Restaurant Owners Uncorked - By Schedulefly

Zena is awesome. She has been in hospitality for 16 years, and grew up with a family background at Disney. She's been at the very popular Wooden Robot Brewery in Charlotte, NC since day one, four years ago. Owners Dan and Josh needed somebody with hospitality experience when they started, an Zena stepped up and has clearly done a tremendous job. We talked about the team's core values, how they stay on their game with such high volume (they've already brewed over 600 batches), the importance of effective and constant communication, their philosophy of working with a shared fate, working out of humility and teachability, making things look easy when they aren't, why Wooden Robot doesn't have high turnover, the collaborative nature of the beer community, and getting ready for their second location that's opening this May. Zena is sharp, focused, authentic, humble, and definitely one her game. Enjoy...

3-time James Beard award nominee (2017, 2018, 2019) Cheetie Kumar, chef/owner of Garland, Neptune's Parlour, and Kings in Raleigh, NC was recently profiled in the New York Times and was named as one of the 25 Southerners of the Year by Southern Living Magazine in 2018. She's as humble as she is brilliant at her craft, and was so kind to sit down with us. We talked about everything from "imposter syndrome" to therapy to southern food culture. A fun, thoughtful, highly educational conversation with an inspiring lady who we admire greatly. Enjoy...

We were lucky to have a chance to sit down with both Ray Burns (co-owner) and Alexa Pavloski (Events Director) to learn the story of Prohibition, which has very successful, popular locations in Charleston, SC and Savannah, GA. We talked about everything from the New York bar scene (where Ray got his start), the many costs of running a bar, the importance of empowering your staff, why Alexa applied for a job at Prohibition the day after she first visited as a customer, how Alexa was able to manage all of the events at Prohibition remotely from Australia for three months recently, the many, many hats an owner wears, Ray and Alexa playing "good cop/bad cop" during employment interviews, and much more. Ray and Alexa and the team at Prohibition have found a great balance of hard work and a fun culture, and it was an honor to have the chance to interview them. Enjoy...

Like so many successful restaurant owners, Chad Biel grew up cooking and started working in restaurants at age 16 as a dishwasher. Since then he's had years of corporate experience with Carrabba's and Chick-fil-A where he learned about having great systems and organization, but also learned he wanted to be a part of something with less bureaucracy. He had been the GM at Bohemian Bull Tavern & Beer Garden in Charleston, SC for a few years when he purchased the business last year. We talked about his focus on bar food done well (food made from scratch, fresh, local ingredients, etc.), his focus on his community and monthly fund raising events, his efforts to reduce his and his managers' hours slightly to enable more focused time while at work, trying to determine the right amount of growth to avoid large company bureaucracy, and the four things you need to get right to make a restaurant work.

Josh Lambert co-owns Vicious Biscuit, which has been extremely successful right out of the gate in Mt. Pleasant, S.C. and has very aggressive growth plans. We had a great interview with Josh, and discussed everything from the initial idea, research, planning, timing, biscuits being the new burgers in the U.S., farm-to-table fresh products, employees coming first, leading by example, social media/PR, and making sure every customer leaves with a smile. Tons to learn from Josh, we could have talked for another couple of hours! Enjoy...

Nick Barr, chef and kitchen manager at Buxton Hall Barbecue in Asheville, NC, is a thoughtful, passionate person who cares deeply about hospitality. He's been in the industry since he started working at age 15, and has a great story to tell of learning about himself and what matters to him while working at a large chain for a decade, and how he came to appreciate the importance of local ingredients and the intention and care that goes into serving food that has a greater purpose than profit. He cares deeply about what he puts on his customers' plates, where it came from, how it was prepared, and every aspect of the experience Buxton Hall guests have each time they walk into the door. Nick is a deep thinker who truly cares about his craft. It's inspiring to hear him share his story and his vision for what could one day happen with the local food movement. Enjoy...

It's hard to put into words how much respect I have for Meherwan Irani. The 3x James Beard Award nominee has been so generous with his time with us over the years, including being featured in our second Restaurant Owners Uncorked book. We caught up with him this week after interviewing a few of the team members Chai Pani recently sent to India for twelve days, to learn at a deep, intimate level about the inspiration for Chai Pani. We talked about why it was important for that trip to happen, and much more about the restaurant business, Meherwan's goals, and the legacy he hopes to leave. This is a can't-miss episode. Enjoy!

Chai Pani Restaurant Group recently sent five team members to India for twelve days, to get a true, deep understanding of the inspiration for Chai Pani, Indian street food. Three of the team members, Isaac, Andy and Gavin sat down with me to share why they went, what they learned, and how the trip impacted each of them both professionally and personally. In over a decade of serving restaurants, this is one of the coolest investments I've ever seen a restaurant make. This is such an incredible story, and we're so proud at Schedulefly to have the opportunity to share it. Enjoy...

Wow, this was fun! I sat down with Ben at Lewis Barbecue and we talked about everything from what he learned about hiring staff when he as a delivery boy at a Chinese restaurant as a teenager, to what he loves most about hospitality, to Detroit-style pizza. Ben is engaging, thoughtful, sincere, humble, hard-working, and has built an incredible culture at Lewis. Ben is the kind of guy I'd want my kids to work for one day if they work in a restaurant. Tons of respect for him! Enjoy...

Patrick is helps run the very highly regarded HK Hospitality, with eight locations in the NYC metro area. We talked extensively about the benefits and challenges of running successful restaurants in New York City. There are 20,000 restaurants in the five boroughs, with hundreds opening all the time. If you own or plan to own a restaurants in New York, this is an excellent episode to tune into. Patrick is sharp, focused, and shares a lot of insight on how to get it right in one of the most competitive restaurant markets on the planet. Enjoy...

Elle is awesome. Let's start with that. She began as a server as age 16 and has grown into a very polished, thoughtful, caring, genuinely hospitable team member at Kitchen No. 324, where she's been the last four years. I am always inspired listening to people who "get it," and Elle does. Listen to Elle talk about the philosophy of "Extreme Hospitality" that's part of the culture in her awesome restaurant group, A Good Egg Dining Group. There's a wonder story that comes with it. Enjoy...

Martha is so fun to speak with, and that makes sense because she's part of a very fun organization. Bull City Burger and Brewery and Pompieri Pizza in Durham, NC are known for taking a stand on issues they care about (all ingredients, except ketchup, are made in house) and doing things in a fun, memorable way (you'll find out in this episode what you can do for a 26% discount). We've had owner Seth Gross on the podcast and in one of our books, and we were delighted to have the chance to catch up with Martha. Enjoy...

Julian Brizzi owns Celstine, Rucola, and Grand Army Bar in NYC. And he's a badass. He started cooking for his family at home when he was nine, and hasn't looked back. This is a great interview and we learned ton from Julian about raising money from investors, learning from trial and error, the upcoming $15 minimum wage in NYC, what hospitality means to him, "imposter syndrome," and a lot more. He's humble and genuine and you'll enjoy learning from Julian...

When Jax director of operations Adam Reed recommended Bekah for this podcast, he said she is "epic-ally positive." Having spoken to her, I can't think of better way to put it! Bekah is new to the hospitality business, but has quickly become a phenomenal server at Jax and is both inspiring and fun to speak with. She has a natural instinct for what great hospitality is all about, and you'll enjoy listening to her talk about why she loves what she does. Every restaurant owner I know would love to have Bekah on their team. Don't miss this episode!

Noah is the new GM at Leon's, an extremely busy, successful, well-respected restaurant in the highly competitive Charleston market. Noah has a lot of experience in very well-run restaurants, and is very dialed into how to run a restaurant successfully and create an atmosphere where both his guests and his staff thrive. He's sharp, committed, motivated, and is absolutely on his game. Enjoy...

In our second in-person podcast, I had the honor of speaking with Sean Lilly Wilson, who founded Fullsteam Brewery in Durham, N.C. Sean started Fullsteam to help craft the "Southern Beer Economy." Through the act of commerce, he and his team aim to foster community and agricultural pride, create wealth, and encourage entrepreneurship within the post-tobacco South. And though their mission is lofty, they aim to keep it all fun. It's beer, after all! This was a very wide-ranging conversation. I learned a lot from Sean, and could have easily spoken with him for a few hours. Enjoy...

Amie is the Chef de Cuisine at Barrios Fine Mexican Dishes in Oklahoma City, OK. She started as a busser at age 16, went to culinary school, and has had lots of really cool experiences over the years. We talked about the chef quitting her first night as a busser and how she stepped onto the line to help, igniting her passion right away! We also covered "extreme hospitality," why being vulnerable is good, her biggest challenges, and more. Amie is a dedicated, intentional, thoughtful person who loves her craft. Enjoy...

Two and a half years ago, Graham left the world of investment banking to become a partner at The Common Market. TCM has three locations in Charlotte, NC, each with it's own feel but all sharing the common thread of being a "neighborhood living room." I've been to one location, and that's exactly how it feels. Very welcoming, very relaxed, full of hospitality. I really enjoyed talking to Graham about everything from what he and his team hope to do with The Common Market, the transition from corporate America to entrepreneurship, and much more. Graham and his partners have an absolutely killer business, and you'll enjoy learning why it's working out so well...

Scott has been in the business since he was a fifteen year old dishwasher, and it was fun hearing him talk about the importance of every role in a restaurant, including the dishwasher, who matters much more than you might think. This was wide-ranging interview, covering a lot of ground from the importance of strong employee benefits, to three things you need for your restaurant's first year, to the shift in our culture to consumers appreciating independent restaurants now more than ever. Scott left a long career in corporate restaurants three years ago, taking on a big risk with a wife and four kids at home, but he's found fulfillment and is working both smart and had as he builds a business he intends to be around for decades. I have tons of respect for Scott, and and soaked in a lot of wisdom while speaking with him. Enjoy...