The Build: Restuarant 201

The world has gone on pause, and whether you agree with it or not, our government and our society have seemingly dealt a near-death blow to every restauranteur out there. So when all bets are off, why not try something new? Something you’ve been thinking about for years, or perhaps something you and your friend concocted in a late-night, buzz-induced brainstorming session. 

Today’s marketplace is the perfect time to try something creative, perhaps super low-budget, but don’t forget to make it good. This season we’re very much into the new hustle. Collaborations, pop-ups, the scrappy, and the lean-minded. Diners, whether still at home or newly vaccinated, are in dire need of fresh food from some fresh minds. 

Today we’re joined with 3 chefs from Asheville, NC. Rob Jones from The Chop Shop Butchery, Graham House of Session Cafe, and Andrew Mcleod of Ave M., who have teamed up to pop-up every Monday and Tuesday. Trashalachian is the side hustle of side hustles.

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

Opening Soon is Powered by Simplecast.

There has, perhaps, never been a more important time than now to be involved in your community: the place you live, the people you work with, the guests that patronize your business. Community can be a catalyst for your business. It can also be a lifeline. 

Collaborations seem to be everywhere. No, we don’t just mean quirky food combos, but rather legitimate teamwork within and amongst the greater hospitality community. In the case of today’s guest, he may not be here if it weren’t for such openness, sharing, and the partnership-approach to cooking that exists today. 

Our guest today is Eric See, a Brooklyn based pastry chef and the founder of the short-lived, but well-received The Awkward Scone cafe in Bushwick. See opened Ursula, a New Mexican-inspired cafe and bakery, and an homage to his grandmother and New Mexican upbringing, in Crown Heights in September 2020. 

Photo Courtesy of Eater.

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

Opening Soon is Powered by Simplecast.

The pandemic isn’t over. Cases are still piling up and precautionary measures are still at a peak. Restrictions remain tight on restaurants in most major cities, NYC included. As of today, all indoor dining remains on "pause". But the first seeds of the post-pandemic world are beginning to break ground - let’s say the ramps of the entrepreneurial world! It’s been exciting to see how some chefs have adapted, sprung out on their own, and used this challenge to turn their dreams into a reality. 

In this 6th season of OS, we are chatting with entrepreneurial spirits who are making it work in a modified food world, delighting their customers, and building something new. 

Around Thanksgiving, my Instagram feed started showing me images of orange stained tacos laden with melted cheese, and braised meat. Several even show the tacos dipped into a beef broth or a “pizza” (that same birria, sandwiched between two huge handmade tortillas.) 

Thanks in part to Gothamist and Grubstreet, but mostly to those epic pics, we found ourselves eagerly standing in a well-distanced line to get our take at Nene’s Taqueria, a deli in Bushwick, BK. Today we’re excited to kick off our season with chef-owner Andres Tanatiuh Galindo Maria. 

Photo Courtesy of Nene's Taqueria.

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

Opening Soon is Powered by Simplecast.

In some ways the start of the pandemic really reminded me of the first few months with a newborn. You barely leave the house, you feel anxious and tired, and you realize at 1 PM that you still haven’t changed out of your sweatpants… Preparing your mind, body and business for a newborn is challenging enough, just imagine adding in fighting for your restaurant's survival during a pandemic.

Our guests today are doing just that. Maiko, owner, and Emily, chef, of Bessou - the amazing Japanese comfort food restaurant  here in NYC - are both 8 months pregnant. We don’t talk enough about the challenges of being a working parent in the hospitality industry or during this pandemic. On today's episode, we change that.

Photo Courtesy of Evan Sung

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

Opening Soon is Powered by Simplecast.

  We have talked a lot about the pivots and changes restaurants are making since the pandemic started. But some restaurants are staying true to their core identity, making it work while adding on additional revenue streams.

With the “cold dark winter” upon us, how are restaurateurs planning to keep their teams employed, their businesses intact and their customers happy while maintaining what they’ve built?

Our guest today is Nico Russell, Chef/Co-Owner of Oxalis, a Michelin starred neighborhood bistro in Crown Heights, BK. Oxalis garnered fans for offering a hyper seasonal affordable tasting menu. Which they continue to do today, in addition to offering an a al carte menu outdoors and pantry subscriptions.

Photo Courtesy of L Palmberg

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

Opening Soon is Powered by Simplecast.

Most of our conversations over the last several months have emphasized the struggles of maintaining a food business during the pandemic, from adding delivery concepts, to indoor dining floundering to building and heating their street patios. Today we are excited to hear how a West Coast business has been able to grow and increase employee benefits during this challenging time. 

Our guest today is Laura Anderson, owner and operator of Local Ocean Seafood in Newport, Oregon. Laura comes from a small boat fishing family and has grown Local Ocean into a market with a small eatery attached to a full blown restaurant with double the capacity. Throughout the pandemic they've helped keep their business running with DockBox, a weekly, seafood-focused meal kit  that contains all the ingredients and instructions needed to make Local Ocean's signature recipes at home (if you live in Oregon!). 

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

Opening Soon is Powered by Simplecast.

Our guest today is Andrew Tarlow, prolific Brooklyn restaurateur and founder of the Marlow Collective. Andrew has been nourishing people at Diner for more than 20 years and manages to create places that always feel timeless and relevant. 

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

Opening Soon is Powered by Simplecast.

Forging relationships shouldn’t be a punch list on your career, or should it? If you’re doing your job well, treating people well, training and learning along the way, then naturally you’re going to be relationship building. But what about in the dining room? Often the path to your next venture or your first venture can be sitting out in the dining room enjoying your food and praising the experience. But it’s the relationships that people form that can earn someone’s trust. Understanding your passion as well as your vision are necessary compliments to a well executed meal. 

Our guest today is Chef Shaun Hergatt. A Michelin-starred Chef known for his refined and technical approach. Shaun garnered accolades at his former NYC fine dining temples SHO Shaun Hergatt and Juni. Shaun’s latest venture is a vegetable and seafood forward concept in Soho called Vestry, which just opened on October 2nd.

Photo Courtesy of Liz Clayman

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

Opening Soon is Powered by Simplecast.

Most restaurants today are in a constant state of change. Some are closing. Many have already closed. In the midst of difficulty lies opportunity. Rents have and are dropping and landlords are desperate for tenants with backing. Competition is obviously minimized. Talent is available and ready. Can opportunity be made from this shitty year and if so, what other new challenges lie in the wait?

Our guest today is Jorge Guzman, chef and partner of Petite Leon in Minneapolis MN. Prior Petite Leon, Jorge was exec chef at Surly Brewing in Minneapolis and was a F&W BNC and a JBF finalist. Jorge and his partners began building earlier their restaurant earlier this year. 

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

Opening Soon is Powered by Simplecast.

With spaces closing, adapting or sadly: empty and many chefs on the move,  never has there been a better time to collab. And we have indeed seen a ton of really great pop ups. But how do the economics of a pop up work out and how can you translate a successful pop up to a permanent business?

If you feel like you have seen our guest today everywhere lately, thats probably because you have.  Excited to welcome to the show, our friend, Chef, Baker, and all around bad ass Lani Halliday. Lani has been building her brand  for years and in the last couple months alone she was a chef in resident at Maison Yaki and popped up at Dame NYC, all while working towards a space of her own.

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

Opening Soon is Powered by Simplecast.