Corner Booth Podcast

Episode 22: Lance Fegen

Lance Fegen combined his tremendous culinary talent and lifelong interest in surfing to create a way of life that successfully serves him and his growing following of customers. His latest concept “Fegen’s” is a casual, neighborhood restaurant and bar offering fresh seafood and traditional Italian favorites. Lance and his partners seized an opportunity during the recent pandemic to take over a closed restaurant in a well-established location and revitalize it with this new concept.
 
In this episode, we learn how Lance’s experience exploring the world’s most exotic surfing spots influenced his view of food and the restaurant lifestyle. He explains how this lifestyle guides his selection of ingredients and menu items, and his relationship with guests and staff. He says his belief of "being in the moment” has increased his ability to focus on what really matters in the restaurant business and in life.
 
Learn how Lance and his team have bonded to create a culture that has fostered success and quality of life for their business, for themselves, and their community.

Episode 21: Ronnie and Linda Nguyen

Ronnie and Linda Nguyen met as students at the University of Houston Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management. When they married, armed with their hospitality business education, a passion for authentic cuisine, and recipes from a grandmother’s food cart in Vietnam, they launched Roostar Vietnamese Grill, their first restaurant.

Their success comes from a focused menu, a commitment to consistency, a dedicated work ethic, continuous brand development, and a commitment to a positive work environment that supports their team. 

In this episode, learn how Ronnie’s and Linda’s approach to team building has helped them maintain a culture of success while not only succeeding through the recent pandemic but expanding. They discuss how technology helps them select, train, and schedule labor as well as manage product inventory and monitor revenue. They also share their unique approach to community marketing, including social media, which has resulted in a growing customer base. 

With the recent opening of their third location behind them, Ronnie and Linda look forward to a bright future of continued expansion and business and personal growth.

Episode 20: Rolf and Melissa Larson

How does a Kolache bakery concept with locations in a small college town successfully develop a wholesale distribution program currently serving more than 200 retail grocery stores? In this episode, first-time restaurant owners Rolf and Melissa Larson tell their story of how an idea and a family recipe became Kolache Rolf, a small counter-service bakery serving fresh Kolaches, coffee, and breakfast sandwiches. 
 
Listen as they share what they learned through the process of concept development, initial opening, and the challenges of daily operations. Rolf and Melissa started distributing samples to grocers and soon were preparing products at their units for wholesale distribution, with daily delivery to keep up with growing retailer demand. 
 
Now with a 5,000 sq. ft. production facility nearing completion, Rolf and Melissa are working on plans to expand retail grocer distribution, as well as grow their business via the restaurant, hotel, and health-care markets.

Episode 19: Omar Pereney

Combine a passion for food and hospitality with youthful drive and energy. Add years of culinary and restaurant operations experience and expertise. 

Meet Chef Omar Pereney and his remarkable success story.

While still in his early teens, Omar’s love for cooking led him to work in restaurants in Caracas, Venezuela, where he grew up. A gifted chef with an engaging personality, Omar soon became a television cooking show sensation in Latin America. 

At 19, he was executive chef of a fine-dining seafood restaurant in Mexico City, the same year he accepted an opportunity to move to America. Today, in his mid-20s, Omar is principle of Culinary Matters, a premier restaurant consulting group that advises independent restaurant operators throughout the U.S. 

In this episode of the Corner Booth, Omar shares his story and his vision of the restaurant industry going forward. He discusses culinary trends and menu development, and the myriad challenges facing independent restaurant operators today, including staffing, purveyor selection, marketing, and how technology is changing back-of-the-house operations.

Join us for an entertaining and informative conversation on the direction of the restaurant business with an enthusiastic culinary and operations prodigy who believes the best is yet to come.

Episode 18: Matthew Mitchell

Many operators believe a menu needs to be focused. Consultants will tell you that offering too many cuisines is a recipe for failure. First-time startup restaurant owner Matthew Mitchell, a young former pharmaceutical industry executive, thought differently. 

As the name suggests, his concept “Travelers’ Table” reflects his passion for the many international cuisines he experienced in his world travels. At his hip casual full-service restaurant, guests will find Asian, South American, and Mediterranean culinary influences blended with nouveau-American offerings.

In this episode, Matthew explains how he planned this unique concept and staged its opening. He also discusses how to manage a diverse menu in the kitchen, maximize productivity with staff cross-training,  and leverage community marketing to build a loyal following. 

Soon you will be able to learn more about him and his concept on the Food Network. Tune in to this episode of the Corner Booth to hear his story now!

Episode 17: Emily Knight

INDEPENDENT RESTAURANT OPERATORS MATTER!!! is the message delivered by Emily Williams Knight, Ed.D. during this episode of the Corner Booth. Dr. Knight has recently accepted the position of Chief Collaboration Officer and EVP of Industry Relations for the National Restaurant Association. Coming off a very successful couple of years as the CEO of the Texas Restaurant Association and managing its membership through the COVID-19 pandemic, Emily has developed a keen understudying of the issues of the independent restaurant owner. Listen as she shares her thoughts of how the NRA can better serve all of us. This insightful conversation covers her comments on the challenges facing the independent operator and changes coming to the industry… a must listen!

Episode 16: John Buchanan

John Buchanan joined Chicago based-Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises 42 years ago, and his continuing respect for the organization assures him he made a good choice. In his successful career with the 120 unit restaurant group, he progressed from init management to systems development to establishing the company's Human Resource department, and then creating the Lettuce Entertain You Consulting company.

Says John " Over time, operating rules and regulations may change along with consumer trends; however, a corporate culture based on the importance of fairness and purpose doesn't." While people may first visit restaurants for the food, they tend to return because the company has paid attention to staff selection, training and ongoing development. Its a people business after all.

John is bullish on today's independent restaurant market, and feels operators can set themselves apart with passion, creativity and adaptability. Through years of consulting, he has found that many concept founders do not become the best leaders; however, John feels that as long as owners remain open to professional development, they can be coached. In his office hangs a sign with the message: "Think you can? Think you can't? Either way you are right."

Episode 15: Gary Adair

Restaurant industry veteran Gary Adair had no way of knowing the part-time job he took at a local steakhouse 40 years ago would lead him down a path to a stellar career. Gary is the successful owner-operator of multiple casual dining concepts in Houston, who works with his children to whom he has instilled the family business culture of teamwork and focus on the guests experience.

"Trust your people, but put your faith in your systems" says Gary, who has remained loyal to his deliberate approach to business forged when he opened his first restaurant, Skeeter's, which Gary coins a neighborhood "Burger Joint" that fulfilled his desire to create a fun family concept. In spite of Skeeter's initial success, Gary did not rush into expansion. Instead, he maintained his commitment to developing his leadership team and fine tuning his systems before launching a second location.

In this episode, Gary discusses the challenges of operating multiple concepts, and how to leverage current technology and operational systems to create consistency while maintaining individual brand identity. He also walks listeners through how to expand your restaurant business via methodical acquisition, as he did with his purchase of a well-established multi-unit Mexican restaurant concept.

Episode 14: Mike Shine

In this episode, Mike Shine, owner of Frank's American Revival, shares his storied restaurant career and decades of successful operations and consulting experience. Listen in to hear his views on unit management's best practices, how to use technology to streamline operations, and generate weekly reports that keep you on top of your business.

Mike began his restaurant management career as a young man at Sirloin Stockade, and American family-style-all-you-can eat buffet steakhouse. This led him to a ground floor opportunity with Godfather's Pizza. After successfully opening 45 locations in Texas and Oklahoma, Mike began assisting other franchisee's with their operations, launching an exciting 20-year consulting career. He has assisted many independent restaurant owners with opening, operations and expansion, development of commissary kitchens, and preparing restaurant product lines for retail sales.

Mike is a former president of the Texas Restaurant Association. He believes in the value of an active State Restaurant Association membership, and explains how the industry networking it affords can boost your success

Episode 13: Berge Simonian

From behind the counter of his downtown deli, Berge Simonian saw the growing line of returning health-conscious guests and became convinced a fast-casual concept offering fresh consumer-customizable salads and healthy branded dressings could be expanded nationally. Berge opened the first Salata in 2005, and soon engaged the services of a restaurant franchise attorney and operations specialist to assist with its expansion. In this episode, Berge discusses franchising as a growth strategy for the independent restaurant operator. He explains why it is important occasionally to "apply the brakes" on rapid expansion to ensure smooth operations and consistent quality. Today, 15 years later and 90 units strong, Salata is focused on the current industry challenges of labor and market penetration, while eyeing expansion opportunities in airports, campuses, and other non-traditional locations. Berge shares his story!