sure you want to dilute the quality of your guest?" HA! Oh yeah. He's also humble.

In this episode, we discuss growing your company by distributing loyalty and allegiance to your team, providing feedback to your team members, why you should have scorecard for all your managers and team members, how success comes from hiring good people then developing them into amazing coaches and leaders, surrounding yourself with specialist, why servant leaders make the best managers, why bad experiences can be learning opportunities too, the power of thinking outside the box and diversify your business, the role of market research during expansion, the benefits of the entrepreneurial approach VS the corporate approach, why fast-casual is the way of the future, and the benefits of fast-casual to an operator. With over approximately 40 years of experience in hospitality, Bill Post got his humbles start at Levy Restaurants back in 1978. Today and multiple businesses later, Bill is the founder and CEO of WJP Restaurant Group a multi-dimensional restaurant company with locations scattered about the country and Founder of WJPost Restaurant Advisors, offering consultancy to forward-thinking owners and entrepreneurs of small to medium sized restaurant companies.

In this episode, Nick Fosberg reveals new marketing strategies that are bringing him and his clients the highest ROI out of any marketing strategies they've used. Discover how they are using the e-mail address to NOT e-mail them, but connect with their customers in other platforms for pennies on the dollar and how they get them back in the door. Nick also reveals why he's giving away over $3,000 worth of new training that will help you take 10 hours a week off your plate and allow you to put automated new customer and existing customer marketing systems in place to keep sales coming in, even during traditionally slow times. 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, we discuss: how to scale from a dinner club to a brick and mortar operation, why they chose Tock to handle reservations with their dinner club, treating growth like a marathon, why you should invest in system and culture training before you open your restaurant, implementing bottom line change, managing work-life balance, and being clear about expectations. Joshua Kulp and Christine Cikowski are the chef partners behind Honey Butter Fried Chicken located in Chicago, IL. What started as a Sunday Night Dinner Club has evolved into something truly amazing. Since 2013, Honey Butter Fried Chicken has believed in awesome ingredients, stellar service, and strong community, They also believe that you should feel good about your food—where it comes from, how it's prepared, how it is served and by whom.

In this episode, we'll discuss: Marketing. Great food is not the only way to make money and be successful in the restaurant industry. Direct marketing. Direct response marketing. Small business marketing. Highly-targeted marketing. Royalty Rewards. Cost-effective marketing. You need to have a birthday club! The most important thing is a good online presence. Making it easy and encouraging to have customers leave positive reviews online. Constantly be in contact with your customers about incentives to come be your guest. The importance of taking action.

In this episode we discuss, being sincere, creating impacting relationships with both guest & team members, being genuine & authentic to yourself, starting small & scaling up, and getting experience before opening your own restaurant. Originally from the Northeast, Michael Pazdon started sinking his teeth into the hospitality industry after moving to New York City in 1999. It was his time in NYC when he fell in love with food and drink. After 11 years in New York, he moved to Napa Valley and ended up staying there for over 5 years. Around 2015, it was time to head back home to the Northeast where today, Michael is the Founder and Mixologist of the Wallingford Dram in Kittery, ME.

An Arkansas native coming from a family of incredibly rich and interesting food-related history, Scott McGehee trained at the California Culinary Academy and cut his teeth at Chez Panisse working under Alice Waters for many years. Today Scott is a rabid advocate of treating people and contemporaries in the industry with absolute kindness, dignity, and respect. He exercises this advocacy as Executive Chef/Partner at Yellow Rocket Concepts, a Little Rock restaurant partnership, which is known as Central Arkansas's culinary juggernaut. In this episode we discuss: Never giving up. If you want something you need to chase it. You need to be consistently positive. learn to communicate effectively. Utilize the path of least resistance to get things done. Lift struggling coworkers up, don't put them down for their mistakes. Paying your dues in the kitchen to learn and become better. Cooking is about more than food. Food is about human relationships, not just sustenance and taste. Be calm and kind. Baby steps are key to expansion. If you're not improving and growing every day, you're dying.If you don't know something just ask. You should be continually reinventing your restaurant.

In this episode we discuss: Customer service IS THE BOTTOM LINE! Learning how to gain skills with face-to-face interactions. Transformative relationships. Training your staff. How do people learn and how do we successfully implement tactics for learning. When a restaurant closes it affects a large community, not just the owners. Being supportive of your co-workers even beyond work-related issues. Must succeed in your personal life to succeed in your professional life. Don't go to work just for the paycheck. Your training tactics should be flexible to the kind of learning your staff is more apt to succeed at. All problems in a restaurant start at the top. Managers shouldn't just be putting out fires but preventing them. Bringing people up to your level will empower them and you. Make yourself better to make others better. Don't just accept mediocrity. Keep moving forward. Andrew Carlson is a restaurant consultant and coach with focused knowledge on personal growth, leadership, training, customers service and social media marketing and he writes on these topics at Andrew-Carlson.com . As of recently, he is also an author and just published his first book Customer Service is the Bottom Line.

In this episode we discuss: surrounding yourself with people who want to make a difference in the world, who aren't just out to benefit themselves. Hard work and believing in yourself pays off. Providing employees with metro cards to get to and from work. at the end of the day if you don't support your community your community won't support you. being a "people person" helps in this industry. Have someone to hold you accountable because you need someone to push you and guide you when you need it. You can't teach hospitality. Increasing staff productivity. Believing in the core values of the company you work for. There is a place out there for you but it will take an effort to find it. Don't tackle a problem right away; be patient and formulate a plan first. Service and hospitality are completely different things. You should want your co-workers to move on and do better things if they want it. If you screw something up just fix it! Don't expect people to come to your restaurant just because you open the doors. Patrick Patterson has always been drawn to people and their stories. After a stint documenting Texas Death Row for publications such as Playboy, Patterson's career took a different path, restaurants. Patterson, who as a kid, had standard rolls of washing dishes, cleaning spuds, bussing tables, and getting fired for eating croutons and dressing in the walk-in cooler! In 2008, Patterson landed on the steps of the Food Fight Restaurant Group in Madison, WI where he quickly rose from part-time bartender to first time GM & owner. In 2015, Patterson and his family relocated to the NH Seacoast. Today, Patterson is the GM of Block Six, the restaurant at 3S Artspace, a local arts non-profit in Portsmouth.

In this episode, we discuss the importance of human resources, the core of HR being genuinely caring, why there isn't a problem with finding good people but instead it is a problem with good people finding good employment, going beyond transactional relationships to transformative relationships, and living a life that is true and transparent. As a human resource professional with more than 15 years' experience, Carrie has dedicated her entire career to helping restaurant owners and operators navigate the complexities of HR policy. For more than a decade, Carrie served as the Director of Human Resources for Potbelly Sandwich Works where she was a key player in the ten-year expansion of Potbelly, which included growing the chain from three restaurants in one market to more than 200 restaurants in ten markets. With her success at Potbelly Sandwich Works, she founded Restaurant HR Group in 2010.