Restaurant Whisperer, Owners with a niche who love support and inspiration.

Cafe Culture Episode with Dear Globe Coffee .  LieAnne Navarro is an artist, roaster and community organizer at Dear Globe Coffee Beans are for sale at the cafe or by subscription -- sustainably sourced, and farmer direct, prioritizing organically grown beans, espresso drinks, and a wonderful food menu.  LieAnne skills as a cafe owner starts as an artist, and a barista, apprentice Hi 5 years ago r...

I know so many restaurants are still trying to deal with the Great Resignation, and restaurants are a tough challenge. This episode is a very simple approach to hiring. But first, let me share some realities: volume is a huge problem - low cashflow makes it hard to hire anyone more, when you are already running low on Labor Costs. the work needs to get done — no way around the fact that food, food...

Poio is a casual Mexican BBQ place in Kansas City. Chef Carlos Montera is it's savvy, yet grounded owner. He's created a menu that works well as a stand alone operation in the heart of Kansas City, and could also become more.     This episode is a chance to explore whether to or whether not to count on investors, and why. Chef Carlos is honest in his conversation, and his words are what a young st...

The proper name is the  Restaurant Revitalization Fund Replenishment Act of 2021  — would add $42 billion to the SBA's pandemic-era relief program. Now, after the House vote, the act will head to the U.S. Senate. If passed there, it will move to the President's desk.   If the Replenishment Act is signed into law, the funds would render aid to the nation's restaurant industry. It's a   rollercoaste...

Owning a bakery is many people's dream.  Today ' s episode is an exploration into one way to own a bakery. What does it mean to become a business owner and baker. We hear first hand from one owner, Elise Smith and what she has discovered on her journey.  Elise Smith is the owner of WinniE's Bakery. She is an accomplished pastry chef and published recipe developer, food stylist and food writer. Win...

Kelly Pace Hayes owns Pace and Love Marketing. She is a marketing consultant. She shares her mini bio, and describes the breadth of experience she has and how she now uses her experience. She has helped both small food businesses and large restaurant groups grow. She has clients across many industries now. She has the skills of a nimble individually run marketing company who worked at an agency, s...

We are heading to a butcher shop on a farm in Ellenburg, Washington State. That's a bucolic sounding scene. It's a place in a community where their customers can pick up fresh meat, take it home, and prepare dinner. That means the meat on your table is certified by USDA, but it's not going through one of the four huge slaughterhouses in the US. People come to this farm to buy meat directly from fa...

Whether you run, or on a team at a cafe, restaurant, food truck, cocktail bar or brewery this interview will spark ideas. Chef Kanthi runs a brew pub in Brighton, UK. He serves a niche menu:  South Indian and Sri Lankan fare in Easy Tiger pub in Brighton, which is on the south coast of England. His experience is an excellent example of how quality leads success. He explains how he chooses his ingr...

Can you have a healthy business where quality leads your success? Revenue and profit follow? In the next few minutes you'll hear one example. As usual, i'm hoping that an example will get you into a frame of mind to workshop it into existence at your business, whether you run, or on a team at a cafe, restaurant, food truck, cocktail bar or brewery.   You do your own research. can you infuse this i...

Spotlighting markets starts with a butcher shop in Washington, DC. The rise of markets has taken off during the pandemic, which is why Paul Branner of Georgetown Butcher is a perfect gold stardard for our conversation on this topic.  When owners are into food, but not into owning a restaurant markets become an asset which build community. Georgetown Butcher opened a week before the pandemic and ha...

Mental health among restaurant staff is finally gaining attention. By that I mean, we in the industry have known this topic for a long time—that everyone in our industry has extra - ordinary, perhaps superpowers mentally…until they don't. Mental health deserves a reboot. Some owners are taking about mental health, and taking strides to make help available to staff. If you are suffering from your o...

When you are in your hiring mode do not forget the topic of retention and your rehiring policy. Listen to see if it gives you a new perspective.  As a restaurant strategist and, of course, podcast host, I regularly help owners rethink how they hire, retain and build a positive culture for staff and -- of course -- guests. When you need a form, rubric or SOP reach out. When you find you need to rev...

Creating a bar that is innovative as it is deep is no small feat. Add to that mission, a commitment to reflecting the local economy into a cocktail menu is no small thing. That's why this episode will feel like we are scratching the surface of what Bluebird Cocktail Bar is able to do every day in their space. Paul Benkert and his wife Caroline are the art and craft behind this romantic, literary-i...

Andrew Cosentino grew up here in Baltimore. He moved away, and after college moved back to Baltimore city to start his career. He is not a professional instagram influencer. Social media started as his way to explore what is good in our city — on his own personal account. Slowly but surely his friend group discovered Andrew was sharing useful, descriptive suggestions for beer, coffee, and restaura...

Cutbow Coffee at first glance is a cafe with a roastery, in Albuquerque. In this episode we dig deep. This roastery is years in the making. Paul Gallegos opened Cutbow Coffee to share his love and dedication to coffee roasting. Roasting, education and sharing are clearly at the core of this one man, and the fantastic team at Cutbow Coffee. Paul worked for Alfred Peet, who started US's obsession wi...

Considering being a cafe owner? Wonder how people choose, start and create a business plan? This episode captures that, and so much more.  Nodding to Brian Eno's 1970's song Baby's on Fire, these two owners Shirlé and David Koslowski share their love of music and the community which surrounds food and espresso drinks. They own a cafe in Baltimore's historic district. Shirlé's menu, of sweet, savor...

In 2022 some episodes will have a focus on cafes around the US--how much variety these is, how they build their businesses now matter how big or small they decide they want to be.  We hear from Hally Hansen, who owns Gourmandise in Salt Lake with her husband. Gourmandise has history in this city.  Started years ago as a well-loved European bakery loved by locals. A young couple with a wild imagina...

This episode takes you on a short journey around the world looking for the first coffeehouses. In 1675 the first coffeehouse opens in Boston, and leads to a circuitous journey to how we seek and find the cafe that matches each of our definition of what a cafe should be.  This episode serves as an introduction to future episodes on today's independent cafes. The reason for the focus is to uncover h...

As the year draws to a close, take a moment to thank your community. As an independent restaurant owner, please thank your staff and your guests. In a busy world sometimes we need to hear how others are caring for and thanking staff. Take a moment to appreciate the world you are in and the people you are sharing the day to day.  Thank you for being part of the Holy Guacamole! community.   

Faith Wachter   got her start in social media when she was handed an additional set of tasks-- to run the social needs of a local public TV, MPT.  She diligently learned on the job building a skill set she discovered was marketable. She took a leap of faith (no pun intended) six years ago to start her own company. She was chosen as a guest because she has clients are in many industry and can speak...

Being intentional is no easy thing. Being intentional in life, in career, and your restaurant requires minute actions. Profits requires intentional actions. Building strategy into business is how intention becomes reality. This episode shares some simple steps to creating a roadmap to  a healthier, more profitable business.  Enjoy the episode. Share with restaurant owners, share with those eager t...

John Shields is a talented and genuinely nice person. He's a chef/owner of Gertrude's Chesapeake Kitchen, author of 5 books, host of two television shows, James Beard nominee and now runs a non-profit to bring community together called Our Common Table. It's our delight to have an entertaining and informative episode. You'll learn how a boy from Baltimore, brought up in a tightly knit Irish commun...

We are calling out for cafes. Cafes, big and small. Cafes with a scratch kitchen, or a cafe with commissary kitchen. Cafes only serving from an espresso bar, serving a minimalist food menu. All versions of the model accepted.  In the coming months and year we will explore many different models to learn what makes an independent cafe tick. 

Captain Don has held a spot at the 32nd Street Farmers Market, every Saturday, year round, for the last 10 years. As one of many stalwart vendors, he spends his week fishing and delivering to a wholesaler, and holding some of his haul to sell to the market.  This episode focuses on Capt Don, one local vendor to represent the time, effort and exceptional focus on bringing the best they have to offe...

Louis Moskow is chef/owner of 315 Restaurant & Bar. He's been in Santa Fe, New Mexico creating a french focused menu for 27 years. This episode shows us how a fantastic wines list with a carefully curated menu can build a clientele that will keep coming back.  315's menu has never stopped serving locally sourced ingredients, and he shares how the relationships with the farms and farmers is not an...