The Road Back: Adam Perry Lang, Celebrity Chef & Restaurateur

The pandemic did not pick favorites. No business owner was immune from the debilitating effects of the quarantine. Big restaurateurs with big restaurants and big rents need big plans to weather this storm. On this episode we chat with Celebrity Chef Adam Perry Lang who shares how he’s been affected and his strategy for rebounding.

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SHOW NOTES

• Work-life balance has always been a challenge
• Managing work time
• Priority lists
• 50% of the work you won’t see coming
• What is needed through this time is leadership
• We can’t delegate that at this time
• Showing up is 90% of it
• Adam has been working around the clock to keep things running
• Josh does not want to compromise on time with family again
• We get to look within and prioritize what is important
• Adjusting how we work though it is tough to imagine
• Imagining a new future
• Customer behavior won’t be the same when we go back to work
• People will be skittish until we have a vaccine
• Restaurants are the cornerstone of socializing
• Will fear stop people from coming out to restaurants?
• Leasing issues won’t go away any time soon
• Dealing with concerns and fear
• Maintaining momentum
• There is so much that we are not in control of
• Show up as best you can
• Love what you do
• There is so much to think about when running a restaurant now
• Pre-opening checklist
• Heath and safety regulations
• Creating resilience
• There is no one failure
• You make a mistake, step back and adjust
• His mom gave him a poster saying “in every crisis, there is an opportunity”
• Focussing on Adam’s passion helps him get through hard times
• Redefining success
• Success in Jan 2020
• Anticipating the opening of Hamilton in the theater next door
• Motivating the team
• Feeling good at the end of the day
• Success after the pandemic hit
• Trying to be grateful for opportunities
• How can we help people in need?
• Being involved in St Joseph’s center
• Donate a meal for every meal produced to less fortunate and home-bound elderly
• The Mealbridge
• Frontline foods
• Feeding frontline hospital workers
• Making a safe environment
• Spoke to staff openly and honestly
• Making all staff feel comfortable and safe
• Shifting from fine dining steak restaurant to creating comfort food at a low price
• The restaurant is staying afloat
• No aim to make profits
• Sales volume is 5-10% of what it was before
• It is about survival
• The future of the restaurant
• Shifting to BBQ
• Lower check average
• Comforting