Are We Raising the Bar of Entry by Making It So Hard to Be a Restaurantor?

With excitement allow me to introduce to you today's guest Co-founder and Co-owner of Strategic Hospitality, Benjamin Goldberg. Strategic Hospitality, co-founded with his brother, Max Goldberg, is a Nashville-based hospitality company shaping the city's dining landscape by continuously introducing innovative, one-of-a-kind concepts. Properties include Paradise Park Trailer Resort, The Patterson House, Merchants Restaurant, The Catbird Seat, Pinewood, The Band Box, Bastion, Henrietta Red, Downtown Sporting Club, and Locust. Strategic Hospitality also provides consulting and management services to other hospitality groups. Founded in 2006, Strategic Hospitality has experienced steady growth annually and continues to revolutionize the dining scene.

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Favorite success quote or mantra:

• "People remember how you make them feel, not what you say."

In today's episode with Ben Goldberg we will discuss:

• Opening your first restaurant at 23
• Early mentors
• Advice on getting investors
• Transparency
• Forced to learn because you are undercapitalized
• Location
• Being stubborn early in your career
• Deliver a product worth going out of the way for
• Going into business with family
• Ego
• Giving up control
• The importance of asking your team what they want
• Setting quarterly and annual goals
• Evolving operations
• Tech stacks
• Implementing Toast POS

Today's sponsor:

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7shifts is a modern labor management platform, designed by restaurateurs, for restaurateurs. Effectively labor management is more important than ever to ensure profitability and restaurant success. Trusted by over 400,000 restaurant professionals, 7shifts gives you the tools you need to streamline labor operations, communicate with your team, and retain your talent. Best of all 7shifts integrates with the POS and Payroll systems you already use and trust (like Toast!) turning labor into a competitive advantage for your business. Restaurant Unstoppable members get 3 months, absolutely free.

MarginEdge is completely free for new customers until September. No setup fees. No integration fees. No commitment. Take your back office paperwork down to 2-3 minutes a day while creating real-time financial views to inform your path ahead.

Knowledge bombs

1. Which "it factor" habit, trait, or characteristic you believe most contributes to your success?
   • Hard work
2. What is your biggest weakness?
   • Not delegating enough
3. What's one question you ask or thing you look for during an interview?
   • A good person
4. What's a current challenge? How are you dealing with it?
   1. Ramping up multiple restaurants at the same time
5. Share one code of conduct or behavior you teach your team.
   • Make people happy
6. What is one uncommon standard of service you teach your staff?
   • Go above and beyond
7. What's one book we must read to become a better person or restaurant owner?
   • The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons learned from 15 Years as CEO of The Walt Disney Company by Bob Iger GET THIS BOOK FOR FREE AT AUDIBLE.COM
8. What's one thing you feel restaurateurs don't know well enough or do often enough?
   • Rest
9. Name one service you've hired.
   • Bevinco | VF Financial
10. What's one piece of technology you've adopted within your restaurant walls and how has it influenced operations?
    • Toast POS
11. If you got the news that you'd be leaving this world tomorrow and all memories of you, your work, and your restaurants would be lost with your departure with the exception of 3 pieces of wisdom you could leave behind for the good of humanity, what would they be?
    • Be honest
    • Be kind
    • Surround yourself with amazing people

Contact info:

Strategic Hospitality online

Thanks for listening!

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Huge thanks to Benjamin Goldberg for joining me for another awesome episode. Until next time!

Restaurant Unstoppable is a free podcast. One of the ways I'm able to make it free is by earning a commission when sharing certain products with you. I've made it a core value to only share tools, resources, and services my guest mentors have recommend, first. If you're finding value in my podcast, please use my links!