Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore

Joe Muench "started making pizzas at age 17 and hasn't stopped since." After culinary school, Joe Muench worked at Milwaukee's premier fine dining restaurant, The Grenedier Restaurant, from 1990-1994. He was later recruited by Dan Sidner to be the Executive Chef at Maxies in Milwaukee in 2007. Today they are co-owners. Dan Sidner graduated from Cornell in 1990 and worked in hotels and restaurants...

Paul Bartolotta is the Chef and Co-Owner of The Bartolotta Restaurants in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Paul got started in restaurants in his very early teens as a dishwasher and eventually became a prep cook. He decided to pursue becoming a chef after high school and eventually made his way to Italy where he trained in multiple restaurants for 7 years. From Italy he went to France and worked and studied...

Steve brown is El Presidente of Busboy restaurant group. Steve got his start in the restaurant industry as, you guessed it, a busboy, at the age of 15. He then worked in the kitchen and eventually became a host when he was still in his teens, and he realized then that he really enjoys FOH. In his early 20's, he left the restaurant industry to work in liquor and beer sales for 4 years, until he ope...

Kris Schoenberger left the police department in 2009 and started a catering business. He and his team worked events, weddings, and festivals all over Illinois and Wisconsin. In 2014, he decided to open his first restaurant, with his mother, called BBQ'd Productions. Kris now owns 6 restaurants, including the original BBQ'd Productions, and second location of that brand, opened in 2017.  Check out...

Peter Sclafani is the Executive Chef and Co-Owner of Phil's Oyster Bar and a Partner at Making Raving Fans Hospitality Group . Peter grew up in the restaurant industry. At age 13, he started working FOH in his father's restaurant in New Orleans. He studied finance at LSU. In 1998, Peter opened his first restaurant, Ruffino's, which scaled to two locations before they were sold in 2019, after 21 ye...

Martha Hoover had zero restaurant experience prior to 1989; up to this point, she was a sex crime prosecutor. Not having any experience did not stop her, and neither did the sexism from her male counterparts. She would soon prove them wrong with the creation of  Café Patachou . Now, 33 years later, Café Patachou scaled to become Patachou Inc. where Martha is the owner/operator of 6 unique brands (...

Rodrigo Souza is Chef/Owner of Comeketo Brazilian Steakhouse and Virtual Kitchen Hall.  Originally, Rodrigo is from Brazil. When Rodrigo was in his late teens, his mother was worried that he'd get involved with the wrong crowd. To avoid this she shipped him up to Massachusettes. Upon his arrival, Rodrigo got straight to working in the restaurant industry before joining the US Military. After his s...

Allan Beetle is the Co-founder of Patrick's Pub.  Before opening Patrick's Pub & Eatery, in Gilford, NH, Allan had a successful career in computer technology sales, allowing him to retire at the age of 38. It was in 1994 when Allan's brother, and brother's wife, Approached Allan with an idea to open a restaurant togher. Allan had zero restaurant experience, but his brother was a chef who had worke...

Hilary Abell is a co-founder of Project Equity , currently focused on demonstrating and expanding impact and fueling public policy to support broad-based employee ownership, driving racial and economic equity. Project Equity is a nonprofit that builds economic resiliency with low-income communities by demonstrating and replicating strategies that increase worker ownership. Since its launch in 2014...

With excitement allow me to introduce today's guest, Founder, and CEO of Hungry House , Kristen Barnett. Hungry House is an 'anti-ghost kitchen' connecting patrons digitally and in person at their two brick-and-mortar locations. Before founding Hungry House, Kristen graduated from Cornell University where she studied Applied Economics and Management as well as International Development and Food Po...

Jonathan Sherman is the Founder, and CEO of Sticky's The Finger Joint. Jonathan is a graduate of the University of Michigan where he studied Industrial and Operations Engineering. He'd go on to pursue a career in finance working with both JP Morgan and Bridgewater Associates, where he focused on investing and macroeconomic research. Before long data analysis, and research got stale and the entrepr...

Liz Solomon Dwyer is the Founder and CEO od King David Tacos. Known for Austin-style breakfast tacos at carts and cafes across the city, King David Tacos was founded by Austin, TX native Liz Solomon Dwyer. She applied her decade of experience in advertising to launch King David Tacos in 2016—inspired by her Austin upbringing, Jewish heritage and her late father, fondly known as "King David"—and sh...

Greg Provance is the owner of GP Hospitality Partners LLC ,. GP Hospitality Partners LLC is a full-service restaurant hospitality consulting firm. In addition to being a consulting partner of Everbowl, Southern Californias Fastest growing fast-casual chain, Greg owns serval restaurants in the San Diego area and serves as a principal consultant and advisor for restaurants across the country. His ca...

With excitement allow me to introduce to you today's guest, Sue Bette. Sue Bette is the founder and head coach of Bluebird Hospitality , a Vermont-based company focused on creating community and joy through food and gathering experiences. Founded in 2009, Bluebird Hospitality has been recognized by the James Beard Foundation, with Bluebird Tavern nominated as one of the Best New Restaurants in 201...

With excitement, allow me introduce today's guest, Founder/Partner at Blackstone , 30Hop , Tin Roost , Tribute , and The Iowa Athletic Club - Erik Shewmaker. After graduating from The University of Iowa Tippie College of Business with a focus in Finance, Management, and Entrepreneurship, Erik spent the first year out of college as a Customer Relationship Manager for Great America Leasing before re...

Nick Tillinghast is the Founder of DMDT Hospitality and Lifestyle. Nick has an untraditional pathway into the hospitality industry. Prior to founding the DMDT Hospitality and Lifestyle Group with partners Ryan Hutchinson and Kyle McClain, Nick had a career in PR. Enamored by the extreme restaurant design and architecture found in Las Vegas, where he worked as a Hospitality PR Specialist, Nick want...

Matt Rolfe is the Founder of Results Hospitality, Westshore Hospitality Group, and Matt Rolfe Hospitality Leadership Coaching . Matt is a leadership trainer who has worked with the top ten percent of the hospitality industry toward unlocking their true potential. As founder of the Results Hospitality and Westshore Hospitality Group , he has worked with hundreds of leadership teams throughout North...

With excitement allow me to introduce to you today's guest, Kevin Scharpf. Born and raised in Galena, Illinois, Kevin attended the Le Cordon Bleu of Culinary Arts in Minneapolis, MN. His past culinary experience includes the Hotel Sofitel's fine dining restaurant, La Fougasse, the acclaimed Restaurant Daniel in New York City, and a 6-year stint as the Executive Sous of Diamond Jo. In 2014 Kevin re...

Corey Mintz is a freelance food reporter ( New York Times, Globe and Mail, Eater  and others), focusing on the intersection between food with labor, politics, farming, ethics and culture. He has been a cook, a restaurant critic and is the author of  How to Host a Dinner Party,  which chronicled 192 dinner parties he hosted with fascinating people including politicians, refugees, criminals, artists...

With Excitement allow me to introduce to you today's guest, the Founder of Big Grover Brewery , Matt Swift. Matt Swift grew up in the restaurant business. His mom, Faye Swift, opened Sluggers in Coralville, IA when Matt was just a young boy. Matt would go on to work in that restaurant learning about a hospitality first mentality and High standards before opening his first restaurant, Black Stone,...

With Excitement allow me to introduce to you today's guest, Kelly Valentine. Kelly Valentine is the Founder of Femmes in Food where she is a consultant + champion for #ladyowned Food & Beverage brands. She also has a decade of experience designing, curating + operationally executing pop-up dinners + events ranging from intimate gatherings to multi-day experiences. She's worked with street vendors...

With excitement, allow me to introduce to you today's guest, Executive Chef and Partner at Big Grove Brewery , Ben Smart. An Iowa City native, Ben studied Geo Science at the University of Iowa. After graduating, it didn't take long for Ben to realize that he wasn't cut out for the office life, so he went back to study at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids to study Culinary Arts. After a fe...

With excitement allow me to introduce to you today's guest, Co-Founder of Jimmy Jack's Rib Shack , Jack Piper. Jack got his start in Iowa City working at the legendary China Garden Restaurant, where he learned about amazing service, the importance of attention to detail, and leading by example. Jack, also a natural artist, used his ability to land himself in NYC where he was mentored by world-famo...

With excitement allow me to introduce to you today's guest, Founder and Chief Cookie Officer of Cookies & Dreams , Stephanie Sellers. Iowa native, Stephanie Sellers, discovered her love of baking as a kid peering over the counter as Mimi (her long-time babysitter) taught her the basics while they baked up a storm. her "hobby" later turned into a full-time business-- baking wedding cakes birthday c...

With excitement allow me to introduce today's guest, the Founder of RestaurantRockstars.com, Roger Beaudoin. Roger is a 27-year veteran Restaurateur and Founder/ President of Restaurant Rockstars. He is an expert at Staff Training, Operating Systems and Maximizing Restaurant fProfit. Roger is a 2 X Author, Personal Restaurant Coach, Creator of the Restaurant Rockstars Academy, Sales Stars Staff Tr...