When it comes to a new restaurant lease, everything is a negotiation. Your terms presented at signing have the power to dramatically shape your business. Whether it be Tenant improvements, Term lengths, Concession, Backout clauses for permit approvals and more, it is not a decision to made quickly or alone. 

Today’s Guests are Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel and Arjav Ezekiel of Birdie’s Austin, a forthcoming neighborhood cafe on the East side of Austin, TX. Tracy and Arjav have an impressive roster of experience including Del Posto, Gramercy Tavern, Blue Hill and Untitled. Last we spoke with them they were in negotiations on their 5th space of serious potential.

Opening Soon  is powered by Simplecast.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You have been dreaming of opening your own place for years. You have a business plan. Now you need a pile of money to get the place open. Where do you start? When can you start? How many people do you need to pitch? How many no’s before you get a yes? Today’s Guest is Brandon Byrd of Square Bar a forthcoming Bar and naturally leavened pan pizza joint in Brooklyn. Brandon has worked in operations at multi unit establishments such as two boots and in culinary at several top spots including Momofuku, Best Pizza & Lenoir. Square Bar will be Brandon’s first solo venture as a restaurateur. We first chatted with Brandon on January 14th about his fundraising journey and then we will catch up live today.

Photo Courtesy of MattPatterson

Opening Soon is powered bySimplecast.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This season we are mixing it up and interviewing chefs and restaurateurs as they actively open a restaurant. We’ll be chatting before and after a milestone moment to hear the preparation and later of course get the skinny on how it all went to down.

So you have your restaurant concept and are ready to hit the ground running, but where do you start? Well if your business plan includes selling alcohol you may need to start by applying for a liquor license. In fact past guest liquor attorney Robert Bookman recommended starting the process as soon as you are serious about a space and maybe even before you sign the lease. 

Today’s Guests are Elena Yamamoto and Yael Peet, Co-Chefs of the forthcoming restaurant Fury’s on Christopher St in NYC’s West Village.. Fury's is a Kappo-style Japanese restaurant planning to open in the Summer of 2020. We first chatted with Elena & Yael on January 14th as they were beginning the liquor license process.
 

Opening Soon is powered by Simplecast.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The hospitality industry is historically and notoriously been known for late nights and hard partying. The drug and booze filled nights were famously chronicled by Anthony Bourdain in Kitchen Confidential. But over the past several years there seems to be a cultural shift happening in the industry and many chefs and restaurateurs are speaking out about and championing their sobriety. In fact some food festivals and consumer events are even embracing the alcohol free events.

Our guest today knows a thing or two about sobriety and restaurant culture. Steve Palmer is the managing partner of Indigo Road with 20+ restaurants and over 900 employees across the American South. Steve has been sober for over 17 years, started a non-profit called Ben’s Friends and has a new book out called Say Grace. Super excited to have Steve here to chat about how we can support sobriety and wellness in restaurant culture.

Opening Soon is powered by Simplecast.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

There are over 1.4 M businesses in the US run by married couples and I can rattle off dozens of restaurants run by couples from the top of my head. And family owned businesses account for 64% of the GDP and account for 62% of all employment opportunities. So what makes working with your family so appealing? And what are some of the challenges. As a husband and wife team we are excited to get to the bottom of some of these questions with one of our other favorite partners in biz and life- David and Anna Posey of Elske in Chicago.

David and Anna worked their way through some of the best kitchens in Chicago before partnering on Elske. Elske has won numerous awards including Bon App Hot 10 in 2016, Eater BNR and earned and retained a Michelin star since 2017.

The holiday season is all about food and community. There’s no better time to show your support for food radio by becoming a member! Lend your voice and help HRN continue to spreading the message of equitable, sustainable, and delicious food – together, we can change minds and build a better food system. Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate today to become a crucial part of the HRN community.

Photo Courtesy of Huge Galdones

Opening Soon is powered by Simplecast.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Opening a restaurant comes with a laundry list of challenges. Let’s assume you’ve checked all the boxes and you have your opening date. Now it’s all about getting people IN to your restaurant. How do you devise the press strategy for opening? And what parts of your business are unique and interesting from a press perspective? I’m confident our guest today can advise on all these issues and more.

Riddle me this, what happens when a PR Pro opens bi-coastal champagne bars? Two very buzzy restaurants. Jen Pelka in the Founder and CEO of The Riddler, the popular all-women funded champagne bar in NYC and San Francisco. Jen is also the founder of Magnum PR, the leading restaurant PR agency in SF. Prior to the Riddler Jen worked alongside chef Daniel Bolud for 5 years and then went on to marketing content and strategy roles at Opentable, Gilt and Tumblr.

Opening Soon is powered by Simplecast.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sometimes the city where you cut your teeth and completed your training may not be the best place to start your business. Either for personal or financial reasons. When and how do you decide to move to a new market? What are the challenges and some of the benefits of going from a city like NYC to a smaller city with a burgeoning food scene in the midwest?

Our guest today is Gavin Kaysen Chef/Owner of Spoon & Stable, Demi, and Bellecourt. Gavin has worked at fining dining restaurants across the globe and was the Executive Chef at Cafe Boulud before returning to MN in 2014 to open Spoon & Stable. Gavin is a two time JBFA recipient and was named Best Chef Midwest in 2018.

Image courtesy of Libby Anderson.

Opening Soon is powered by Simplecast.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

There are lots of ways to define the type of restaurant you will open, one of the more inviting ideas is that of a neighborhood restaurant. A neighborhood restaurant helps foster community, transcends trendiness and carries with it the potential to be around for a very long time. Obviously that takes understanding the location of your business and the patrons that will populate it. A feat Happy Cooking Hospitality has achieved very successfully. 

At the helm and our guest is founder and CEO Gabriel Stulman.

Photo Courtesy of Eric Medsker

Opening Soon is powered by Simplecast.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

One of the most common resources we hear guests shout out time and time again on the show is simply other people: friends, coworkers, superiors, mentors, vendors, the list goes on. Our guest today has been mentioned on many occasions for their guidance helping to avoid costly and time consuming mistakes through proper planning. Super excited to welcome David Helbraun of Helbraun & Levy.

David Helbraun is the Founding Partner and Chairman of Helbraun Levey, New York City's preeminent hospitality law firm. Over the past 15 years, David has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs open (and close) their first restaurant.

Join Heritage Radio Network on Monday, November 11th, for a raucous feast to toast a decade of food radio. Our tenth anniversary bacchanal is a rare gathering of your favorite chefs, mixologists, storytellers, thought leaders, and culinary masterminds. We’ll salute the inductees of the newly minted HRN Hall of Fame, who embody our mission to further equity, sustainability, and deliciousness. Explore the beautiful Palm House and Yellow Magnolia Café, taste and imbibe to your heart’s content, and bid on once-in-a-lifetime experiences and tasty gifts for any budget at our silent auction. Tickets available now at heritageradionetwork.org/gala.

Opening Soon is powered by Simplecast.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Food is sustenance, when brought to another level it can be much more. Great food can wow diners, but what about the experience of dining from walking in the door and being greeted by the team to finishing off your meal and walking away from the table. How can the owner/restaurateur impact each component of the journey to create a memorable personal experience.

Simon Kim is the owner of Cote, a modern Korean steakhouse in Manhattan’s Flatiron district and Undercote, its subterranean bar and cocktail lounge. Coote marries the conviviality and lavors of Korean barbeque with the top-notch ingredients, stellar service and stylish interiors of the classic American steakhouse.. Cote received 2 stars from the NY times and is the only table top korean table top grill to have a michelin star.

Join Heritage Radio Network on Monday, November 11th, for a raucous feast to toast a decade of food radio. Our tenth anniversary bacchanal is a rare gathering of your favorite chefs, mixologists, storytellers, thought leaders, and culinary masterminds. We’ll salute the inductees of the newly minted HRN Hall of Fame, who embody our mission to further equity, sustainability, and deliciousness. Explore the beautiful Palm House and Yellow Magnolia Café, taste and imbibe to your heart’s content, and bid on once-in-a-lifetime experiences and tasty gifts for any budget at our silent auction. Tickets available now at heritageradionetwork.org/gala.

Opening Soon is powered by Simplecast.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.