Opening Soon Presents: "The Build"

For those that have been listening for a while, you know we like to get down to brass tacks. Mostly we have on entrepreneurs and restaurateurs that fund their projects through friends and family or occasionally through Small business loans. And then there is the rarity of the venture-backed food service business out of the gate. Today our guest is Richard Zaro. Richard has grown up  in his family’...

Our show aims to assist new entrepreneurs in finding their way through the process of getting their hospitality business off the ground - hopefully with flying colors! One type of business we haven’t delved deeply into? Coffee shops. NYC alone has just under 4,000 coffee shops and has been growing steadily over the last several years. Fun fact: according to the Wall Street Journal only 129 closed...

When one door closes another door opens. The last year has closed a lot of doors, around the world, across the country, and here in NYC. For those that have made it through, opportunities are abundant. Perhaps expanding to a new city or a new neighborhood. Or what about a space down the street, or even right next door? Our guests today are chefs Scott Tacinelli and Angie Tacinelli of Don Angie in...

Restaurants are back baby. Aside from reopening, many restaurateurs are taking the opportunity to expand and grow their businesses. Commercial rents are still down in many markets and that means deals are to be had. For a proven restaurateur that’s made it through the pandemic, they’re an especially attractive tenant. Whatever the reason, opening season is in full swing and that means new success...

Pizza is like religion here at Tilit NYC, and with the exception of the pandemic era, we have a tradition of enjoying Pizza with our team every Friday for pretty much the last 9 years. 5 years ago that all changed for the better when Scarr’s Pizza opened up on Orchard St. So now we don’t just have pizza, we have Scarr’s Pizza . Don’t get the wrong idea, if you’re not in NYC you may think this epis...

We are officially in the midst of what will be known as the great reopening of 2021. Shuttered restaurants have most likely flipped ownership and are hurriedly making their way to the finish line, while those on hiatus or at partial capacity are seeing their dining rooms full again. And don’t forget about the patios! When it comes to butts in seats, America is sitting - inside / inside, outside /...

To date, we’ve chatted with vendors that assist in openings including legal experts, technology companies, and press relations, but never a hospitality consultant whose business is to open restaurants - a hired expert to come in and assist new or even seasoned entrepreneurs to chart, plan and enact their vision.  So when our friend and longtime Tilit supporter came into the shop for some new threa...

It's common knowledge that wine and alcohol sales have much better margins than food. Building a great bar program not only delights guests but can also really drive profitability. But how does a post lockdown world turn the bar program on its head? Many major metropolitan cities still haven’t opened up bar seating, which challenges the added revenue restaurateurs are accustomed to as diners wait...

Most restaurants have a 9-month journey from creation to inception. The ones that were aiming for Spring of 2020, Summer of 2020, Fall of 2020, or even Winter of 2020 experience a longer stretch; In the case of our guest today, over 560 days in the making. We're excited to welcome Chef Joe Flamm to the show, now just a few weeks since his doors opened. Joe is the chef/owner of Rose Mary’s in Chica...

14 months in and it's finally here. Vaccines, Reopenings, and Targeted Restaurant Relief. After a year of lobbying by the Independent Restaurant Coalition ( IRC ) the restaurant revitalization fund started taking applications this week!  Here to talk today about the grant fund and reopening is Chef Amanda Cohen, Owner of the Acclaimed and beloved OG vegetarian temple, Dirt Candy , and our neighbor...

As a former chef, I’ve always enjoyed the process of shopping and picking out my food, meeting the farmers, the growers, and the butchers that are working. So how does this transition to online? Our guests and friends, Jocelyn Guest and Erika Nakamura, have done just that with their company Butcher Girls , launching a virtual butcher shop in the middle of the pandemic. Erika and Joce have a combin...

Fundraising is not often learned in culinary school and it’s not often taught on the job. Fundraising usually happens before you’ve been hired or behind a door you’ve never opened. When it comes to raising capital to open your next venture, or in today’s fucked up market, reopening your same venture, you will need to exhaust every channel at your disposal. And then you’ll need to get creative! Tod...

One of the messages we keep hearing this season over and over is how the hospitality community came together to support one another. There are countless individuals and organizations that have generously donated meals and time to their communities in need throughout the pandemic. But how can you take this lesson of community and turn it into a sustainable business model for the hospitality industr...

As we’re taping Opening Soon this chilly March morning, we’ve just passed the one-year anniversary since the declaration of this pandemic, the start of shutdowns, and, for most, the switch into survival mode. While many businesses, chefs, cooks, and anyone, for that matter, have sought to survive, some have found a way to thrive - to go beyond. Not just in business, but also in social good.  The h...

Pizza is the perfect food. Some (meaning me) might argue it can cure anything. From its intended cure for hunger to something as broad as a global pandemic. Well, that may be difficult to back up with science. However, today’s guest will show us how pizza has taken her through a countrywide shutdown and transformed stay-at-home orders into a DIY masterclass and an entrepreneurial kickstart in hosp...

The average restaurant takes 9 months to open. In the next 45 minutes, we find out how to open one in less than 1 month. Our guest today, Chef David Myers , opened his burger bar and pop up, Adrift , on Abbott Kinney Boulevard in Venice, CA, in just 30 days. David is Michelin starred chef with concepts all over the world and Adrift Burger Bar is his first restaurant stateside in over half a decade...

The world has gone on pause, and whether you agree with it or not, our government and our society have seemingly dealt a near-death blow to every restauranteur out there. So when all bets are off, why not try something new? Something you’ve been thinking about for years, or perhaps something you and your friend concocted in a late-night, buzz-induced brainstorming session.  Today’s marketplace is...

There has, perhaps, never been a more important time than now to be involved in your community: the place you live, the people you work with, the guests that patronize your business. Community can be a catalyst for your business. It can also be a lifeline.  Collaborations seem to be everywhere. No, we don’t just mean quirky food combos, but rather legitimate teamwork within and amongst the greater...

The pandemic isn’t over. Cases are still piling up and precautionary measures are still at a peak. Restrictions remain tight on restaurants in most major cities, NYC included. As of today, all indoor dining remains on "pause". But the first seeds of the post-pandemic world are beginning to break ground - let’s say the ramps of the entrepreneurial world! It’s been exciting to see how some chefs hav...

In some ways the start of the pandemic really reminded me of the first few months with a newborn. You barely leave the house, you feel anxious and tired, and you realize at 1 PM that you still haven’t changed out of your sweatpants… Preparing your mind, body and business for a newborn is challenging enough, just imagine adding in fighting for your restaurant's survival during a pandemic. Our guest...

  We have talked a lot about the pivots and changes restaurants are making since the pandemic started. But some restaurants are staying true to their core identity, making it work while adding on additional revenue streams. With the “cold dark winter” upon us, how are restaurateurs planning to keep their teams employed, their businesses intact and their customers happy while maintaining what they’...

Most of our conversations over the last several months have emphasized the struggles of maintaining a food business during the pandemic, from adding delivery concepts, to indoor dining floundering to building and heating their street patios. Today we are excited to hear how a West Coast business has been able to grow and increase employee benefits during this challenging time.  Our guest today is...

Our guest today is Andrew Tarlow, prolific Brooklyn restaurateur and founder of the Marlow Collective . Andrew has been nourishing people at Diner for more than 20 years and manages to create places that always feel timeless and relevant.  Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support Opening Soon by becoming a member ! Opening Soon is Powered by Simplecast . Se...

Forging relationships shouldn’t be a punch list on your career, or should it? If you’re doing your job well, treating people well, training and learning along the way, then naturally you’re going to be relationship building. But what about in the dining room? Often the path to your next venture or your first venture can be sitting out in the dining room enjoying your food and praising the experien...

Most restaurants today are in a constant state of change. Some are closing. Many have already closed. In the midst of difficulty lies opportunity. Rents have and are dropping and landlords are desperate for tenants with backing. Competition is obviously minimized. Talent is available and ready. Can opportunity be made from this shitty year and if so, what other new challenges lie in the wait? Our...