Kreatures Of Habit Podcast What the Restaurant Industry Taught Me About Life with Andrew Aguero | Kreatures of Habit
Feb 25, 2026
Andrew Aguero, a restaurant leader who built and ran high-profile spots and now leans into wellness and fitness. He shares vivid restaurant tales, how openings and crises shape leadership, the rituals that prevent mistakes, and why service, team culture, and habits matter. Short, lively stories about resilience, atmosphere, and transitioning to a healthier life.
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Plan Openings As Six Month All Gas Sprints
- Treat openings as intense six-month sprints: rehearse early, hire heavily, and expect SOPs to be written from real mistakes post-open.
- Andrew recommends over-hiring ~30% because many hires won't stick through opening chaos.
Flooded Lobby Cost A Guest Their Medications
- A hotel-restaurant suffered burst pipes that flooded the lobby and ruined a guest's medications, forcing staff to prioritize fixing lives not just apologies.
- Andrew recounts scrambling to replace meds and learning that most problems in restaurants pale beside real emergencies.
After Hours Olive Oil Massage At A Soho Bar
- Michael tells a wild Soho bar story where a flirtatious regular massaged him with olive oil on the communal table during after-hours revelry.
- The memory illustrates the eccentric, permissive nightlife culture unique to restaurants.