Restaurant Owners Uncorked

California native Brian Jenzer has cooked at places all over the world, and today is the Executive Chef at Tap + Table in Raleigh, NC. We talked about everything from the value of culinary school (he went to one) to his management philosophies to the importance of starting at the bottom and working you way up. Brian is a great dude and this was a great conversation. Enjoy...

Like so many people we've had the pleasure to interview, Brandon has been in the hospitality business for his while life. And also like so many people we've interviewed, you can't listen to him talk without wanting to be on his team. He is a GM who still works bar shifts, handles kitchen manager duties, and does all sorts of things to help make Montanya run well. He loves what he does, loves the organization he works for, and has a great overall perspective on how to get hospitality right. Enjoy...

Talk about a man with conviction! Jonny and his brother Benjy started The Skinny Pancake in Burlington, VT out of a hand-made cart in 2003, and fifteen years later they have seven locations, a commissary kitchen, a catering business, a festival bus ... and that original cart is still around. We talked about everything from effective lease negotiation to "the triple bottom line" to the idea of no profit without purpose, and no purpose without profit. Jonny has a ton of passion for what he does, and runs his business with a very clear purpose and focus. Enjoy...

Ray has been in the restaurant business since the 1980's, and has done everything from being the interim CEO of a large chain, to being the Executive Director of the California Restaurant Association, to owning and running a very successful group of restaurants in the Lake Tahoe, CA area. Ray is extremely knowledgeable about the hospitality business, and offered an enormous of amount of excellent advice and wisdom during our conversation. Enjoy...

Renee Newton graduated with a degree in biology and chemistry, came to Crested Butte to work for the Rocky Mountain Biological Labs, had an opportunity to become a distiller at Montanya Distillers, and now is the bar manager and head of special events. She's a diverse, genuine, fun person who you'd love to have on your team. Enjoy...

Brandi and Adam are GMs at the first Cantina 76 location in Columbia, SC. Cantina 76 is a very popular, successful brand with five locations in South Carolina. Listen to Brandi and Adam talk about the fantastic culture within their organization, the great leadership they work under, their awesome executive chef, how they excel against their competition, building relationships with regulars, and more. They are both high energy and fun to talk to about hospitality. Enjoy...

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...