Corner Booth Podcast

Episode 42: Raz Halili & Joe Cervantez

Raz Halili returned home from a trade show to learn that his father had purchased a closed beachfront restaurant in San Leon, Texas. The Halili family has operated a successful seafood wholesale company for years, but Raz knew running a restaurant would be a much different experience. The second-generation oyster man found himself in the restaurant business.

 

"I had no restaurant experience," says Raz, "but I knew that I needed strong people to help build the foundation of my concept." He turned to Joe Cervantez, armed with experience in the kitchen of fine-dining landmark creole seafood concept Brennan’s, to be executive chef for the new seafood & oyster house restaurant -- Pier 6 

 

Learn how in just two years Raz and Joe worked together to create a successful beachfront seafood dining experience, and since expanded into lodging with six beachfront rental bungalows to serve local residents and weekend, destination visitors. The surf and turf menu has a heavy New Orleans influence and is seasonally updated. The expansive premises accommodate outdoor balcony space along with beautifully appointed interior dining and bar areas, for both casual and special-occasion dining. Raz and Joe explain how they quickly developed a successful brand with a quality menu and high-performing team in spite of Covid labor and supply chain challenges.

Episode 41: Ryan Soroka

Self-described "entre-brew-neur" Ryan Soroka is president and co-founder of the successful 8th Wonder Brewery, based in Houston’s vibrant "EaDo" neighborhood. Hospitality graduate school and a passion for beer took him on his journey from home brewing to running a food truck to launching a popular brewery and brew pub.

 

Upon graduation from university, Ryan began his career in corporate finance, but after acknowledging his true calling, he pursued and earned a master’s degree in hospitality management at the Conrad N. Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership at the University of Houston. "Graduate school built my confidence and solidified my passion for this industry," says Ryan. It is also where he met his future business partner Aaron Corsi. "There was a natural progression in my business planning from food truck to brick and mortar restaurant and brewpub to brewery," adds Ryan.

 

In its 10th year of business, 8th Wonder produces a wide variety of classic beers and ales, including seasonal offerings. More recently, 8th Wonder has successfully expanded into spirits distillery under the brand 8 times Vodka and Texas Whiskey, as well as a line of non-alcoholic offerings under the brand  Wonderwaters. 

 

In this episode, Ryan explains how he and his team manage a successful brewery operation — including production, taproom service, onsite events, product development, and community marketing.

Episode 40: Kirk Ruoff

With 23 units of his breakfast, lunch, and brunch concept Turning Point operating in New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania, founding CEO Kirk Ruoff knows the challenges of starting and growing a successful multi-unit restaurant brand.

 

In this episode, Kirk shares how attention to daily operations attracts and retains staff. "The unit manager is the heart of our brand," says Kirk, adding, "All services are intended to support them." He explains how leveraging current technology to communicate with, schedule, and train staff can foster engagement and teamwork.

 

"When pick-up and delivery orders increased over 300%, our staff rallied, and some of the best suggestions regarding packaging, operations efficiency, reheating instructions and marketing came from them," says Kirk.

 

A flexible concept, Turning Point is able to move into both new and second-generation locations ranging from 3,500 to 5,000 square feet. Kirk’s strategy for growth going forward is franchising, with a franchisee-operated unit in the works in Pennsylvania, with similar expansion in Virginia and Florida to follow.

Episode 39: Bob Yacone

Bob Yacone won first place in the nation for traditional pizza at the International Pizza Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada the same year he won first place at the National Buffalo Chicken Wing Festival in Buffalo, New York. 

 

But his life hasn't always been a series of impressive awards. In this episode, we learn how he went from a difficult life in Brooklyn, New York to a successful restaurant operator in the Southwest. "My adopted grandmother got me interested in food. She raised me and was wonderful in the kitchen," he says, adding, "I enjoyed it immediately."

 

Bob launched full-service Italian restaurant Forghedaboudit! in Deming, New Mexico, home to his wife Kim’s family. He explains how he successfully developed a large loyal guest following in a challenging secondary market and - in spite of the pandemic - launched a smaller-footprint counter-service and take-out version of the concept in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Bob plans to expand Forghedaboudit! via franchising, with the next location to be slated for opening in El Paso, Texas sometime next year.

Episode 38: David Jones

Tune in to this episode to learn how to go from good to excellent. An engineer by training, David Jones applied his analytical and business expertise to restaurant management education. He is the founder of The Excellence Advisory, a premier hospitality leadership development group. His approach has helped many independent restaurant operators increase their effectiveness, improve staff retention, and turn their managers into better leaders.

 

David spent seven years on the Pal’s Business Excellence Institute, the Tennessee-based management development arm of Pal’s Sudden Service restaurant group, the only quick-service restaurant chain restaurant to earn a Malcolm Baldrige award. “The more we think like our customers, the more we realize the importance of quality and value,” says David, adding, “when we think like our staff we realize the importance of a quality work environment and being valued!”

 

In the wake of the pandemic, David believes operators have a “second chance to make a first impression on returning guests and staff.” The winners will be concepts that engage their staff and empower their management team.

Episode 37: David Tripoli

David Tripoli has 40 years of experience in the restaurant industry as a manager, multiunit supervisor, concept developer, and operations executive. He most recently directed independent restaurant company Truluck’s Ocean's Finest Seafood & Crab with its expansion to 12 units in five states with annual revenue exceeding 80 million. "Successful expansion is found within your concepts bench strength," David tells us, "because it’s a people business after all."

 

In this episode, David shares his philosophy on management leadership development and his proven steps to follow from management selection, initial training and supervision, to ongoing development.

 

"Management is about managing situations, but leadership is motivational and creates the positive culture today's staff members look for and deserve," says David. "Restaurants perform so much better when staff is inspired and not simply overseen."

 

David’s successful experience with developing good managers into great leaders has helped many others grow and exceed their expectations. "Positive character development and personal growth is another result of successful leadership," says David. 

 

Considering today’s competitive labor market, it has never been more important to maintain a positive work environment where managers properly lead and staff excel and grow. This is a must-listen.

Episode 36: Alex Canter

Alex Canter is CEO of Nextbite, which states as its goal "to ensure every kitchen with extra capacity is not only surviving, but thriving" with off-premises virtual brand sales. Alex is not just a young tech entrepreneur. He is a savvy and seasoned restaurateur, who at age 12 started working in his family's business - the landmark Canter's Deli, an iconic Los Angeles dining destination serving locals, tourists, and celebrities.

 

Alex successfully preserved the time-honored traditions of a fourth-generation family-owned restaurant while modernizing it with cutting-edge technology to streamline operations and online ordering. In the process. Alex discovered his passion for restaurant industry innovation. "If you aren't thinking about the next generation of your restaurant, there may not be one," he says.

 

In this episode we learn how Alex conceived and developed Nextbite to help independent operators maximize revenue with very little additional operating costs. "Fitting the right virtual brand into an independently owned restaurant operation helps raise revenue from currently underutilized kitchens," he explains.

 

Nextbite's successful virtual brands include George Lopez Tacos, Wichcraft, Crave Burger, Wild Wild Wings, Grilled Cheese Society, Lucky Dragon, and many more. Nextbite also provides menu execution and operations assistance, and an ordering platform that simplifies third-party delivery orders and transactions. Alex also explains the company's unique revenue-sharing program with partner restaurant operators.

 

Considering takeout and third-party delivery sales comprise as much as half the revenue for many independent operators, that alone is good reason to tune in and learn Alex's bold vision of the future of off-premises dining.

Episode 35: Aaron Lyons

Aaron Lyons came to the restaurant industry to create the guest experience he wanted. With a solid business background and education, but no restaurant industry experience, his years of business travel and dining out inspired his desire to develop a new fresh, farm-to-table concept. Following a career in finance and armed with an MBA, Aaron created a business plan for a new flex-casual restaurant with healthier menu offerings and an improved guest experience.

 

In this episode, we learn how Aaron’s process of concept development, site selection, and raising capital resulted in the launch of the first unit of Dish Society in 2014. 

 

He shares the challenges of a new concept, including long ticket times and inventory management problems, along with the systems and procedures he employed to create consistency.

 

"We are a people-forward company," says Aaron. "A strong team led by my director of operations is why I expanded this concept into a five-unit company within six years." 

 

Earlier in 2022, Aaron and his team opened Daily Gather, a new full-service restaurant and bar with intentions of expansion. Dish Society and Daily Gather utilize current technology to market and operate more efficiently and effectively, with online orders for pickup and third-party delivery accounting for more than 40% of total revenue. 

 

With high unit success and multiple brands in operation, Aaron has no plan to slow down anytime soon. And despite his success in off-premises demand for his brands, says Aaron, "I remain bullish on the dine-in guest experience and believe in the need for people to have a place."

Episode 34: Brian O’Neill

Brian O’Neill’s foray into the restaurant business began as a teenager working in his parents' diners in Manhattan. This led to positions at well-known New York concepts including the venerable Russian Tea Room and the original Hard Rock Cafe. Brian later moved to Boston where he managed the Bull and Finch Pub, the setting for the television sitcom “Cheers”.

The story didn’t end there. In this episode, Brian explains what brought him to the Lone Star state and his purchase of the historic Alamo Springs Cafe in Fredricksburg, TX. He shares the old-school secrets of his success in this restaurant venture: “Core values based on a commitment to quality and service work no matter what the concept.”

Brian takes pride in preserving the special history of Alamo Springs Cafe while improving the menu, the entertainment offered, and its operations. “There is always room for improvement,” says Brian.

Listen in and learn how a restaurant management veteran stepped into ownership over an iconic existing concept and led it toward future success while honoring its unique past.

Episode 33: David Cordua

The award-winning restaurants the Cordua family created include Churrascos, Américas, Artista, and Cordua Events. A product of this distinguished legacy, Executive Chef David Cordua gained his appreciation for and education in Latin cuisine as a child in his grandmother’s kitchen. With a degree in culinary arts and restaurant experience in Europe, he eventually launched his own concept The Lymbar Kitchen and Cocktails, named after the street of the first family home in America. It is scheduled to open in Spring 2022. “Lymbar is my opportunity to take the Latin culture and tradition I learned and present it in my own way,” says David.

In this episode, David discusses his experience launching a new restaurant concept in the current market, including location, financing, design, construction, menu development, and staffing decisions.

Learn from this bright young entrepreneur his strategies to overcome the obstacles to starting a business post-pandemic and why he believes today’s business environment offers tremendous opportunity.