Holy Guacamole Podcast

While pondering what owners and staff need right now, we came up with this Crystal Ball Edition! Let's look down the road of 2021. What are our clients saying, what are guests talking about, what do guests want, and what are to best practices to set yourself up in the year 2021.

We love your feedback. Let us know what's happening in your neck of the woods.

Our guests Naijah Brown of Land of Kush and Sam Claasen of Golden West are the two main organizers of Maryland Vegan Week, and they share the history and the essence of the vegan movement.

What do restaurants do to market to customers in February? One effective way is to join the Maryland Vegan Restaurant Week. Sign up here. It's the best way to get your vegan - message out and to share what's happening in Baltimore. At a time when we need a strong message, for carryout, here's an effective method!

When you live in Baltimore, you recognize how many "firsts" have happened here. Today's episode is about another first--the first vegan week in the US. It started here, in Charm City, and is stretching all over Maryland. Interest is growing all over the country, and we are here to encourage restaurants to join because it's a great way to collaborate and be seen. Better yet, given our landscape--carryout only--Vegan Week is actually most of February.

If your restaurant wants to participate, here in Baltimore, you do not need to be a full-vegan business. Promote vegan entrees, snacks and sides, to highlight a tasty part of your menu that may not be well known around town. Now, more than ever you need to be seen. Here is a great way to be seen and gain new followers.

Dave and Martha do their year end episode sharing what they know is going on with restaurants closing, due to local protocols. Have a listen, and support your local restaurants now and in January by picking up dinner, and keeping them going while we wait for federal aid discussions to wrap up and help the restaurant industry.

Food and drinks blogger, Arli, of Arli's Appetite, has made a name for herself highlighting restaurants for their food, and/or their cocktail program. She's a discerning cocktail afficiando, generous to chefs and cooks, and responsible in her role to her followers. It's our pleasure to have her thoughts and opinions. She helps us see what consumers respond to, and how that informs a restaurants' decision to post.

Restaurants across the country have lost their indoor and outdoor dining, due to the rising COVID cases. Arli is eager to help restaurants, as you will hear in this discussion. We discuss the importance of giving guests and customers clear, informative posts, that lead customers to order confidently. Arli capably digs in and shares how restaurants are refocusing and rethinking their menus to serve differently this winter.

May the ideas shared on this episode inspire you, and activate you to draw people to your restaurant this winter.

Dave and Martha Hour puts us in Tulum, Mexico! Dave said he'd be heading to Tulum for his honeymoon, and Martha and Dave said in unison, "Holy Guacamole! We gotta do an episode!". Enjoy getting out of your head. Escape to Tulum through Dave's eyes.

Dave references this travel book, To Shake the Sleeping Self.

Dave and Martha serve up travel, food and wonderful cultural moments. Dave mentions many places, here are some: Matteo's, Burrito Amor, Taquería Honoria, Batey's Mojito. Highly recommended places: Kitchen Table, Harwood, and of course, check out Dave's instagram travelogue. Let's not forget to mention Somebody Feed Phil, whose Netflix series reflects Dave and Martha's -- get into the culture and people of a place, combine that with food and cocktails, and you will have the time of your life.

Here's to escapism!

We at Holy Guacamole applaud him, and the community of owners and hospitalitians who eagerly want to share and grow in the world. It is a pleasure to have him on, and hear his humble childhood restaurant story, and his present thinking after 756 episodes under his belt! Enjoy, and we welcome you to check out his episodes. You might even find two episodes Martha did with Eric in the last couple years.

Here's a link to the show. His tagline is "what the most successful restaurants know, that you don't". It continues to be listed as the number one restaurant podcast in the country. Considering that there are over 1.4 million podcasts, that is a big deal!

Alex Perez, chef, owner and creator of Papi's Cuisine has a knack for making exactly what is a stunning preparation for any dish. And that is just it Why not create a cuisine? Clearly more clever than a restaurant. It's one leap past signature dishes, and it has drawn people from across the country to show up and eat up.

We take a journey with Alex Perez. He honestly shares his not-so-perfect original delivery service (ahead of his time), to a catering service (cooking in Florida, DC, Houston), and last but not least, to a restaurant that opened at the brink of COVID-19. Don't be surprised to see how Alex and his lively clever team stayed ahead of a pandemic. And yes, there is a story about their eggroll.

Papi's Cuisine physically and geographically is in Fells Point, but more accurately it is all about online ordering and engaging content on Instagram. Catch Food Tycoon Chef Alex on his own feed. There is always something that will make you curious for more -- food, humor or an intriguing video, does not matter. Fact is, Alex and the team are ready to serve! ...Ready to serve, cleverly.

In spite of the pandemic, hiring can happen. If your business needs a reboot in the method you use to rehire, this Biz Tip is the nuts and bolts of what you need to do to hire well, and build good culture into your team. The outline is shared inside the episode. Need more direction, here is the hiring toolkit. Need more guidance, reach out to Martha Lucius for a consultation.

Kris Fulton opened Sophomore Coffee nine months before the pandemic. Today he shares how he has stays true to his goal--keep it simple, and keep it delicious. Quality doesn't lie.

When we are all grappling with how to manage the winter nothing seems to be more crystal clear to all owners, is to simplify and give people only the best of what they know and love about your place. Kris reeled it back, and yet he still manages 7 days of the week, he still cranks out great espresso drinks, and he has still added product to his base line, to build on the best he has to offer.

Support Sophomore on IG and check out their website.

At the top of the show we have a quick how-to on handling COVID testing among your staff. But the bulk of our show is always highlighting courageous, bold teams and owners, doing their level best in the pandemic...so here we go...

Our guest, Enrique, co-owner of The Wine Collective, with his brother Phillipe, and John Levenberg, their talented wine maker. They enter Baltimore city in spite for the pandemic! Creating a classy, tasteful wine haven looks effortless to us. Yes, they actually make wine in the space. Dave digs in, asking detailed questions about their quality standards. Martha drills down on their simple but clever menu. Who would think that a Union Collective, a former Sears Warehouse would gain a new life quite as vibrant as this!

They'll sell you a bottle of wine in their Swing Top Club--a creative solution? Easily transferable? You decide). They added a collaborative option: the Vermouth Swing Top Club. Their vision evolved into a spacious, copper top bar with gorgeous tile work encircled by wine casks and impressive industrial tanks. Want to hear his story in his own words? Here's a great video.

Guest feel the warmth and hospitality from the moment they enter-- in person, on the web and on the Gram! They are an inspiration!