The Build: Restuarant 201

This season is all about finances. This week we talk about what it takes to parlay a successful pop up into a permanent home. Because sometimes there is a less traditional path is the one with taking.

Our guests today are doing just that. Patricia Howard and Ed Szymanski have been operating Dame, a small English Restaurant as a long term pop up in the West Village since the beginning of the summer. And are currently working on a permanent home for next spring. They met working at The Beatrice Inn with Chef Angie Mar where Ed was a chef and Patricia ran operations.

Photo Courtesy of Dame

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Long before we closed our dining rooms, many chefs had opened Fast Casual concepts as a way to increase their revenue stream and ease growth expansion vs the weighing costs associated with full service casual and traditional fine dining. There are obvious drawbacks to Fast Casual, like the need for a dialed down menu, different style of service experience, and piles on piles of togo containers. So how do the numbers really stack up? Should it be a part of every chef/entrepreneurs journey to operate a fast casual restaurant in addition to a fine dining concept? And if the numbers are so great, why do we have anything else?

Those answers, plus lots more questions ahead with today’s guest. Our friend, chef Einat Admony joins us today to tell us how to get rich in restaurants! If only it were that easy! Einat is the chef and owner of Balaboosta and Taim, the latter has 6 outlets. We’ve been enjoying Einat’s food for years and it’s easy for us to see why her food has grown from a small spot in The West Village to Nolita to a full fledged restaurant group.

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Lien Ta, managing partner of All Day Baby and the former Here’s Looking at You in Los Angeles,CA. She recently shared the struggle of operating Here’s Looking at You and launching All Day Baby in the midst of the pandemic with LA mayor Eric Garcetti, that was aired during the Democratic National Convention. Her story is not singular, it is shared by many. 

Since this season is all about money, today we talk about the financial decisions that behind closing Here’s Looking at You and the same decisions that made it viable to push forward with All Day Baby. 
 

Photo Courtesy of Lien Ta

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Today, we’re excited to announce that season 5 of Opening Soon will be devoted to our most listened to and most response inducing topics, you guessed it - money. How to get it, how to spend it, (in today’s pandemic world: how to save it) and depending on your future goals, the most important: how to make it. 

Our guest today is Jason Goodman, he is the co-founder of Bathhouse in Williamsburg Brooklyn. They opened their doors in late 2019 to rave reviews from bathers and diners and were profitable from nearly the outset. Then came COVID. Today we talk to Jason about managing a budget for profitability or just even to keep the doors open in an unpredictable time

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Restoration is defined as the act of returning something to its former condition or, in this case, grandeur. The team behind Gage & Tollner worked tirelessly throughout 2019 and into 2020 to restore a legend of the Brooklyn dining scene. They were slated to open on March 15th (dare I call into conversation the famous Julius Caesar line?). We all know what happened next. While the world is anxiously awaiting our opportunity for restoration within our own businesses the team behind Gage and Tollner is doing so just as eagerly to share this gem with the city of New York.

Our guests today are Sohui Kim and St. John Frizell; partners in Gage & Tollner and seasoned restauranteurs with several beloved establishments in BK between them.

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Photo Courtesy of Lizzie Munro

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Our guests today, Keavy Landreth and Steph Gallardo are all about being scrappy. For their newest concept Love, Nelly they capitalized on a nearby space, used their already owned equipment, and put their own sweat into a new colombian bakery concept. We first sat down with Keavy and Steph on March 3rd. To chat about their then-upcoming venture, Love Nelly. They opened July 22nd deep into the pandemic.

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Photo Courtesy of Love, Nelly

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We first chatted with Ben, Jason and Josh the team behind Giant in Chicago and now Chef's Special Cocktail Bar on January 14th in the midst of staff training. As you will soon hear one of the key reasons for opening Chef's Special was to provide new growth opportunities to their team including bringing over new partners from the Giant team; Aaron, Tom, and Chase. Today we catch up with Chase Bracamontes, GM Bev Manager and Partner about the opening and re-opening of Chef’s Special and how its impacted their team.

In March, HRN began producing all of our 35 weekly shows from our homes all around the country. It was hard work stepping away from our little recording studio, but we know that you rely on HRN to share resources and important stories from the world of food each week. It’s been a tough year for all of us, but right now HRN is asking for your help. Every dollar that listeners give to HRN provides essential support to keep our mics on. We've got some fresh new thank you gifts available, like our limited edition bandanas.

Keep Opening Soon on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. 

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Weeks after opening their newest restaurant Laser Wolf, Mike Solomonov and Steve Cook found themselves immersed, like all of us, in the pandemic. This episode spans nearly 6 months. We first spoke to Chef Mike Solomonov and Steve Cook on January 28th as they were about to host friend’s and family at their newest restaurant, Laser Wolf in their expanding Philadelphia restaurant empire. And we caught up again on July 22nd, just 1 week after they reopened for outdoor dining. 

In March, HRN began producing all of our 35 weekly shows from our homes all around the country. It was hard work stepping away from our little recording studio, but we know that you rely on HRN to share resources and important stories from the world of food each week. It’s been a tough year for all of us, but right now HRN is asking for your help. Every dollar that listeners give to HRN provides essential support to keep our mics on. We've got some fresh new thank you gifts available, like our limited edition bandanas.

Keep Opening Soon on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. 

Image courtesy of Cooknsolo.

Opening Soon is powered by Simplecast.

There’s a lot more to consider when re-opening your restaurant or business then just when the local government says it's ok to do so. Namely the health and safety of your staff and your family. Not to mention the logistics of converting your space for outdoor only dining.

Our guests today are Leah Cohen and Ben Byruch. Leah is the the chef/owner of Pig & Khao and Piggy Back Bar in NYC. Ben runs the operations for the business. Leah & Ben's business was not only impacted by COVID, but Leah also fell ill with COVID lost her father due to the virus. 

In March, HRN began producing all of our 35 weekly shows from our homes all around the country. It was hard work stepping away from our little recording studio, but we know that you rely on HRN to share resources and important stories from the world of food each week. It’s been a tough year for all of us, but right now HRN is asking for your help. Every dollar that listeners give to HRN provides essential support to keep our mics on. We've got some fresh new thank you gifts available, like our limited edition bandanas.

Keep Opening Soon  on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. 

Opening Soon is powered by Simplecast.

This week we’re airing an episode that starts back in January where we caught up with Ben and Kate Towil of Basic Projects and Post House Tavern & Inn on thier unique approach to design. The follow up conversation to the first was recorded at the Charlseton Wine and Food Festival in early March days before lockdowns first went into place. Today Ben and Kate have completed their renovation but have paused their opening until they better understand how to proceed in light of the pandemic.

In March, HRN began producing all of our 35 weekly shows from our homes all around the country. It was hard work stepping away from our little recording studio, but we know that you rely on HRN to share resources and important stories from the world of food each week. It’s been a tough year for all of us, but right now HRN is asking for your help. Every dollar that listeners give to HRN provides essential support to keep our mics on. We've got some fresh new thank you gifts available, like our limited edition bandanas.

Keep Opening Soon on the air: become an HRN Member today! Go to heritageradionetwork.org/donate. 

Image courtesy of Basic Kitchen.

Opening Soon is powered by Simplecast.