Jessica and Davin Waite are the Co-Owners and Co-Founders of Wrench and Rodent and The Plot in Los Angeles, CA. Davin was previously on the show for episode 679 when The Plot was just being built, back in 2019. 

In the mid-'90s after being hired at Ichiban in Santa Barbara, CA, Davin Waite made the decision to drop out of college and chase his new-found passion; food. After a few years of being mentored by local legend, Chef Hiro, Waite made the move to San Diego where he weaseled his way into the kitchen of Cafe Japengo where he further refined his skills. Six years later Waite opened his first business, The Fish Joint (which later rebranded as Pickled Ginger Catering & Events) which was followed by Wrench and Rodent Seabasstropub, and The Whet Noodle all located in Oceanside, CA. 

Jessica Waite focused on nutrition in school and was training to become a physician when she realized she did not want to be a part of the modern healthcare system. She transitioned to focus on business and got her MBA in that verticle. She met Davin while working in one of his restaurants and they pivoted to open Wrench and Rodent in 2013 and The Plot in 2019. Jessica focuses on FOH, design, and accounting/numbers while Davin is a chef, primarily focused on menu and BOH. There are currently 3 Plot locations.

Favorite success quote/mantra: Jessica: "They didn't say it was going to be easy, they said it was going to be worth in." Davin: "The future is unwritten."

In this episode we will discuss: 

• Fundraising
• First time restaurant owner
• Working with your spouse
• Branding
• Marketing
• Veganism
• Burnout
• Sustainability
• AND MORE!

Today's sponsors:

Restaurant Technologies the company that helps restaurants, “Control the kitchen chaos.” With RT’s total oil management, you get: Dependable fresh bulk cooking oil delivery; Filtration + oil usage monitoring and reporting; Used cooking oil pick-up, and recycling; And say goodbye to messy, dangerous restaurant rendering tanks-yuck. RT’s end-to-end cooking oils solution helps you manage your used cooking oil storage, collection, and recycling- conveniently, safely, and cleanly- with no upfront costs. Head to www.RTI-inc.com, and let them know the Restaurant Unstoppable Podcast sent you their way.

MarginEdge: Boost your efficiency and profitability without adding labor costs. MarginEdge is a complete restaurant management software that allows you to seamlessly manage all aspects of your business from one central location. Track food costs in real time, make inventory faster and less tedious, easily cost out your recipes, and get a daily P&L so you always know where you stand. See how it works at marginedge.com/unstopabble.

Meez: Are you a chef, owner, operator, or manage recipes in professional kitchens? meez is built just for you. Organize, share, prep, and scale recipes like never before. Plus, engineer your menu in real-time and get accurate food costs. Sign up for free today and get 2 FREE months of invoice processing as a listener of the Restaurant Unstoppable Podcast. Visit getmeez.com/unstoppable to learn more.

Restaurant Systems Pro - Join the 60-day Restaurant Systems Pro FREE TRAINING. This is something that has never been done before. This 60-day event is at no cost to you, but it is not for everyone. Fred Langley, CEO of Restaurant Systems Pro, will lead a group of restaurateurs through the Restaurant Systems Pro software and set up the systems for your restaurant. During the 60 days, Fred will walk you through the Restaurant Systems Pro Process and help you crush the following goals: Recipe Costing Cards; Guidance in your books for accounting; Cash controls; Sales Forecasting(With Accuracy); Checklists; Budgeting for the entire year; Scheduling for profit; More butts in seats and more… Click Here to learn more.

Contact the guest:

• Instagram: @_jmwaite  @davinwaite  @theplotrestaurant
• Website: https://theplotrestaurant.com

Thanks for listening! Rate the podcast, subscribe, and share! 

We are on Youtube: @RestaurantUnstoppable