Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore

In this episode with Eric Soller, we discuss: The significance of positive reinforcement. Using systems to develop attention to detail. Problems being meant for solving; not for getting in your way. Empowering your team so you can gain work-life-balance. How to leverage Pareto's Princle (aka the 80/20 rule). Relentless pursuit for improvement. Not systematizing your restaurant at the expense of losing the human element. How convertible notes work. Controlling the flow of people at your register to pace your kitchen. How to get involved with your community. Eric Soller is a graduate fo the New England Culinary Institute. After graduation he served as operations manager for Solganik Food Group for six years until 2006. He'd go on to serve as Director of Marketing for Hobart, until 2016 which is when he opened Old Scratch Pizza along side wife, Stephanie Soller.

In this episode with Thad and Jessica Kittrell, we discuss: How Thad and Jess got into the industry. Leading by example. Acknowledging your people when they are good at what they do. Knowing you're only as good as your people. Focusing too much on the numbers and not enough on your people leading to failure. Taking jobs to learn specific skills. Using systems, and checklists to stay organized. The power of delegation and using delegation to educate. Finding and communicating your brand. The cons to taking on investors. Finding a partner that compliments you. Getting outside help from those who are strong where you're weak. Opening more restaurants for the purpose of creating opportunity for your team. Constantly growing by teaching people how to do your job. Thad and Jessica Kittrell met in 2002 while working at the Capital Athletic Club, in Columbus, OH. Thad was the Executive Chef. Jessica was the Banquet Managers. From the time they met, they started envisioning what their future would look like as owners of their very own brew pub. In 2012, that vision materialized in the form of 101 Beer Kitchen. 6 years later they're operating three location around the Columbus, OH area.

In this episode with Jeni Britten Bauer, we discuss: Your name being more than just letters and sounds; your know is your reputation. Don't take no for an answer. Keep trying. How Jeni got her start making Ice Cream. Starting small. Collaborating with your community and cross branding products. Continuous improvement. Why you need to be consistent to develop loyalty. Hand picking the people you want on your team. How trusting in others leads to them rising to the occasion. Diversify with retail if possible. Small local community markets serving as incubators. Understanding that your business is able the food; its all about the people. The influence of mail order. The benefits of growing slowly and not taking outside investment. Have great communication skills. Jeni Britten Bauer has been making ice creams professionally for two decades. The first Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams opened in 2002. Her ahead-of-the-trend vision—using whole ingredients and dairy from grass-pastured cows—coupled with inspired flavors sparked the artisan ice cream movement more than a decade before it would become a top food trend. Jeni is a James Beard Award-winning author of two cookbooks and has been recognized by Fast Company as one of the most creative people in business.

In this episode with Zach Weprin, we discuss: How growth comes from living in that place of discomfort. How Fusian came to be. The process of opening a restaurant with ZERO experience. Leveraging technology in place of skilled positions to streamline processes. Acting like a national brand; even if you're not. How giving your guest fewer options serve both the operation and the guest. Using your sales mix to determine what menu items to focus on. Educating your team and guest on your menu. Growing too fast and how to recover. Being careful to not promote people before they're ready. Getting the right people on your team with the skills you're lacking. The power of just starting and being comfortable being uncomfortable. Childhood friends Zach Weprin, Josh Weprin and Stephan Harman love sushi. It was during their college careers that they saw a need for a simple, fresh, and affordable sushi dining option. with this as their inspiration, they set out to create that experience. Fusian opened in may of 2010 as a place where discerning diners can customize sushi rolls in a fun, interactive, and energetic environment. 8 years later they're operating 10 locations throughout Ohio State.

In this episode with Krystle Mobayeni, Co-Founder and CEO of BentoBox, we discuss: Constant never-ending improvement. Why Krystal went into business for herself. What it was about the restaurant industry that drew Krystal in. How restaurant websites and BentoBox, in particular, have evolved over the years. How BentoBox makes it possible to invest in fewer 3rd party tools. The importance of good photography on your website. Why you do not want music playing on your website. Why you need to look at your website as an extension of your brick and mortar property. How a dynamic restaurant website can help you save time. Using your website to complete transactions What the Future of Restaurant Websites look like. Not using technology to replace the human experience. The time you save using a website platform like BentoBox. Krystle Mobayeni is a graduate of Philadelphia University, and the Co-Founder and CEO of BentoBox. BentoBox offers restaurants beautiful, mobile friendly websites that drive revenue and customers — complete with a simple, hospitality-focused management system, hosting and exceptional customer support.

In this episode with Jeff Excell and Lauren Culley, we discuss: Chasing happy. Living with the intent to learn and grow. Being mindful of being a "jerk barista". Focusing less on the product and more on the people purchasing the product. Asking for what you want. Creating a culture of teamwork and pride in your work. How to get FOH and BOH to work together. Setting the professional standard. Creating a feeling of ownership for your team. Keeping a visual catalog of design. How to approach investors. Staying lean, and growing slowly. Building your team and growing internally. Letting your customers decide what your restaurant becomes. knowing you can't please everyone. After experiencing a life altering moment while eating bread at a NYC flea market, Lauren Culley fell in love with baking as a volunteer. She would eventually leave her cushy desk job in editing to pursue baking. It was also around this time she met Partner, Jeff Excell. While in NY the Duo realized that wanted to bring the NY Cafe experience back to Columbus, OH. In 2014, along with Excell, they recreated that experience with Fox in the Snow Cafe. 4 years later they've grown the operation to 2 locations and a third on the horizon.

In this episode with Chris Doody, we discuss: The significance of surrounding yourself the best. Giving people a shot. Having fun at work. Success being contagious. The power of recognizing your people by name. Giving loyalty before receiving loyalty. Having a partner that balances you well. Tips for taking over a failing restaurant. Letting cashflow determine you success. The importance of staying in your lane. What makes a successful fast-casual concept. Being proactive with the pre-launch "leg work". The best marketing being "internal". Culture being what holds your business together during growth. How your culture does not exist until it is on paper. Growing up in his mothers restaurant, and being mentored by one of the best family names in the industry, the Brennan's, Chris Doody spent most of his early years being groomed for greatness in hospitality. In 1992, with a degree in business, Doody, along side brother, Rick, started the Bravo Brio Restaurant Group, with remarkable success. 2008 Doody sold his share of the Bravo Brio restaurants and 2010 the first Piada Italian Street Food fast-casual concept was open. 8 years later they've grown the brand to 42 locations.

In this episode with David Scott Peters we discuss: How your menu is like the heart of your business. How menu engineerING all starts with menu costing cards. What a yield test is. Factoring in spice/consumable. Using batch recipes. Using software in place of continuing updating recipe cards. What is meant by a weight average. Why being great at a few things, is more impactful and profitable than trying to be all things to all people. Making small incremental changes to your menu when raising prices. Where your guests eyes go when they look at a menu. The fonts you should be using on your menu. Where to list the prices on your menu. How to sell the largest margin items on your menu consistently. Aside from being the founder of TheRestaurantExpert.com and serving as a Member coach, David Scott Peters is also a dynamic and engaging speaker. His specialized knowledge targets the independent restaurant owners, whether they own one location or a multi-unit chain.

In my 2nd interview with Cameron (click her to listener to the first episode) we discuss: How to create win-win situations. How loyalty drives partnerships. How building your reputation is continual work. Serving your community by paying it forward with your knowledge. Examples of how Cameron Mitchel is paying it forward. Cameron Mitchell is CEO and founder of Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. A lifelong entrepreneur, Mitchell is an accomplished businessman, culinary expert and nationally recognized restaurateur. With an entrepreneur's energy, vision and passion, Mitchell's sights are set on the development of new restaurant concepts, and the expansion of concepts currently in his company's portfolio.

In this episode with Troy Allen, we discuss: Putting yourself in uncomfortable positions. How marketing and branding starts with your audience. How to deliver your personal brand to an audience. Getting clear about what your brand attributes are. Why Troy Allen developed the 16 Bit brand. Finding concepts that exist in the world and doing them better. What makes for a successful bar-cade. How Educating your employees on how the business works has a huge impact on the business. Building concepts that also do well with corporate events. The importance of getting your employees to buy into brand culture. Growing talent from the inside. Great people helping other great people. Letting your team members individual brand flourish. The value of being first to market. The impact connecting influencers can have on your community. After leaving Kent State, Troy Allen started his career in marketing, specifically with design and branding. In 2013 Troy decided it was time to apply what he learned with a few of his own assets, and Rise Brands was formed. Today, Rise Brands currently has 3 concept in the market consisting of 6 location.