Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore

1019: Michelle Politano Chef/Owner of Pianta

Aug 21, 2023

Michelle Politano, Chef/Owner of PiANTA Vegan Restaurant in Providence, RI, discusses her journey from the travel industry to opening her own brick and mortar restaurant. She shares the challenges of starting a business in the male-dominated restaurant industry and the success of pop-ups and catering. The podcast also covers the expenses and systems involved in running a restaurant and the importance of maintaining high standards in the industry.

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Introduction

00:00 • 5min

Success and Expansion of a Restaurant

05:17 • 20min

From Dreams to Reality

24:57 • 11min

Starting a Business in the Male-Dominated Restaurant Industry

36:04 • 24min

Challenges and Successes with Pop-ups and Catering

01:00:33 • 20min

Running a Restaurant: Expenses and Systems

01:20:08 • 29min

Ad from Reachify and Interview on Success Factors and Service Standards

01:48:43 • 6min

Maintaining Standards, Communication Skills, and Using QuickBooks

01:54:18 • 4min

Leaving Behind Wisdom and Dream Guests

01:58:01 • 3min

Connecting with the Guest and Supporting the Show

02:00:46 • 3min

Michelle Politano is the Chef/Owner of PiANTA Vegan Restaurant in Providence, RI. Michelle began her career working in the travel industry and was laid off due to COVID in 2020. She then decided to develop her passion for cooking into a business. She opened PiANTA as a ghost kitchen and 10 months later, in 2021, she opened the brick and mortar in Providence.

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Today's sponsor:

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At Popmenu, we know that in today's world, a great hospitality experience usually begins online. Keeping the conversation with guests going beyond the meal also requires simple, powerful, fun technology capable of expression through all kinds of channels. Our team takes pride in helping restaurants put their best foot forward digitally so they can focus on what they do best. We think PDF menus are super boring, we believe 3rd party platforms have had too much say in how consumers find their next dining experience and we deeply feel that sharing your beautiful menu doesn't have to be so difficult, time-consuming and expensive. As a listener of the Restaurant Unstoppable, you'll receive $100 off your first month of Popmenu!

Restaurant Systems Pro - Join the 60-day Restaurant Systems Pro FREE TRAINING. This is something that has never been done before. This 60-day event is at no cost to you, but it is not for everyone. Fred Langley, CEO of Restaurant Systems Pro, will lead a group of restaurateurs through the Restaurant Systems Pro software and set up the systems for your restaurant. During the 60 days, Fred will walk you through the Restaurant Systems Pro Process and help you crush the following goals: Recipe Costing Cards; Guidance in your books for accounting; Cash controls; Sales Forecasting(With Accuracy); Checklists; Budgeting for the entire year; Scheduling for profit; More butts in seats and more… Click Here to learn more.

Contact:

Website

Instagram: @piantaveganrestaurant

Thanks for listening!