Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore

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 Lawy...

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 unapo...

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 w...

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...

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 2...

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 conce...

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 eventua...

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 focusin...

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...

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 fa...

Chris Yonker is the Founder of The Center for Conscious Living and Fulfillment , a coaching/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...

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....

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...

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 epi...

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....

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.  Favorit...

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...

Tim Niver is the owner of  Saint Dinette , Mucci's , Mucci's Frozen , and the host of the Niver Niver Land Podcast . Tim's first job in the industry was with McDonald's at the age of 15. After college, in 1992, he lived in Spain for 10.5 months before returning home and working in some of the best restaurants in Las Vegas, Colorado, and NYC. He opened his first restaurant in Minneapolis, called To...

Ryan Bowlds is the Senior Director o Product Innovation at  Restaurant Technologies, Inc. RTI is a current sponsor for Restaurant Unstoppable. What exactly is RTI? Delivery: Cooking oil delivery is one component of our Total Oil Management solution. As a Total Oil Management customer, you're able to better control your oil. Our equipment is installed so we're able to deliver and pump in bulk cooki...

Tommy Begnaud is the Chef/Owner of Mr. Paul's Supper Club. Tommy Begnaud is from St. Paul and got his first real job in a restaurant washing dishes at the age of 13. He was a bartender in college and when he left school, he worked in his family business for about 5 years. He then realized he wanted to open a restaurant. He went off to culinary school and spent the next 10 or so years working in so...

Peter Campell is the Chef and Owner of Red Wagon Pizza Co. in Minneapolis. Peter started making pizzas at the age of 2 with his grandfather. He grew up working in kitchens and continued to do so through college. After a long time working with banks and in the world of real estate, he started making pizzas on Friday nights for friends and family. He started his business in 2012, doing pop ups in fa...

Timirie Shibley is the Co-Owner and Co-Creator (along with her husband, Patrick) of Doo-Dah Diner in Wichita, KS. Timbre has been a foodie since the age of 2. She worked in sales and customer service for many years until she and her husband met in their mid-40s. A few years later, in 2012, they bought a restaurant on Craigslist that was once a Chinese food restaurant, and opened Doo-Dah Diner with...

Sam Fore is the chef and Owner of Tuk Tuk Sri Lankan Bites and Tuk Tuk Snack Shop. Sam went to school for marketing and studied consumer behavior. She did web design for Boston restaurants, including those owned by past guest Jamie Bissonnette, before moving to Lexington,KY. There she began cooking Sri Lankan food (she is first-generation Sri Lankan). She hosted brunches for about six months aroun...

Johnny Zela is a the COO of Condado Tacos and an employee since DAY ONE! Johnny began his restaurant career in 1995 as a 15 y/o dishwasher in his hometown of Chicago. After high school he joined the US Navy and was a ship's accountant for 4 years before getting out and going to work in bars and restaurants in Chicago. He bought a restaurant there and sold it after 5 years of running it profitably....

Chris Artinian began selling insurance and investments out of school. He soon realized that career wasn't for him and he landed a job at Morton Steakhouse and the bottom of the restaurant's ladder. He soon climbed up the ranks and became the CEO and President of the Morton Restaurant Group. He moved on from there to Smokey Bones and most recently he became the CEO and President of Condados Tacos....