In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Heather Golden Ray and Jenny Engel, the sisters and chefs behind the brand-new plant-based fast casual Hey, Sunshine Kitchen. Heather and Jenny have run the Los Angeles vegan cooking school Spork Foods since 2007, but Hey, Sunshine Kitchen is their first restaurant, and it just opened last week. Heather and Jenny joined the podcast to talk about what it’s like to be first-time restaurateurs in 2023 and how they’re transitioning their business running a cooking school and writing cookbooks into a brand that they hope to scale to multiple locations.

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• A solid stable of recipes lays the foundation for your brand
• Your menu isn’t the only path to achieving your broader brand mission
• Patience and persistence will pay off in the end
• Every challenge is an opportunity for growth
• You don’t have to measure success by number of locations or size of your profit margin
• As a restaurant leader, your energy sets the tone for the rest of your team

Have feedback or ideas for Take-Away? Email Sam at [email protected].