Restaurant Owners Uncorked

Joanne Dragonowski owns several restaurants in Wisconsin with her brother and sister. The story started in 1951 when their parents opened their first place, and it continues today with four of the seven children still in the restaurant business. Joanne is very sharp, understands the business in and out, and has a clear love for the restaurant industry. We had a very enjoyable conversation, and you'll learn a lot from her during this episode. Enjoy...

A quick summary of the three episodes we have coming up this week.

Eric hosts Restaurant Unstoppable, a great podcast featuring interviews with nearly 500 restaurant owners. I loved talking to him about why he does his podcast, which he does as his full-time gig, what he's learned, and more. He's high energy and has tons of passion for independent restaurants. Enjoy...

I had a couple of quick items to share. Y'all have a great July 4th week!

I'm going to start offering my thoughts on something an owner said during an interview that struck and chord with me and stood out the next day as my biggest takeaway. These will be short, concise episodes. Enjoy...

Wow! Marcus has an absolutely amazing story, a bold philosophy, and a very authentic, intentional, passionate approach to his restaurant and the restaurant business in general. There is no room for doubt about what Marcus believes and why he believes it, an because of that there's no surprise that he and his wife Jamie have been very successful building an institution in their small town of Ellenville, NY. You can find Marcus at Aroma Thyme Bistro (http://www.aromathymebistro.com) and at Chef On a Mission (http://www.chefonamission.com). This is a MUST-listen episode if you are interested in learning from successful restaurant owners. Enjoy...

Cody is Director of Operations and co-owner of Grassburger (https://www.eatgrassburger.com), which has locations in Durango, CO and Albuquerque, NM. Cody has tremendous passion for learning and growing as manager and leads his team by example. You can't help but be inspire when listening to Cody share his philosophy for working in and running a restaurant. Great specific ideas as well as general life philosophies abound. Enjoy...

Update on new recording equipment and a new idea we have for our content. Quick and to the point...

Micheál started Jack's Prime (https://www.jacksprime.com) in 2008 and Maverick Jack's (http://www.maverickjacks.com) in 2016, and has a second Maverick Jack's opening soon. We talked about having investors and how to find the right people to be a part of your dream, finding and keeping good people in a very competitive environment in the Bay Area, business growth enabling opportunities for great team members to grow with the business, the potential pitfalls of lease negotiations, and the advantages independent restaurants have over large chains. Micheál loves what he does, and he articulates what it takes to be a restaurant owner incredibly well. Enjoy...

After eight years of interviewing restaurant owners, I have a few thoughts I wanted to share. Also, some news on where we are going with this podcast.