Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore

In this episode, we discuss: Focusing on and enjoying the work you do, living purpose and intention, surrounding yourself with people who are better than you, the evolution of a good manager, treating others the way you would want your children to be treated, how to build a team, the importance of good communication, making yourself obsolete, storytelling, adding more to the world than you take out, and not being afraid to ask for help. Hailing from Montana, Chuck Samuelson is a high school dropout turned award-winning chef and restaurateur. In 2004 he sold his restaurant, the Bird Rock Café, to head food services for Stone Brewery. Today he is the Founder and President of Kitchens For Good, a social enterprise that is designed to break the cycles of food waste, poverty, and hunger in the San Diego community.

In this episode we discuss: Food as a central aspect of life. The science of food. The emotional response to food. The importance of choosing the proper location for your dream restaurant. Why do fancy restaurants have white table clothes? Anything is possible as long as it obeys the laws of physics. The struggles of building a restaurant. Bars should work like restaurants. Fixing inefficiency. The business side of owning and operating a restaurant. After graduating with a degree in philosophy and a successful 10-year stint as an independent derivatives trader, Nick Kokonas partnered with Chef Grant Achatz to open Alinea Restaurant in 2005. In the 123 years to follow, Nick would go on to co-find Next, The Aviary, and Roisters. In addition, Kokonas is the Founder and CEO of Tock, a cloud-based comprehensive booking system for restaurants, events, and pop-ups around the world.

Restaurant Unstoppable's first every LIVE episode! In this episode, we discuss what to do after you've accomplished what you set out to do, needing a symbiotic relationship with landlords, how to sell the dream to your investors, focusing on doing a few things really well, why opening a restaurant is an equation, attracting the right talent, why sharing the profit upfront pays in the long run, starting small and scaling up, the benefits of operating a fast-casual vs a full-service restaurant, and how to maintain your essence as you grow. We first had Chef Matthew Gaudet on the show over 2 years ago! That was episode 106. In that episode, we found out how Chef Gaudet came to be the chef and partner of one Boston's most well know restaurants, The West Bridge. Much has changed since then! Today, Chef Gaudet is a Partner at the fast-casual Superfine Food, located at Manchester by Sea, The Chef at Freepoint Hotel, plus he has numerous other projects in the works.

In this episode, we discuss why we live in a world dominated by a disengaged workforce, how to find your passion, why branding should be a reflection of culture, why there is a shift in people choosing to work for purpose over profit, how your passion comes from finding your purpose, the age of manipulation and decent coming to an end, how to create your product once you've found your purpose, and using story to deliver your brand. Adam Fridman is a seasoned entrepreneur who enjoys the challenges and excitement of startup companies. He founded AdvisorTV, a Chicago-based advice and mentorship community for entrepreneurs, and Mabbly, a digital marketing agency. In addition, Adam is a contributor at Inc. Magazine where he writes on topics related to storytelling from a place of purpose.

In this episode, we discuss what can happen once you understand your job as a restaurant owner is to make it about everyone BUT yourself, why you should view neighboring restaurants as comrades; not competitors, knowing your strengths, finding the right partner to offset your weaknesses, staying in your lane, the power of masterminding, The name, La Finca Chiquita- or The Little Farmhouse- has been a part of Oscar Cavazos's life since childhood, as it was the name of the family restaurant his parents opened decades prior in Gilmer, TX. Today, Along with his wife, Ashley, Oscar is the Owner and Operator of La Finca Chiquita in Allen, TX. The restaurant has become a staple in the community, and it is safe to say Oscar's making his parents proud. I met Oscar through the mastermind I'm hosting. I've just been so impressed with who Oscar is as a person. He shows up to every meeting with such positivity, He always hits his goals. He even lost 30 pounds last month! I just really like Oscar and felt the need to make an example of him. When I asked Oscar to join me as a guest on the podcast he said, "Eric, are you sure you want to dilute the quality of your guest?" HA! Oh yeah. He's also humble.

In this episode, we discuss growing your company by distributing loyalty and allegiance to your team, providing feedback to your team members, why you should have scorecard for all your managers and team members, how success comes from hiring good people then developing them into amazing coaches and leaders, surrounding yourself with specialist, why servant leaders make the best managers, why bad experiences can be learning opportunities too, the power of thinking outside the box and diversify your business, the role of market research during expansion, the benefits of the entrepreneurial approach VS the corporate approach, why fast-casual is the way of the future, and the benefits of fast-casual to an operator. With over approximately 40 years of experience in hospitality, Bill Post got his humbles start at Levy Restaurants back in 1978. Today and multiple businesses later, Bill is the founder and CEO of WJP Restaurant Group a multi-dimensional restaurant company with locations scattered about the country and Founder of WJPost Restaurant Advisors, offering consultancy to forward-thinking owners and entrepreneurs of small to medium sized restaurant companies.

In this episode, Nick Fosberg reveals new marketing strategies that are bringing him and his clients the highest ROI out of any marketing strategies they've used. Discover how they are using the e-mail address to NOT e-mail them, but connect with their customers in other platforms for pennies on the dollar and how they get them back in the door. Nick also reveals why he's giving away over $3,000 worth of new training that will help you take 10 hours a week off your plate and allow you to put automated new customer and existing customer marketing systems in place to keep sales coming in, even during traditionally slow times. Nick Fosberg has become a leading authority on restaurant and bar marketing and promotions. He has helped hundreds of bar owners all over the US and Canada take their business to the next level by applying radically different direct response marketing strategies.

In this episode, we discuss: how to scale from a dinner club to a brick and mortar operation, why they chose Tock to handle reservations with their dinner club, treating growth like a marathon, why you should invest in system and culture training before you open your restaurant, implementing bottom line change, managing work-life balance, and being clear about expectations. Joshua Kulp and Christine Cikowski are the chef partners behind Honey Butter Fried Chicken located in Chicago, IL. What started as a Sunday Night Dinner Club has evolved into something truly amazing. Since 2013, Honey Butter Fried Chicken has believed in awesome ingredients, stellar service, and strong community, They also believe that you should feel good about your food—where it comes from, how it's prepared, how it is served and by whom.

In this episode, we'll discuss: Marketing. Great food is not the only way to make money and be successful in the restaurant industry. Direct marketing. Direct response marketing. Small business marketing. Highly-targeted marketing. Royalty Rewards. Cost-effective marketing. You need to have a birthday club! The most important thing is a good online presence. Making it easy and encouraging to have customers leave positive reviews online. Constantly be in contact with your customers about incentives to come be your guest. The importance of taking action.

In this episode we discuss, being sincere, creating impacting relationships with both guest & team members, being genuine & authentic to yourself, starting small & scaling up, and getting experience before opening your own restaurant. Originally from the Northeast, Michael Pazdon started sinking his teeth into the hospitality industry after moving to New York City in 1999. It was his time in NYC when he fell in love with food and drink. After 11 years in New York, he moved to Napa Valley and ended up staying there for over 5 years. Around 2015, it was time to head back home to the Northeast where today, Michael is the Founder and Mixologist of the Wallingford Dram in Kittery, ME.