The Build: Restuarant 201

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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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Today we’re talking about breaking the mold, the risks and the advantages of going against the norms in your market.

Our guest today is Mason Hereford, Chef/Owner of Turkey & The Wolf & Molly’s Rise & Shine. Mason opened Turkey, which has been dubbed a quirky sandwich shop in New Orleans LA. Turkey was named the best new restaurant in the country by Bon App mag and in 2017. Mason injects his personality and passion into everything he does and its paid off in spades.

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.

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One of the topics that keeps coming to us is wellness, life-work balance and the betterment of restaurant culture. As the industry continues to evolve and improve, some restaurateurs are making strides to introduce practices that create balance and enhance mental and physical health into their establishments.

Our guest today knows a lot about the stresses of restaurants as well as new beginnings. We are very excited to have Chef Sean Brock here today. For the past 12 years Sean was the chef of McCrady’s in Charleston, South Carolina. Sean was also the Founding Chef of the Husk restaurant concepts throughout the American South. Chef Brock will soon open his flagship restaurant compound in East Nashville, TN, his first solo venture. Sean is creating a space that will be dedicated to exploring the possibilities of Appalachian food for many years to come while also addressing his own dedication to health and wellness for himself and his team.

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.

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We started the season talking about finding financing and taking the jump into ownership. So now you have finances in place, time to start thinking about nailing down your brand and design. Today we are joined by James Beard award winning designer Amy Morris of The Morris Project. And Camille Becerra a chef, food stylist and recipe developer in New York City. With close to 20 years of restaurant experience, Becerra’s menus showcase her commitment to healthful, seasonal and local ingredients and her affection for approachable yet refined New American cuisine. And her food is simply beautiful.

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This week’s episode of Opening Soon is all about mentorship, fostering it as a business owner and finding it as a cook. We are joined today by Chef Ed Lee and Lindsey Ofcacek, co-Founders of the LEE Initiative, which stands for Lets Empower Employment, the initiative which works to bring more diversity and equality to the restaurant industry through their 6 month mentorship program.

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Most of the guests on the show work for various chefs and restaurateurs before striking out on their own. But our guest today doesn't do things like most people. Angie Mar took the helm of the storied Beatrice Inn and then negotiated to purchase it from the owners a few years later. Angie is a lover of all things meat. She was a Food & Wine BNW in 2017, the year after she purchased the Beatrice Inn, which is still one of the hardest reservations to get in NYC.

Photo Courtesy of Eric Vitale

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Our first episode of the season focused on a more traditional route of funding through investor relations with Camilla Marcus. Today we’re going in a different direction of raising funds by exploring the path to opening Mae and Yonder here in PDX with Chef/Owner Maya Lovelace. Maya successfully crowdfunded her restaurant and we sat down to chat in special live episode of Opening Soon.

Maya was an Eater Young Gun and Eater Portland Chef of the Year in 2016, a Zagat National 30 under 30 in 2017, a JBFA Rising Star semifinalist in 2017 and 2018, and a StarChefs Rising Star in 2018. Her restaurants draw on her family heritage in Appalachia with Yonder hitting on southern classics, and Mae a refined approach through a tasting menu personally delivered by the chef herself.

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