Episode 674: "Let's Just Choose Optimism": Dan Simons on Failure, Fear, and Finding a Way Forward
Dan Simons co-founded the Founding Farmers restaurant group in Washington, D.C., now about 1,500 employees and $100 million in annual revenu...
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Restaurant Owners Uncorked - by Schedulefly
Successful independent restaurant owners share their stories, advice, wisdom, lessons learned and more.
Episodes
20 of 673 episodesEpisode 673: 3 Things I Learned From Amy Wester of Biscuit Head
Every episode of Restaurant Owners Uncorked runs about an hour. This is the short version, and it's a new thing we're trying. After each con...
Episode 672: COVID, Then Helene, Then Their Best Year with Amy Wester of Biscuit Head
Summary Amy Wester, managing partner at Biscuit Head, returns after three years to talk about surviving a brutal stretch: COVID, then Hurric...
Episode 671: The Apple Store of Yogurt: How Easy Breezy Built a Premium Brand One Shop at a Time
Ari Ford, founder of Easy Breezy, joins the show to share how she built a premium frozen yogurt, custard, and vegan soft-serve brand across...
Episode 670: From Bartender to Multi-Concept Restaurant and Bar Owner: A 21-Year-Old's Bet That Paid Off
Chrissy Pasquale-Urso owns five bars and restaurants (all within one block of each other) in Binghamton, New York. She shares her origin sto...
Episode 669: I Was a Top Food Salesman, Then I Opened a Restaurant and Realized I Knew Nothing - Christian Williams, Sugo Italian Restaurant
This episode features Christian Williams, owner of Sugo Italian Restaurant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and a Ben E. Keith team member with a bac...
Episode 668: The ROI of Giving a Sh*t: Why People-First Restaurants Outlast the Competition w/ Lance Reynolds
Wil sits down with 30-year restaurant veteran and author Lance Reynolds for a candid conversation about the realities of independent restaur...
Episode 667: The Art of Intentional Hospitality with Dave Chicane of Artusi
Dave Chicane, chef and owner of Artusi in Eggertsville, New York, to discuss the deeply personal motivations behind his 30-year career in ho...
Episode 666: All In: A Mother, Her Son, and the Restaurant They Almost Didn't Open - Sweet Southern Comfort
Tammy Henderson and her son Garrett, co-owners of Sweet Southern Comfort Restaurant in DeFuniak Springs, Florida. Tammy shares her winding j...
Episode 665: From 12 Bank Rejections to Old Raleigh Distillery: A Masterclass in Extreme Ownership
Brandon McCraney, the owner and master blender of Old Raleigh Distillery in Zebulon, North Carolina. Brandon details his diverse career jour...
Episode 664: Stuffed: How Moonrise Bagels is Building a National Brand One Pizza Bagel at a Time
Jeremy Rhodes and Ali Chetkof Rhodes discuss the rapid growth of their business, Moonrise Bagels. The couple shares the story of how a pande...
Episode 663: From the Depression to the Digital Age: Leading Charleston's Oldest BBQ Legacy: Melvin's BBQ
David Bessinger shares the multi-generational history of Melvin’s BBQ, a business built on a secret mustard-based sauce invented by his gran...
Episode 662: Soul Food & Systems: Koji Kanematsu's Blueprint for the Scalable Japanese Street Food
Koji Kanematsu, the founder of Onigilly Japanese Kitchen , who shares his nearly 20-year journey of introducing Japanese rice balls to the A...
Episode 661: Simple, Not Easy: The Keke’s Breakfast Cafe Playbook
John Ahrendt, the head of franchise relations for Keke’s Breakfast Cafe, talks about the unique operational DNA that drives the brand's succ...
Episode 660: Pride vs. The Payout: Why Jeremy Conner Chooses Daily Fulfillment Over Exit Strategies
Chef Jeremy Conner is a hospitality veteran who shares his nearly 32-year journey in the industry. Jeremy details his diverse experiences, r...
Episode 659: The Four H's: IGC Hospitality’s Blueprint for Success with Dominick D'Aleo
Dominick D'Aleo, the Chief Operating Officer of IGC Hospitality, discuses the nuances of managing a large-scale hospitality group in New Yor...
Episode 658: Grounds for Growth: Coffee Rush's Path to 40 Stores Without Franchising
Wil chats with Tessa Yost and Samantha Bratten of Coffee Rush, a family-owned drive-through coffee chain started in 1992 in Oregon by Tessa'...
Episode 657: Work Like You Own It: Lessons in Autonomy and Leadership with Jason Berkowitz
Jason Berkowitz, a veteran restaurant operator and the founder of Arrow Up Training. Berkowitz shares his "origin story" rooted in a four-ge...
Episode 656: Stewards of the Memory: Why True Hospitality Transcends Food and Beverage w/ Jeremy and Angie Walton of Quest Hospitality Concepts
Jeremy and Angie Walton talk about their journey of launching a hospitality company in Alys Beach, Florida. Jeremy, a veteran of luxury hosp...
Episode 655: Scaling a Legend: Reviving the H&H Bagels Legacy with CEO Jay Rushin
Jay Rushin , who left a 20-year finance career to become the CEO of the iconic H&H Bagels in 2014. details the brand's tumultuous history—in...