FULL COMP: The Voice of the Restaurant Industry Revolution

Didn't go to business school? We've got you covered.  On today's show, we chat with Elizabeth Tilton, founder of Oyster Sunday, a hospitality services company making waves by supplying us with tools we need to reopen, at no cost As a child, I dreamed of being an astronaut. Elizabeth Tilton dreamed of being a doctor. But somehow, some way the hospitality industry sucked us in. The love of serving others is overwhelming and fires us off in different directions. I became a restaurateur. Elizabeth has dedicated her life to helping restaurateurs succeed.  Today we run through the plans and tools Oyster Sunday has created to make sure we don't just survive, we actually thrive.  Click to sign up for our weekly newsletter. Click here to book time on my personal calendar. Click here to download our Restaurant Recovery Guide. Want to streamline your front-of-house operations and increase sales? Head over to http://restaurants.yelp.com/fullcomppodcast to claim your free page and learn more about these powerful tools for your business. SHOW NOTES What does Oyster Sunday do? Corporate office for independent restaurants Creating infrastructure of operating systems for restaurants Reopening resources Offers free consultations for operators Created the reopening critical path How to treat your team How to stop hemorrhaging money PPL, national and localized financial stability Step by step guide to reopening Managing your team Not disqualifying team members for unemployment Restructuring business operations How do we find alternative revenue streams? Going back to cash in hand What is the break-even point at our lowest moments? How can we reorganize P&L? Data-driven decision making Focus on core competency What dishes or services make us who we are as a restaurant? Opportunity to reflect and rebuild Pivoting to a product industry over a service industry Covid 19 exposed issues, not create them Brick & mortar In-person model only Slim margins High labor costs High food costs Margins Industry average is 6% profit margin Preux & Proper 10% High margin businesses have high volume Restaurant businesses must work a lot for small profits With 15-20% profit, we can make broader decisions for our businesses Team salaries Communicating with consumers Consumers will dictate what they need Sharing the operations side with customers Telling them delivery commissions are high Telling them the complications of tipping This is a time of innovation in the industry Minimal innovation has happened in 50 years OpenTable for reservations Cloud-based computing for payments etc Cyclical view to restructuring the business model Recovery from Covid 19 won’t be linear Restructuring tool on the Oyster Sunday website (linked above) % delivery % catering Other digital revenue streams Planning for 12weeks Things change very quickly

LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE! I can think of few times in my life I've walked away from a conversation so fired up!  Today, we had the opportunity to chat with Chef Danielle Leoni, chef/owner of The Breadfruit & Rum Bar, who's fighting for sustainability in both the food we eat and the industry at large. Chef Leoni has been a food fighter from the beginning. Her positions on responsible sourcing and a holistic approach to hospitality have garnered her attention from prominent organizations like the James Beard Foundation, but it's the pandemic has brought her message to the masses.  Click to sign up for our weekly newsletter. Click here to book time on my personal calendar. Click here to download our Restaurant Recovery Guide. Want to streamline your front-of-house operations and increase sales? Head over to http://restaurants.yelp.com/fullcomppodcast to claim your free page and learn more about these powerful tools for your business. SHOW NOTES Beginning in campaigning for the hospitality industry during Covid Breadfruit and Rum Bar closed due to safety Decided takeout model wasn’t suitable Sent a letter to Governor with suggestions to help independent hospitality businesses Over 1000 business owners signed the letter Ideas put to the Governor Stop all penalties for sales tax payments 24month payment plan for sales tax Waive fees for liquor licenses - this was accepted Moratorium on commercial evictions - this was accepted Clear guidelines for reopening of hospitality businesses No intentions of reopening soon Covid has given us a lifetime opportunity We shape our food system Hospitality workers are not respected Seen as having “jobs” and not careers The “paid help” Hospitality shouldn’t be valued any less than other industries The cost of reopening What is the cost of giving team member fair wages? Raising prices The restaurant has no value is customers won’t compensate You can’t retire on a James Beard award Profits are minimal Most restaurants are treading water Initiatives for change Seafood sustainability Equity for women Health of the oceans Getting funding for the disadvantaged Everyone thinks it is really easy to be in the restaurant business It is not our sole responsibility to fix the food system Speak up for inequalities Pick up the phone to politicians Now is the best time to ask for systemic change Goal for the future To be seen as professionals and be paid equally and fairly Advice for restaurateurs Put thoughts and beliefs on paper Allow patrons and other business owners to support Find a representative and demand change

We're all shut down. The hamster wheel has stopped. And some of us, myself included, are wondering if we have the energy and, more importantly, the desire, to hop back on.  Today we discuss the case for change with a man that did just that. Matthew Jennings walked away from his award winning restaurants and all of the perks that come with being a celebrity chef to follow his bliss.  Click to sign up for our weekly newsletter. Click here to book time on my personal calendar. Click here to download our Restaurant Recovery Guide. Want to streamline your front-of-house operations and increase sales? Head over to http://restaurants.yelp.com/fullcomppodcast to claim your free page and learn more about these powerful tools for your business. SHOW NOTES Change to the flow of service What happens to Front-of-House service? When doing delivery, does presentation matter? Restaurants won’t be restaurants anymore Reservation systems could be a benefit More information is taken from the guest Additional information is an opportunity for more engagement and connection with customers Pivoting Cornell Business suggests ⅓ bodega style, ⅓ takeout, ⅓ dine-in Chefs Matthew interviewed pivoted in different ways 1 pivoted to groceraunt model 1 pivoted to meal kits and family meals 1 pivoted to mercantile - soap, non-perishable products Starting in consulting Started as a side hustle whilst running own restaurant Worked with Dunkin Donuts Started Full Heart Hospitality Teamed up with Jason Rose Areas of consulting Creative Design concepts Design products Creating menus Marketing Operational Strategy Implementation Why Matthew left the restaurant biz at the top of his game Growing wasn’t fulfilling Running a restaurant took a toll on health and family life Doctor gave him a wake-up call Recovering from being overworked Moving Creating a new community Working from home Belief that life can be about abundance, joy, and progress can all happen at the same time Changes that can be made in the industry What do guests want Comfort food Number of people in a restaurant How to treat our teams What systems to keep The hard part is not having answers regarding the future of the virus Information changes every day How do you make decisions when things are constantly changing? 30/60/90 strategy for planning 30-day strategy aiming for small wins Reflect and measure the results at the end of the 30days Create a roadmap for 60 days then 90 days Cut down overwhelm by breaking it down We must remain flexible as things change Not completely reinventing the business model just in case things change quickly again Post-pandemic predictions How are guests going to feel in a restaurant? Restaurateurs responsibility to keep guests and staff safe

What are the folks at the top of our industry doing to help us and themselves? On today's show, we chat with four-time James Beard award-winning TV personality, chef, writer, teacher and social justice advocate, Chef Andrew Zimmern. Andrew has not only reached the pinnacles of success, he'd done so while supporting and advocating for independent restaurants. Today we talk about the where we are and where we're headed as an industry and what we can do to help each other.  Click to sign up for our weekly newsletter. Click here to book time on my personal calendar. Click here to download our Restaurant Recovery Guide. Want to streamline your front-of-house operations and increase sales? Head over to http://restaurants.yelp.com/fullcomppodcast to claim your free page and learn more about these powerful tools for your business. SHOW NOTES 3-pronged strategy for moving forward during the Covid crisis Not getting stuck in one metric or business model. Being fluid and flexible Covid give us a chance to review our businesses Many sectors of the hospitality industry were already broken - Covid accelerated the demise Building back the right way Reviewing pricing, menus, HR Realigning our motives for being in the hospitality industry Many people joined to become famous or seek wealth This can be poor for mental health as stardom is fleeting Stay in the industry because of love, not to get rich Wolfgang Puck took a huge risk coming to America and struggled alot in his early career. His passion led to his stardom. There is a low barrier to entry to become a restaurateur Anyone with finance can open a restaurant The restaurant life seems “sexy” and appealing to anyone who loves dining out The restaurant business is extremely fragile to run well - pennies business with slim margins Reflecting as a practice Andrew has a daily reflection practice he learned whilst becoming sober Taking regular inventory of problems e.g pros and cons lists Writing things on paper helps to reflect on them Any business or human being that doesn’t regularly take stock will fail Reflecting on the restaurant business Slowing down to learn from what is happening right now Working on ops issues How working for larger causes helps mental health Taking focus off himself slows his thoughts Working extremely hard Extremely fulfilling work Projects to help the hospitality industry Small anonymous group helping local community Speaking to the local governor regarding safety in hospitality reopening Why we are on this earth Andrew would ask First Peoples’ this question “We’re on this earth to love and nurture each other” Small gestures are more fulfilling than big gestures Things we can do to service the industry Start at a community level Create a community resource kitchen if it is needed Donate time, money, or food to resource kitchens and initiatives already operating Share causes on social media Checking in on people Donating masks The podcast is awareness-raising and impacting lives Positive changes predicted for after Covid Low-cost micro model restaurants for feeding small communities

On today's show, we chat with Steve Schwartz, founder of the Art of Tea, a bespoke tea company crafting custom blended tea for the biggest names in hospitality. If you're going to create a product, logic would dictate that you'd want the masses to have access to it. But that's not the route Steve Schwartz went. He wanted his tea company to serve those that serve others. It's one of the foundational values that guides The Art of Tea. In today's tough economy, the companies that thrive will be culture first companies. Here, Steve walks us through the core values and culture-first perspective that has made The Art of Tea a huge success. Click to sign up for our weekly newsletter. Click here to book time on my personal calendar. Click here to download our Restaurant Recovery Guide. Want to streamline your front-of-house operations and increase sales? Head over to http://restaurants.yelp.com/fullcomppodcast to claim your free page and learn more about these powerful tools for your business. SHOW NOTES The importance of mentors Find yourself a teacher, acquire yourself a friend Mentors can share lessons Friends can challenge you and learn with you Mentors and friends in Steve’s life 3 daughters - all under 15yo Coach - in his mid-70s and helps to separate belief from reality Group of peers in similar businesses - sharing best practices and meaningful lessons Lessons from childhood Had a very perfect, comfortable upbringing until parents’ divorce at 14 Sent to live with 19yo brother with no financial support Learned to be scrappy and creative to make money Knew it was a phase and would be able to teach lessons to children one day Entering entrepreneurship Started digital gatherings in Arizona at 19 Minimal resources but events were profitable Introduction to tea Mom became very ill with brain cancer - she passed within 10months Steve realized there could be other schools of medicine and treatments Found Ayurvedic Institute and learned about botanicals Began traveling the world for the best botanicals to create tea Tea as a business Ethos of not creating mass-produced low-quality tea Began selling in hotels and creating custom blends Creating a movement against big tea companies Aligning with core values Leadership team reviews the company’s core values every week Impact. Culture. Accountability. Results. Excellence (ICARE) This is much more important during Covid Projections for hospitality 3rd of businesses won’t survive 3rd will barely survive 3rd will thrive Pivoting during Covid crisis Becoming a conduit of ideas between businesses Learning how some clients are surviving and relaying that advice to other struggling businesses Changing marketing plans Government is unlikely to stop marketing efforts so there is an opportunity to be more creative with marketing Creating ice tea for sale to consumers or restaurants How to manage fear If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans Ideas that make Steve fearful and excited confirm he should pursue it He thanks the fear for protecting him Create a backup plan in case things do go wrong Coping with being back at zero

On today's show we chat with Othon Nolasco, co-founder of No Us Without You, a non-profit serving the most vulnerable amongst us within the hospitality community. There are some revelations in life that hit you like a ton of bricks. It was Othon that brought to light that there are thousands of undocumented hospitality workers that are unable to receive government assistance and thus are unable to feed their families. Most of us can empathize but few of us have the courage to act. Within days of the quarantine, Othon and team were feeding families throughout Los Angeles county. Here, Othon provides a window into the work they're doing and the people they're supporting. Click to sign up for our weekly newsletter. Click here to book time on my personal calendar. Click here to download our Restaurant Recovery Guide. Want to streamline your front-of-house operations and increase sales? Head over to http://restaurants.yelp.com/fullcomppodcast to claim your free page and learn more about these powerful tools for your business. SHOW NOTES Met partners Damien and Erin in 2012 and created Va’La Hospitality in 2018 Consultants specifically for bar services Coping though Covid19 All projects were shutdown when crisis hit Still figuring out the next steps for Va’La Focus on the charity work Being “unemployed” feels very odd since hospitality professionals are usually working constantly The beginnings of No Us Without You Predicted the lockdown and shutdown of bars would happen Lots of GoFundMes were being made for FOH staff but not the most vulnerable Started the initiative to feed 1 undocumented, unemployed family for 1 day. Bought food from restaurant outlets and packaged it The initiative grew to feed the family for 1 week Candidates for the program Families are of undocumented back of house staff who are now unemployed Hard-working people struggling without work Operations of No Us Without You Food packages have a mix of produce, dried staples, and home-cooked meals Food supply partners donate to subsidize food Team still shops 3-4 times a week to buy food from wholesalers Feeding 1 family = $33 per week They feed 300 families a week Future of No Us Without You Non-profit, tax-exempt status Aim to feed 600-700 families per week The human aspect Many children they see are very confused How many families not aware of the program are going hungry? How many children are going hungry? Hunger in America during Covid Due to restaurant closures, farmers are dumping milk and slaughtering animals as they cannot afford to keep them Many families are going hungry with rising unemployment Long-term implications Unemployment could mean families are behind on rent Families are typically working at least two jobs to pay bills in normal times When the job market reopens, competition for work will be high With accumulated debt, it will be a long time before they are financially stable again Goal of providing food stability to as many families as possible, for as long as possible. Prediction 12-18months Personal goals of Othon Planning a wedding which was postponed Improving on weaknesses Learning more about how to run a non-profit

Today we chat with Barrie Schwartz, founder of My House, an events company in New Orleans, Louisiana. Schwartz has made a name for herself  as an industry disruptor by democratizing chefdom, proving that chefs don't need restaurants, they simply need an audience. These efforts have garnered her accolades including PCMA’s 20 in their Twenties, Connect Corporate’s 40 Under 40 and Gambit’s 30 Under 30. The COVID 19 pandemic has inspired new challenges as she and her team now work to ensure women and chef of color are represented on the front lines of this fight. Click to sign up for our weekly newsletter. Click here to book time on my personal calendar. Click here to download our Restaurant Recovery Guide. Want to streamline your front-of-house operations and increase sales? Head over to http://restaurants.yelp.com/fullcomppodcast to claim your free page and learn more about these powerful tools for your business. SHOW NOTES Started her love of hospitality in college where she and friend ran a sandwich cafe What she loved about hospitality Making others happy Social aspect Entrepreneurial skills to run a business Time management Goal setting Community building Living and working by the company values How My House became an industry disrupter Allowing chefs to bring their voice and story to events Making food sexy Giving chefs an opportunity to add another revenue stream via catering whether they have a restaurant or not Getting past major obstacles 2013 they owned a food truck business that was forced to close due to politics Pivoted to start a food hall Learned that being pushed to a wall forced resilience, creativity and innovation Working in New Orleans Equally creative, entrepreneurial, and cultural Equally old school and present roadblocks for entrepreneurs Initiatives during Covid Providing chefs with other economic opportunities while restaurants are closed via small events Pushing female chefs and chefs of color to the forefront of community work Diverse mix of chefs feeding keyworkers in the community Rethinking the business model How can the business model accommodate smaller events? Could postponed events maintain their budget but happen on a smaller scale? Covid gives us time to pause and reflect What aspects of the business do we want to keep doing? Continue to bring different chefs together Continue to introduce people to food they may not have tried before What are the mechanics of keeping these aspects in a post-covid world? Allowing the team to rest and pause is also important Dealing with fear during the crisis Prioritizing self-care Somedays more resilient than others Not allowing fear to dictate the next moves of the business Not wanting to rush into things because of fear Gentle, slow approach to rebuilding Secrets to success Being adaptable to feedback and evolving the business idea over time You can’t over-communicate too much Communicate the “why”, not just the “how” and “what” Understanding your weaknesses and asking for help Pitfalls to avoid

Longtime leader in luxury goods and former Chairman of LVMH North America, Pauline is renowned for acquiring, building, and leading some of the world’s most influential brands. In her groundbreaking new book, Aesthetic Intelligence, she shows businesspeople how to harness the power of their own senses to create products and services that delight their customers and build businesses that last. Her book is based on a course that she designed and taught at Harvard Business School. Here, she looks to our industry, walking us through how to build a successful hospitality brand. Click to sign up for our weekly newsletter. Click here to book time on my personal calendar. Click here to download our Restaurant Recovery Guide. Want to streamline your front-of-house operations and increase sales? Head over to http://restaurants.yelp.com/fullcomppodcast to claim your free page and learn more about these powerful tools for your business. SHOW NOTES What is Aesthetic Intelligence? Taste A higher level of perception The ability to discern and communicate what looks and feels good Grew up as first-gen Jewish American in a creative but practical household Going into business doesn’t always embrace the creative side It took Pauline many years to combine creativity with her business knowledge The importance of creative briefs Marketing document Roadmap for the brand plan Stems from the company’s central idea into a more fixed template for branding How to create a creative brief for a restaurant Start with the core idea/usp/story The core idea needs to be relevant, original and engaging to capture the imaginations of customers Create an execution strategy to communicate that idea to customers A central part of a restaurant’s idea - how do I want people to feel? Getting to know the customer on a basic level What do they order? What is the occasion they come to your restaurant? How much do they typically spend? What time of day do they come to the restaurant? Getting to know the customer on an advanced level Mood state Who are they as a person? What drives them? What are the wanting to feel in the restaurant? Empathizing with the customer and getting to know them elevates the brand Creating a “halo-effect” Building anticipation before they come to the restaurant Creating long-lasting memories for the customer after they have left Aesthetics don’t need to be expensive Nice things don’t need to cost a lot of money Practical ways to save money aesthetically improving a restaurant Consider the things you are already doing e.g paint a wall. Could that wall be a different color? Making the same decisions more mindfully Editing and taking away can also be effective Having lots of capital can be a bad thing Lots of money can make people lazy Less money = more resourcefulness and creativity Restaurants are not easy businesses Most restaurateurs think very practically as operators Tips to uplevel the customer experience in a restaurant Sound design Lighting design, down to the color of the bulbs Visual design - small details Pitfalls to avoid Hiring a team that is not passionate about what they do Amazing service leaves a lasting impression

Chef Eric Greenspan is probably best known for his appearances on big tv shows like Iron Chef America. What most folks don't know is the resilience required for Eric to carve out a place for himself within this industry. On today's show, Chef Greenspan shares his greatest successes, worst defeats and the lessons learned from each. Click to sign up for our weekly newsletter. Click here to book time on my personal calendar. Click here to download our Restaurant Recovery Guide. Want to streamline your front-of-house operations and increase sales? Head over to http://restaurants.yelp.com/fullcomppodcast to claim your free page and learn more about these powerful tools for your business. SHOW NOTES 9/11 caused Eric’s first major pivot Worked at high end restaurant in New York After 9/11, the owners told staff they will no longer pay them but they can work for free Found this to be a distasteful way of dealing with crisis Creating his own opportunities Saw two positions advertised for line cooks Offered to do both jobs for 1.5 pay Seizing new opportunity despite a major life change Was offered Sous chef position at Patina which quickly became an exec chef position From 9/11 crisis to Exec chef at Patina in 8 months How to deal with adversity Believing that there is always an opportunity around the corner Paying attention to the signals that opportunities may be on their way Taking jobs that you don’t feel ready for Not passing up the opportunity, ready or not Having confidence to figure it out Finding the right work environment Conclusion: working for other people was not the right working environment Had to find a new more autonomous working environment Eric was unable to adapt to the corporate structure at Patina imposing boundaries on his work Became a partner at another restaurant but also left quickly The value of teaching as a chef The greatest chefs are great teachers Teachers allows you to hone skills of your staff and push them to excellence Uncovering every possible avenue to get what you want Potential restaurant space needed $25k to extend the lease Did not give up on trying to save the money despite very limited time frame. Asked friends and family Sold car on eBay First restaurant was hit by the recession and writers’ strike Surviving during crisis Running many promotions per week to attract customers Bought food from restaurant depots Businesses don’t succeed because you become famous Restaurant business success keys Being well run Being in the right place Being well funded Making money in the restaurant business is having multiple restaurants Success with Cloud Kitchens Creating multiple brands with different concepts All food from the multiple brands cooked and fulfilled by same staff No front-of-house Delivery only model

It was thought that to drink alcohol was to live a life shadowed by death. The Death & Co. team has been offering a warm embrace to those who shine after dusk for over a decade now. Its foundational elements are a love of great people and great drinks. Today, we chat with Alex Day, proprietor of the world-famous Death & Co., a bar that redefined cocktail culture for an entire generation.  Click to sign up for our weekly newsletter. Click here to book time on my personal calendar. Click here to download our Restaurant Recovery Guide. Want to streamline your front-of-house operations and increase sales? Head over to http://restaurants.yelp.com/fullcomppodcast to claim your free page and learn more about these powerful tools for your business. LINKS https://www.deathandcompany.com/ SHOW NOTES Dave Kaplan & Ravi DeRossi started Death & Co in 2006 Alex was captivated by the youthful, innovative approach to drinks They opened 3 branches of Death & Co, NYC, LA & Denver Early mistakes Not knowing what to do as new entrepreneurs Bars ran themselves “Failing forward” 2 years of growth by luck Difficult neighbour for years Legal implications Biggest lessons It is the owners’ job to find and cultivate good people Provide strong guidance Build a strong culture There is no such thing as smooth sailing Foundation issues in the industry Hospitality workers are not employed or compensated well Astronomical rents High operating costs Poor margins At this time of not operating, they are rethinking every aspect of the business Realigning focus on what the customer wants Avoiding getting hung up on vanity items like perfect cocktail recipe Bringing focus back to the consumer What will they want post-lockdown? Reevaluating how to relate to vendors and improve vendor relationships Improving the bars from an environment perspective Reviewing relationships with landlords How things could be different post-Covid Local cultures in each city Social norms Improving as employers Benefits they already offer Health insurance to full-time staff Wellness credits Potential ideas for future Offering health insurance to part-time staff Creating clearer avenues for staff to grow in the company What set Death & Co apart as a brand Meticulous focus on ingredients Passion about the craft Human, genuine, authenticity in their delivery Being serious about the craft but also having fun Harnessing individuality throughout the business Allowing bartenders to be creative Each bar is not a copy of the other Individual menus Different appearance Using social media as a marketing engine Industry typically focusses on bragging or nice photos of food/drink Creating a more community based social media presence