Restaurant Owners Uncorked

Rob has been in the hospitality business for fifteen years, most recently as the Assistant Director of Operations for Top Nosh Hospitality in Chicago. These folks run a handful of awesome restaurants, and Rob and I discussed everything from managing costs to building relationships with regular customers to what podcasts he enjoys. A fun, wide ranging conversation? Enjoy...

Nick Gitsis owns The Silverlake Family Restaurant in Warsaw, NY. Started in 1990 by Nick's father, now in his 80's and still a regular presence at the restaurant, Silverlake has become an iconic locally owned business in the Warsaw area. Both regulars and travelers enjoy the experience of being served by personable, welcoming staff and being able to make special requests which are honored happily. Nick is a pilot who spends most of his year overseas, but he's able to rely on communication tools as well as a great team of trusted managers to ensure Silverlake continues the tradition of being a special place to experience excellent hospitality. Enjoy...

Drew Honness and Ross Cohen own Sweet Cow Ice Cream, which has six locations in Colorado. Drew had a dream to open his own shop one day, and worked with Ross in 2010 to build a plan, raise money, and open. The plan was for one location, but they are now at six locations and growing, consistently serving up a great product backed up by a great team of smiling, happy staff. This is a great story, these guys are very sharp and very informative, and this was a fun episode. Enjoy...

Carmelo has been in the restaurant business since he was fifteen years old. An artist and an active non-profit volunteer, Carmelo has thrived in the family environment at Chai Pani and has learned how to make special connections with customers and provide them "wow" experiences. Enjoy...

Marshall Davis spent ten years as the lead singer of a punk rock band in Los Angeles. When the band disbanded he made his swayback home to N.C. and wound up at Centro, under the tutelage of Angela Salamanca. Today he is the Beverage Director and Bar Manager, though we spent a lot of our time talking about the exciting and unique new project he and Angela are working on. Enjoy...

Steve Davis started working at Ardy & Ed's Drive In Restaurant in Osh Kosh, WI in 1977, when the business was twenty-nine years old. Since then he's become the co-owner of the business along with his wife, Ardy, and has been named Wisconsin Restaurateur of the Year. Ardy & Ed's has been featured on too many TV shows and won too many awards to count, and it was of much fun listening to Steve talk about how much his restaurant is like it was when it first started, and what's changed over the years. Steve is a genuine, authentic, sincere guy and it was an honor to speak to somebody who has been successful in this business for so long. Enjoy...

Pepe Estrada's family is from Mexico. He grew up in the U.S. as an introvert who didn't have a strong appreciation for his heritage. After seven years at Centro in Raleigh under the tutelage of Angela Salamanca, he's found a deep appreciation for Mexico and the culture his family hails from, and has learned to trust himself and manage confidently while also knowing when to open up and ask for help. Pepe is very thoughtful, honest, and authentic and gave a fantastic interview. Enjoy...

Teddy Bourgeois is a bartender for Buxton Hall BBQ in Asheville, NC. He works with intention and has tons of respect for his craft and for the team he works with, and believes in supporting not only his team but the entire hospitality community in Asheville. Bartenders and any hospitality people will love listening to what he has to say. Enjoy...

Ashley Reda manages Tarpon River Brewing in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. I was thoroughly impressed with his style, his grasp of what matters and why, and his dedication to his work. When I interview somebody I always ask myself if I'd want my kids to work for the person. Such an easy "yes!" here. Enjoy...

Dennis Carter owns Ryan'S Restaurant in Winston-Salem, N.C. The restaurant opened in 1977 and Dennis was the GM. Forty-one years later, he co-owns the restaurant and oversaw it's best year ever last year (and they are on track to surpass that this year). Dennis talked about the simple philosophy he learned early in his restaurant career (the title of this episode) and how he's stuck with that all along. He's found a great balance of having time to enjoy life as well as always keeping his eye on the ball. Simple stuff, executed over and over for decades, has compounded to build a institution that has long-tenured staff and tons of happy, regular customers. Enjoy...