Charles Morgan considers himself simply a "restaurant guy" from Atlanta. Charles started in the restaurant business in Gulf coast Florida in 1979. Today he owns approximately 12 restaurants all over the Florida panhandle and the surrounding areas.  Favorite success quote/mantra: "Common sense in an uncommon degree is what the world calls wisdom." In this episode we will discuss: Expanding Restaurants in the 70s/80s/90s Commercial fishing and restaurants Profit sharing Labor markets ...

Fares Kargar is the Owner of Delbar Restaurant and Bibi Eatery in Atlanta, Georgia. Fares was born in Iran and grew up there until he was 18 when he moved to the US. Once in Atlanta, he went to school for hospitality management and while in school, he began working in restaurants. Once he graduated, he moved on to work in many restaurants, including Waffle House, until he landed at Rumi's Kitchen where he quickly became a GM. Finally, in 2020, he opened his first restaurant, Delbar. Today,...

Doug Turbush is the Chef & Owner of Seed Kitchen and Bar in Atlanta, GA. Doug started in the business as a 15 year old washing dishes. He went to school for hotel managment and went to the C.I.A. after that. His goal was to open his own restaurant by his early 30s. He lived and cooked in Thailand and lived and cooked in Atlanta until at 39 he opened Seed Kitchen and Bar in Atlanta in 2011. In 2013 he opened Stem Wine Bar next to Seed, and in 2016 he opened another restaurant which then...

Jen Hidinger-Kendrick is the Founder of Giving Kitchen. Jen and her late husband, Ryan, started a supper club in Atlanta around 2012. The supper club was incredibly successful and finally, four years later, they opened Staplehouse together. Staplehouse was also a great success. However, before the restaurant opened, Ryan was disgnosed with cancer and passed away in 2014. Jen sold her share of the restaurant to her partners and started Giving Kitchen, a nonprofit with this mission: "to provide...

Damian Otero is the CEO of Rreal Tacos and Miguel Hernandez is the company's COO. Damian and Rreal Tacos were previously on the show for episode 945 back in 2022. At that time, Rreal Tacos was opening their third location. Today there are 8 locations with more on the way. They are based in Atlanta, GA. Favorite success quote/mantra: "Create an opportunity biug enough for everybody to get a piece of the action." In this episode we will discuss: Negotiating leases Real estate and...

Corrie and Shuai Wang are the co-owners of Super Happy Fun Time Group which operates Jackrabbit Filly and King BBQ in Charleston, SC. Shuai is a Chinese immigrant who grew up in NYC. There he met Corrie while working in restaurants. Corrie is from upstate NY and is also an author. They moved to Charleston together in 2014 and soon after started a foodtruck and popups to test their culinary concepts. Jackrabbirt Filly opened in 2019 with King BBQ opening in November of 2023.  Favorite success...

Bret Oliverio is the Owner of Sup Dogs, based in Greenville, NC. Bret began his post-school career as a radio broadcaster. His brother started Sup Dogs back in 2008 but tragically passed away a few years later. That's when, in 2012, Bret took over the restaurant and continues to own it today. Now, there are two Sup Dogs locations, plus a distillery and a cocktail bar.  Favorite success quote/mantra: "If you let up, you lose." In this episode we will discuss: Marketing Leaving another...

Sother Teague is the "Creative Drunk." He is the Founder of Sother Hospitality, Beverage Director at Amor y Amargo, Cohost of the Speakeasy Podcast, author of "I'm Just Here For The Drinks", and most importantly, a bar tender.  Favorite success quote/mantra: "If you're the smartest guy in the room, you're in the wrong room." In this episode we will discuss: Partnerships Theater of hospitality Lawyers Popups Bars/bartending Today's sponsor: Meez: Are you a chef, owner, operator, or...

Kate Holowchik is the chef/owner of Lionheart Confections. Kate grew up baking with her family and began baking in corporate kitchens, such as Panera Bread, during college. After going from kitchen to kitchen, from FOH to baking in BOH, she eventually started Lionheart Confections, a baking popup based in New Hampshire, in 2020. Favorite success quote/mantra: "Lead with a kind heart and live unapologetically." In this episode we will discuss: Mentors Popups Toxic kitchens Today's...

Matt Berry, Vinny Marino, and Dante Marino are the Co-Owners of Deadproof Pizza Co in New Hampshire. DeadProof Pizza Co is a mobile pizza vendor based in Manchester, NH. Chef Matt Berry created the concept and sought Dante and Vinny for help with marketing. They are all now co-owners of the wildely popular concept.  Favorite success quote/mantra: "If you're scared, do it scared." In this episode we will discuss: Pop-ups Marketing Pizza Finding the balance Today's sponsor: MarginEdge:...

Irene Li is the co-owner of Mei Mei Dumplings in Boston, MA. Irene grew up in Boston in a Chinese-American family where food was always paramount. She realized her love for cooking while attending Cornell. She and her brother and sister opened Mei Mei Street Kitchen, a food truck, in 2012. In 2018, Irene bought out her co-owner siblings in order to take full control of the business and take it in a new direction, a direction dedicated to identifying and addressing food injustice. She soon...

Peter Minich is the Owner/CEO of Fresh City Kitchen based in Boston, MA. Peter got his start in the industry at the age of 16 and eventually made his way to Vail, CO to ski and work in kitchens after school. He worked in restaurants there and soon found himself at the Culinary Institute of America. He worked in many fine establishments all over the country until he became the VP at Fresh City in 2010. He bought the company in 2014 and has been the CEO ever since. Today, Fresh City Kitchen is...

Edison Yee is the President/Partner of Bean Restaurant Group headquartered in Springfield, MA. Edison Yee's father opened a restaurant in Massachusetts 5 decades ago which operated until 2018. Edison started working in his dad's restaurant at the age of 10, back in the 1970s. In 1990, Edison took over the family business and today serves as President. In 2002, the family opened their second concept, and another followed in 2006. Today, Bean restaurant Group operates 16 restaurants. Favorite...

Dan Haggerty is the co-owner of Industry East and Stashbox in Manchester, New Hampshire. Dan got his start in the industry as a dishwasher in an upscale Italian restaurant in Massachusetts. He moved up to prep cook and hated it. He asked if he could be put on FOH and that's when he fell in love with the restaurant industry. After taking many jobs both in the industry and outside of it, he eventually started a "traveling mixology" business which turned into a brick and mortar restaurant...

Justin Alpert is the owner of 42 Architecture based in Boston, MA. Justin grew up just outside Boston and enjoyed going to restaurants as a kid with his family. He became an architect after school and designed spaces in the realms of medical and residential. He soon realized he did not enjoy the cut-throat, profit-driven mindset of the firms he worked for and decided to start his own firm focusing only on restaurants. 42 Architecture opened in 2020 and is growing today. Favorite success...

Eric Cacciatore, Founder and Host of Restaurant Unstoppable is joined by Jared Parisi, RU's editor, and Callen Meola, RU's Community Manager, to discuss the future of Restaurant Unstoppable and share some very exciting announcements! Join the NEW Restaurant Unstoppable Network Facebook group! Show notes… Favorite success quote/mantra: Eric: "Ain't nothing to it but to do it." Callen: "Do the next right thing." Jared: "Darkness is difficult and pathfinders are few." In this episode we...

David Lombardo is co-owner, CEO, and president of Lombardo's Hospitality Group. David is a fourth generation owner of the Lombardo's brand of restaurants and event spaces. His grandfather, Sal, turned the old Lombardo's into a supermarket and event space. Today, Lombardo's consists of several concepts, including catering, nightclubs, event spaces, restaurants, and wholesale. Before joining the family business officially, David attended UVM and worked at and became the Assistant General...

Chris Yonker is the Founder of The Center for Conscious Living and Fulfillment, a couching/consulting business that primarily focuses on succession in businesses. Chris was born and raised in the midwest and grew up to work in sales. He worked for 3M in sales and eventually transitioned into a leadership/strategy position. He worked there for 25 years and during that time, about ten years ago, he started his business, The Center for Conscious Living and Fulfillment. He has been full time with...

Greg Kahn is the owner of Gregorio's Trattoria in VA and MD. Greg started out in sales after school and quickly realized he would be happier owning a restaurant. He sought a mentor and learned all it took in his mentor's restaurant. Soon after, around 2008, he bought one of his mentor's stores and in 2013 turned it into the first Gregorio's Trattoria. Also in 2013 he opened the second Gregorio's. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he opened location three and is currently building out location...

Matt Bernabe is the Owner of Urban Hot Dog and Fat Frank's. Matt got his start as a very young entrepreneur, always feeling he had the entrepreneurial spirit. He got his first real job in the restaurant industry at Chic-Fil-A where he went from new employee to GM in just a year. He was then part of the opening team (just him and the owner, basically) of Urban Hot Dog in 2012 in Albuquerque, NM. He purchased the restaurant from the original owner in 2014 after attending business school. Fat...

Danny Azzarello and Alan Frei are the co-founders of CRACK'D Kitchen and Coffee. Both guests grew up in restaurants and learned the fundamentals from working in profitable and system-heavy chains. They met while working together and decided to open CRACK'D in 2019. Today there are 5 locations, along with retail and secondary concepts. Favorite success quote/mantra: "Whatever it takes." In this episode we will discuss: Training and checklists Franchising Work ethic Food trucks and food...

Paula Haines is the CEO of Freedom a la Cart. Paula Haines graduated college with a degree in marketing. Freedom a la Cart is a nonprofit that empowers women of Ohio who are survivors of sex trafficking and exploitation. The cafe and catering business gives these women workforce skills and training. The organization started in 2009, the social enterprise started in 2011, and Paula joined in 2013. Freedom a la Cart started as a food cart in 2011 and in 2021 opened their first cafe. They have...

Joe Pine II is the author of The Experience Economy: Competing For Customer Time, Attention, and Money and Co-Founder of Strategic Horizons LLP. Joe Pine began programming computers in the 7th grade. He worked at IBM for 13 years and moved up to management and strategic roles within that company. Since the he has been a consultant, coach, expert and author on the topics discussed today.  Favorite success quote/mantra: "Go beyond goods and services to staging experiences and guiding...

Nick Kosevich is the CEO and Co-Owner of Earl Giles and Beverage Director at Mr. Paul's Supper Club. Nick started in the restaurant business in 2001 at the Minneapolis restaurant Palomino, where he learned a lot. He learned even more and found a groove at Town Talk Diner, owned by previous guest Tim Niver, where he also worked with previous guest Tommy Begnaud. He started Bitter Cube in 2009, a bitters company, and started Earl Giles 7 years ago. He dabbles in writing, podcasting, consulting,...