Most restaurateurs build their business with the hope of making it as long as today’s guest. 13 strong years. But how do you know when it’s time to rethink the space, the concept, or even the menu? And how do you do it in a way to that can reinvigorate that energy while keeping your brand and your loyal customers? 

Our guests today are Thomas McNaughton, Co-Executive Chef & Founding Partner, and Ryan Pollnow, Co-Executive Chef & Partner of Flour + Water Hospitality group. Flour + Water closed earlier this year for a four month renovation while the team continued to open new concepts including Penny Roma and Flour + Water Pizzeria coming Spring 2023.

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The pandemic gave and it took from us. Focusing on the upside to a worldwide pandemic may seem unusual, but in reality the covid era gave birth to some fresh ideas and many creative businesses. Some of those have since turned permanent. 

Our guests today are chefs Sarah Mispagel and Ben Lustbader of Loaf Lounge. Sarah and Ben have worked at many of Chicago’s best restaurants. The concept for Loaf Lounge was honed during a pop up during the pandemic. And now the bread forward cafe is delighting diners, including our family of bread enthusiasts on a recent trip to Chicago.

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Coming this spring we're working on something BIG for Opening Soon. Opening a restaurant can sometimes take months, or even years. This spring, you'll be able to hear it all happen in just a few hours...

Tune in as we follow one of Brooklyn's best and brightest young chefs and restaurateurs on their journey from start to open doors. It's The Build.

The Build is produced by Taylor Early, Armen Spendjian, H Conley, Matt Patterson, and hosted by Alex McCrery and Jenny Goodman. Audio engineering by Armen Spendjian, H Conley and Matt Patterson.

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We often hear when one door closes another one opens. That is quite literally the case for Clover Hill in BK. It was the pandemic that forced the closure of the 4 month old Brooklyn Heights restaurant, but the re-opening of their doors 2 years later came with a fresh culinary team and today’s guest at the helm.

Our guest today is Chef Charlie Mitchell of Clover Hill BK. Charlie has worked his way through some of NYCs finest restaurants. Clover Hill has been transformed to a 7 course tasting menu. Last month Clover Hill received its first Michelin star and Charlie was named Michelin's Young Chef Award.

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Donuts. Entrepreneurship. Donuts.

Our guest today is Zewiditu Jewel bringing vegan donuts from Baltimore to Brooklyn. Zewiditu is the shop operator for the Brooklyn Heights location of Cloudy Donuts, and they have been working on their 3rd location - the Brooklyn Heights bakery - for 2 years, and just celebrated their opening weekend.

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When I was running down my culinary goals I had hoped to head a NYC kitchen by the time I was 30. It seemed ambitious at the time and I was equally proud once achieved. But it pales in comparison to the drive and success of today’s guest. She can proudly say that she’s the owner of 3 restaurants with a fourth on the way, all at that same young age of 30. 

Our guest today is Amelie Kang of MáLà Project. At 23, Amelie opened the first location of MáLà Project in East Village, sharing the originality of her hometown Chinese cuisine, and has since opened two more locations in Bryant Park and Midtown East, with a fourth opening in Greenpoint coming soon!

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If you’re involved in hospitality then you have, or maybe should have, read Danny Meyer’s industry guidebook to success, Setting the Table. One of the things you’ll garner is the importance of understanding a neighborhood, and of building a group of restaurants with easy access to one another. Our guests today may have flirted with Manhattan expansion, but found their 2nd restaurant calling was the neighborhood they’ve already started in. 

Chris McDade is the chef and co-owner behind Popina and Gus’s Chophouse in Brooklyn. Originally from GA like myself, and then finding his way into USHG kitchens in NYC. We also have Popina and Gus’s Chop House co-owner James O’Brien, also a USHG alumn who manages the FOH ops and beverage program for the group.

Photo Courtesy of Teddy Wolf.

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As most of our listeners know, we are also the founders and operators of Tilit, so we appreciate great style when it crosses our path. Our guest today, a longtime hospitality professional, had such style (and still has) when she first came into our showroom years ago. So we’re doubly excited to welcome her now to the podcast to hear about her growing group of restaurants.

Our guest today is Natalie Freihon of Nat’s on Bank and Bleecker. Natalie is a seasoned hospitality operator and is the founder of Strangebird Hospitality Group. She brings her fresh, whimsical, and always stylish brand of hospitality to NYC, putting people over profits. Long time friend of Tilit, we are excited to catch up!

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Traditionally we chat with restaurant entrepreneurs who are in the process of building, catching a glimpse into the process and challenges that unfold during opening. Today we’re fortunate to be having a conversation from the other side as our guests are approaching their 1 year anniversary. 

Our guests today are a fellow husband and wife team, Chef Jenner Tomaska and Katrina Bravo of Esme Chicago. They met the old fashioned way like Alex and I, working at a restaurant together. Michelin Starred Esme is their first venture, prior to which Jenner was the Chef at Next in and Katrina was the marketing director

Photo Courtesy of Jaclyn Rivas.

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Our guest today is just as skilled at facing challenges as she is at crafting Arab breads and more. Through the pandemic and an oven fire she has succeeded and grown, with plans for a new space coming soon.

I was lucky to meet Reem Assil at FAB in Charleston this past June and was inspired by all she had to share and immediately invited her to be on the show. Reem, the founder of Reem’s California and Author of Arabiyya, recipes from the life of an Arab in Diaspora.

Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Opening Soon by becoming a member!

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