Opening Soon Presents: "The Build"

After months of planning, it all comes down to opening day — nerves, joy, and community collide. In this episode of The Build, Rasheeda takes us behind the scenes of the final countdown. From a friends-and-family soft opening to the first customer reactions, this is the payoff of launching a restaurant in New York City. Explore Season 2 of The Build Presented by Square Listen to the full season he...

Great service is as memorable as the food itself — and the buzz starts before the doors open. In this episode of The Build, Rasheeda defines her restaurant’s steps of service and launches her pre-opening marketing strategy. From rituals to Instagram captions, it’s all about creating connections before day one. Explore Season 2 of The Build Presented by Square Listen to the full season here and get...

Restaurants run on people. Hiring, training, and planning payroll can make or break a business. In this episode of The Build, Rasheeda shares how she’s building her team with intention. From creating a culture of equity to managing wages and building sustainable financial models, it’s a candid look at people-first growth in the restaurant world. Explore Season 2 of The Build Presented by Square Li...

Behind every smooth guest experience is technology that makes it all possible. In this episode of The Build, Rasheeda sets up a Square-powered POS system that brings efficiency, data, and seamless retail to her new restaurant. It’s a behind-the-scenes look at how tech and hospitality work hand in hand. Explore Season 2 of The Build Presented by Square Listen to the full season here and get access...

Every dish tells a story. At Ramen by Ra, the menu is more than recipes — it’s a reflection of culture, innovation, and community. In this episode of The Build, Rasheeda explores the process of menu creation. From broth to bao, she experiments with flavor, menu pricing, and neighborhood accessibility while balancing tradition with bold new ideas. Explore Season 2 of The Build Presented by Square L...

A restaurant isn’t just food. It’s an experience you can see, touch, and even taste. In this episode of The Build, Rasheeda dives into the creative side of building a restaurant brand. From packaging to signage to merch, she shares how story, design, and sensory detail work together to shape the restaurant experience at Ramen by Ra. Explore Season 2 of The Build Presented by Square Listen to the f...

Permits, contractors, and design dreams — restaurant building isn’t just physical, it’s emotional. In this episode of The Build, Rasheeda walks us through the realities of construction. From dealing with red tape to contractor surprises and design compromises, it’s a raw look at the literal building of Ramen by Ra’s next chapter. Explore Season 2 of The Build Listen to the full season here and get...

Real estate, leases, and the nerve-wracking search for funding — this chapter of Rasheeda’s journey shows the high stakes of restaurant expansion. In this episode of The Build , Rasheeda takes us inside her hunt for the perfect East Village space. From negotiating lease terms to navigating loans, she reveals how she’s securing Ramen by Ra’s future home. Explore Season 2 of The Build  Listen t...

Ambition, pressure, and a splash of chaos — Rasheeda’s story of expanding Asa-Ramen is about more than broth and noodles. In this episode of The Build: Ramen by Ra , Rasheeda shares her origin story and what drives her leap to expand into a bigger, bolder restaurant. From New York’s dining culture to the emotional risks of growth, she reflects on her vision, her roots, and the challenges that come...

It’s the day we’ve been waiting for all season: Ursula is open ! In this episode we hear the staff celebrating on opening night, and debrief with Eric and Lani about surviving their first week of service. Plus, Jenny and Alex reminisce on the opening - and closing - days of their restaurant Goods.  The Build  is produced by Taylor Early, Armen Spendjian, H Conley, Matt Patterson, and hosted by Ale...

It’s the final week before opening and a LOT is happening. Moving day, construction, staff training, friends and family; this episode has it all. Plus, a visit from Ursula herself!  The Build  is produced by Taylor Early, Armen Spendjian, H Conley, Matt Patterson, and hosted by Alex McCrery and Jenny Goodman.  Audio engineering by Armen Spendjian, H Conley and Matt Patterson. Additional Music in t...

On this season of Opening Soon– which we are affectionately calling The Build– we’re taking a look at all aspects of opening a brick and mortar. In today’s episode, we’ll hop onto a rollercoaster of emotions. We’re painting a picture of how self care and mental health look during a build, and using all the colors we can get our hands on. Listen in for some deep reflections, lessons learned along t...

In this episode of The Build; tune into Eric - in conversation with his collaborators - as he spends time intentionally sourcing ingredients, wines and spirits for his new beverage menus at Ursula's new home.  If you want to hear more John deBary, he's creating a limited-run companion podcast with HRN for his new book Saved by the Bellini. Subscribe to the Eat Your Words wherever you get your podc...

The Build takes a deep dive into the process of building up a new restaurant from signing the lease to opening day. In this episode, not only do you get more glimpses at the fun aesthetic bits, but you’ll also hear about the processes and systems behind making sure customers feel taken care of in the space that Eric and Team Ursula are in the middle of creating. Between architects pointing fingers...

Welcome to the latest episode of The Build! In this episode, we explore the world of Ursula: meet new team members and take a deep dive into the values and systems that Eric and Lani plan to instill in the new location. Plus, get a glimpse at how the team is restructuring compensation for employees to better serve everyone and encourage warmer hospitality.  The Build  is produced by Taylor Early,...

On this season of Opening Soon, called The Build , we’re following along one chef’s journey from open to close… and all of the pieces in between. In this episode, we talk money, honey! From putting together the capital to get the process started, to figuring out how your brick and mortar can make some of that cash back, you’ll hear about all things money, money, money, mon-ey (mon-ey!) . And for t...

With The Build , we’re pulling back the curtain to reveal the nitty gritty details of turning a concept into a living, breathing, eatery. In this episode we tackle one of the biggest obstacles to realizing your concept: the lease. Plus, this episode introduces a key player in making Ursula 2.0 a reality. Meet Lani Halliday: event producer, baker, brand builder, and hilarious human. Get to know her...

In The Build , we’re following one chef’s journey to open a brand new restaurant, from signing the lease until the doors actually open. If you haven't listened to the first episode, you should start there.  In this episode, we hear some of our earliest recordings with Eric, where he fills us in on the months-long journey to find Ursula a new home. Along the way we traverse Brooklyn, negotiate with...

In this season of Opening Soon , we’re undertaking a project we’ve been wanting to do for years. In The Build , we’re going to follow one chef’s journey to open a brand new restaurant as it’s happening. From the moment that they signed the lease until the doors are actually open, you’ll get to witness the emotional highs and the lows, how things go well, how things get delayed; all in real time.  ...

Today we present to you an episode from one of our favorite hospitality insider podcasts, Copper & Heat. Listen in for an amazing deep dive into the world behind the Michelin guide... If you were to rate the Michelin Guide, how many stars would you give it? When Katy was working in the Bay Area in her early 20s, she would have given the Michelin Guide 3 stars, because those were the restaurants sh...

Most restaurateurs build their business with the hope of making it as long as today’s guest. 13 strong years. But how do you know when it’s time to rethink the space, the concept, or even the menu? And how do you do it in a way to that can reinvigorate that energy while keeping your brand and your loyal customers?  Our guests today are Thomas McNaughton, Co-Executive Chef & Founding Partner, and R...

The pandemic gave and it took from us. Focusing on the upside to a worldwide pandemic may seem unusual, but in reality the covid era gave birth to some fresh ideas and many creative businesses. Some of those have since turned permanent.  Our guests today are chefs Sarah Mispagel and Ben Lustbader of Loaf Lounge . Sarah and Ben have worked at many of Chicago’s best restaurants. The concept for Loaf...

Coming this spring we're working on something BIG for Opening Soon. Opening a restaurant can sometimes take months, or even years. This spring, you'll be able to hear it all happen in just a few hours... Tune in as we follow one of Brooklyn's best and brightest young chefs and restaurateurs on their journey from start to open doors. It's The Build. The Build  is produced by Taylor Early, Armen Spe...

We often hear when one door closes another one opens. That is quite literally the case for Clover Hill in BK. It was the pandemic that forced the closure of the 4 month old Brooklyn Heights restaurant, but the re-opening of their doors 2 years later came with a fresh culinary team and today’s guest at the helm. Our guest today is Chef Charlie Mitchell of Clover Hill BK. Charlie has worked his way...

Donuts. Entrepreneurship. Donuts. Our guest today is Zewiditu Jewel bringing vegan donuts from Baltimore to Brooklyn. Zewiditu is the shop operator for the Brooklyn Heights location of Cloudy Donuts , and they have been working on their 3rd location - the Brooklyn Heights bakery - for 2 years, and just celebrated their opening weekend. Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podca...