Why Big Restaurants Made Sense Then (and Not Now)

Dave interviews Stephen Starr, restaurateur extraordinaire and head of the STARR restaurant group. They talk about Stephen's special skill sets, from his capacity for taking big swings to discovering and fostering great talent. The duo also talks about the pros and cons of operating big and small restaurants, common mistakes that people make financially when opening restaurants, and what it is like to be the Yankees of food. Dave finishes with an Ask Dave about Japanese restaurants.

Learn more about STARR Restaurant Group: https://starr-restaurants.com/ 

Learn more about Babbo: https://babbonyc.com/ 

Listen to our episode with Mark Ladner on the re-opening of Babbo with Stephen: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5qjEx81gP1UuGxHwoxjqfq?si=dmyq-uFrSPuJStb2-gGCyg 

Learn more aboutLettuce Entertain You: https://www.lettuce.com/ 

Read the New York Times profile on Stephen Starr: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/30/dining/stephen-starr-restaurants.html 

Learn more about Buddakan NYC: https://buddakannyc.com/

Learn more about Per Se: https://thomaskeller.com/perseny/ 

Learn more about Le Mercerie: https://www.lamercerieny.com/ 

Learn more about Borromini: https://borrominiristorante.com/ 

Learn more about The Continental: https://continentalmidtown.com/ 

Learn more about Parc: https://parc-restaurant.com/ 

Learn more about Eleven Madison Park: https://www.elevenmadisonpark.com/ 

Learn more about Buddakan: https://buddakan.com/ 

Read about Dave Chang in TIME Top 100: https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1984685_1984940_1984944,00.html 

Learn more about Le Coucou: https://lecoucou.com/ 

Learn more about The Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown episode with Daniel Boulud: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3717664/ 

Learn more about Jon and Vinny's: https://www.jonandvinnys.com/ 

Learn more about Cafe Spaghetti: https://www.cafespaghetti.com/ 

Learn more about St. Anselm: https://starr-restaurants.com/restaurants/st-anselm/ 

Learn more about Le Diplomate: https://lediplomatedc.com/

Learn more about Table from chef Bruno Verjus: https://table.paris/

Learn more about Mawn: https://mawnphilly.com/ 

Learn more about Pastis Nashville: https://pastisnashville.com/ 

Learn more about Monk Kyoto: https://restaurant-monk.com

Host: Dave Chang

Guest: Stephen Starr

Majordomo Media Producer: David Meyer

Spotify Producer: Felipe Guilhermino

Engineer: Belle Roman

Editor: Stefano Sanchez

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