David Mizrahi is the founder of Salt Restaurant Group, the hospitality company behind five restaurants on the Jersey Shore in just five years - including the world-famous Salt Steakhouse.

David’s story is anything but traditional. He dropped out of high school, made millions in real estate as a teenager, and then shifted into hospitality, where he’s now redefining what a kosher dining experience can look like.

In this episode, we dive into his journey - from building businesses at 16, to scaling Salt into a powerhouse brand, to the sacrifices and lessons he’s learned along the way.

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SPONSORS:

• ​Yazdi Entertainment, New York's premiere event production company. [email protected] or (646) 765-5643
• ​Life Vault Films: Capture the story of your loved one, forever. Order your film today by emailing [email protected]

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(00:00) Coming up…(02:37) Making $100k at 16 years old(04:52) Why David worked at pizza/falafel shops(05:30) Dropping out of high school(07:07) If you could go back in time, would you drop out of high school?(07:24) Making millions per year at 18 in the foreclosure business(09:53) Why didn’t you stay in real estate?(11:24) Selling his foreclosure company(12:10) Has anybody ever doubted you?(12:55) Buying his first restaurant and turning it profitable(16:32) Yazdi Entertainment(17:26) Uncovering hidden value(18:35) David’s playbook for opening profitable restaurants(19:58) Receiving a piece of devastating feedback(21:34) Opening up a restaurant during COVID(24:03) Why didn’t you delay the launch until after the pandemic?(25:20) David’s arrangement with Kushner Companies(28:16) Investing other people’s money(29:26) 5 restaurants in 5 years: at what point are you expanding too quickly?(30:16) Competing with yourself(30:56) Did you ever feel like you spread yourself too thin?(32:00) How do you manage 5 restaurants?(33:38) Partnerships and exit strategies(34:57) Doing business with family and friends(35:55) Biggest failure: not seeing his wife or 1st child(36:54) Living apart from his family when first opening Salt(39:51) Life Vault Films(41:08) Behind-the-scenes restaurant nightmares(44:52) Tips to get into the restaurant business(46:45) 1st step to take if you want to open a high-end steakhouse(48:44) Serving as a firefighter(50:19) Giving back through his restaurants(51:32) What’s next for you?(52:51) Franchising kosher restaurants(54:31) Momentum Moment(55:36) Life’s challenges and failures(58:47) 3 key takeaways