Holy Guacamole Podcast

It's summertime and this week is just a quick reminder of good episodes gone by! Highlighted are episodes that I've loved doing and others that you have made popular.

Our podcast is now over two years old. If you are a regular listener would you hope over and review the show. When you post a review, it helps listeners find us. That means more restaurants are discovered for the amazing work they are doing.

Support your local food businesses, whether it's a market, a butcher, a cafe, a popup, a foodtruck, cocktail bar and more. Wherever you are in the US or across the world, thanks for following what we do, and appreciating the amazing people serving you food.

Photo Credit: SV Images

shownotes on: MarthaLucius.com

Chef Mel aka Chef Chauncey is thee creative chef you wish you knew! She has explored many avenues in the culinary world both traditional and non-traditional. By nature Chef Mel prefes the thrills and challenges of the roads less travelled! She believes that "food is a universal language" and through food She strives to create opportunities for cultures to connect and learn from one another.

Chef Mel opens up about her journey and gives us a glimpse into how she came to be the Chef she is today. Despite knowing she wanted to be a chef, college took her to Rochester Institute of Technology to study civil engineering where she quickly realized this was not her ideal career. Giving in to her intuition, after graduating RIT with a B.S in Hospitality & Restaurant Management, Chef Mel then attended Le Cordon Bleu Los Angeles, CA, and graduated in 2013.

From then on Chef Melanie has been fully submerged in the world of culinary arts. She has been a contestant on The Food Network's 'Chopped' (season 32 episode 1). She served as the first Black Woman Executive Chef at Baltimore's Moveable Feast where she successfully created efficient systems/processes and managed food cost for medically tailored meals, all while creating a dynamic environment and memorable volunteer experience at a non-profit. Chef Mel has been a beloved guest on many news media outlets, an impactful chef instructor, and has judged numerous food competitions. SPOILER ALERT! Chef Mel has the Best story ever on the podcast: cooking and serving 90,000+ festival goers with a team, a small team, at Coachella! Yes, Coachella!

Currently, Chef Mel is running her own business. Chauncey's is a culinary one stop shop offering: catering/private events, chef instruction for individuals or groups, and spice blends. She shares how 'Chauncey's' got its name, what it takes to run a business, hard work, and the direction she sees Chauncey's moving in.

The best part of this conversation was when we talked about speaking her truth responsibly. Stepping up and sharing her opinion, for the very fact that hers is not the norm. She really is owning her identity as a chef, and as host I was delighted to see her brag and share the amazing things she has done, is doing and is yet to do! Listen to hear where she's going, and feel free to order her spice blends here: https://www.eatmorechaunceys.com/shop

To learn more or inquire about the services she offers, visit the full website here: https://www.eatmorechaunceys.com/home

and of course follow her on IG here: https://www.instagram.com/eatmorechaunceys/ There is more to come, and I cannot wait to see it unfold!

Roger Beaudoin of Restaurant Rockstars sat down with me, Martha Lucius, and we had a deep and far reaching conversation. He is a restaurant consultant., known for tools and resources for restaurant owners who are ready to maximize their sales and profits

Roger is more than a restaurant consultant. He is also a podcast host, and has owned several restaurants that boast solid revenue, good profit and strong teams. The two of us met through our podcasts. You'll get to hear how we both think similarly on revenue, profits and people. Listen for the academy and an app he created to help owners.

If you are an owner, you are probably busy dealing with your labor, food costs, services…okay, you're dealing with every little detail of your business. As a former owner, I know you are doing what you think you need to do. Just know that you do not need to do it alone. There are smart, engaged consultants and strategists like Roger and me who want you to have agency in what you are doing. We each do that in different ways. Remember, work smarter not harder. That's what got me to better revenue, better profits, and a fun and lively culture that is good for your team and your guest.

We're continuing our journey of gastronomy with a reading about whiskey, from a newly published book called Make it a Double. The author Shelley Sackier kindly agreed to a dramatic reading from her book, for Holy Guacamole. She was recently in Baltimore, at an event at Greedy Reads with Chelsea Gregoire. Chelsea added this book to our library at Church Bar and I was first in line to read it. It's punchy, captures Whisky's incredibly history and it's craft. You'll hear her love of the drink too!

How does this little vignette about whiskey relate to your service in your business? Simply put, each item we serve, in hospitality is generally steeped in history. Alcohol comes in so many forms, each with elaborate histories. It may be hard to engage your customers with this level of geekiness. Some of you do pull that off, and good for you. But I'll say that many of us continue to be intrigued by gastronomy, and our love hospitality enough to be life long learners.

Indulge in life long learning when you can and when you want to. Maybe it will seep to the top and make your restaurant, cafe, food truck or bar a little more curious and wonderful.

Here is the short history of delivery service around the world, which culminates in the US.

The business of delivering tiffin boxes in Mumbai started in 1890. It's called Dhabbawallah, when the Parsi and British communities living in Mumbai needed the convenience of a tiffin delivery service.

A year earlier, in. 1889 a pair of Italian royals are widely considered to be the first pizza delivery customers. King Umberto and Queen Margherita recived a pizza from an ambition pizza shop as his way to popularize this new food item. It was one delivery, and build some interest in pizza delivery.

What followed in the US would be chinese food delivery, TV dinners, and the first guarantee of a timed delivery, with Domino's Pizza. More recently meal kits and meal delivery service expanded peoples food horizons with lesser known cuisines.

While this episode may seem out of place among all the first hand interviews with owners, chefs and industry folks, it really is not. Over and over Martha Lucius works with clients on their particular brand, knowing the history and the stories behind a niche proves to be a way to translate your business for your customers. Delivery services may not be new, but each owner can acknowledge it's impact on profitability. Do what's good for the health of the business and your teams.

We are exploring culture in an effort to find the ancient crafts that continue today in hospitality!

Ancient Greeks believed that the gods wanted them to be hospitable to visitors or else they'd be punished

Ancient Greeks also believed that having the highest hospitable standards was also seen as a sign of wealth..

Exploring the origins of any one item can reveal so much of how it's role has changed or grown. The Spice Route allows for exploration and uncovering

Is this escapism? You bet it is! Frankly however you are connected to the food industry, hospitality or restaurant industry you are wanting and needing a getaway. So off we go!

Servant Leadership focuses on being proactive for the business and the team.

This episode defines reactive and proactive and zeros in on being proactive in your business by relying on the principals of Servant Leadership. It's a bit of philosophy, and a bit of pragmatic survival. Enjoy listening.

SOKO Butchery is our third butcher on Holy Guacamole. Chef Brad Feikert , chef/owner is nurturing his business in Takoma Park, MD with his own chef-led style. They are the only butchery shop for a 10 mile radius, where their following appreciates Brad's focus on animal welfare and sustainable farming practices. That's a good thing since Brad has solid experience as a chef internationally, nationally, and now in DC's metro area.

The core of this shop starts with an impressive butcher's case — sellling beef, pork, lamb, poultry. SOKO is unusual as a butcher to also serve delicious sandwiches. Breakfast biscuits compliment their meat-egg-cheese sandwiches for the early birds. Brad mentions the Cubano, clearly a favorite for lunch. They have some complementary products — preserves and soon, some exotics. They do not have seating at this time, but that's a favorite topic for their customers. Remains to be seen if Brad's superpowers will include seats.

Enjoy listening, and we'll even recommend that you stop in for a visit. Welcoming environment, amazing food, easy summer dinners await.

SOKO Butchery's Website

Holy Guacamoles mission is to support owners. Today's show we have on Chris Franzoni of EatmoreBmore shares his professional opinion about Social Media. He has his own account, and is familiar with content, social media's changing rules and emphasis.

Chris's underlying mission is to share and highlight positive messages for Baltimore restaurants. He shares ideas about the spectrum of styles social media can take on.

If you are hesistating, he advices to be active, and have a plan.

Here is Chris Franzoni's website. Chris Franzoni's IG. Enjoylistening. Let us know what you find useful. We will be over in IG @holy_guacamole_podcast