Rookie Restaurateur

With the alligator heart out of the bag, and the episode having aired, we can finally talk 'Chopped'. Chef Noam Bilitzer joins us once more on the podcast to talk all things 'Chopped'. Noam is a 3x 'Chopped' competitor, and happened to be talented and skillful enough to win In this episode, we go as behind the scenes as we can, and really dive deep into what it means...

Part 2 of the conversation with JP Powell & Hunter Johnson JP Powell and Hunter Johnson join Quincy on the Rookie Restaurateur Podcast! JP and Hunter are restaurateur rockstars (figuratively and literally). They were both prominent musicians in a band before getting into the restaurant business themselves, before having to face some tough crossroads when deciding where they wanted their career...

JP Powell and Hunter Johnson join Quincy on the Rookie Restaurateur Podcast! JP and Hunter are restaurateur rockstars (figuratively and literally). They were both prominent musicians in a band before getting into the restaurant business themselves, before having to face some tough crossroads when deciding where they wanted their careers to head. Listen in as JP and Hunter dive deep into what it wa...

Chef Noam Bilitzer joins us on the podcast for Rookie Restaurateurs' first remote podcast episode! Noam is a long time friend, and an extremely talented chef who just opened his first restaurant named MeeshMeesh Mediterranean, in Louisville, KY. Tune in, as this episode is choc full of knowledge nuggets for opening a new restaurant, some insight into the path Noam took to restaurant ownership...

Tyler and Nicole join us on "Rookie Restaurateur" as brand new brewery owners! Blindhouse specializes in farmhouse inspired beers, mixed culture fermentation, and old world techniques. Tyer & Nicole are juggling entrepreneurship and family life on top of slowly turning Blindhouse into the exact brewery they want it to be. Because no small business survives without adaptation after op...

Lisa Archer is an incredible talented hospitality professional, who after working in some of the top  restaurants in the country, she made the leap to owning and publishing her own food based magazine. Edible Blue Ridge celebrates the rich food and culture of Central and Southwest Virginia. Lisa shares her knowledge on both the hospitality industry, and on what it's like to be operating a new...

Jenefer Davies and Eric Jones jumped into brewery ownership with little to no prior experience. Once they decided to commit to the project, the couple opened as soon as the last nail was hammered in, but going from an idea to opening day is never as easy as it seems. Listen in as Eric talks brewing school, Jenefer talks supporting her partners passion, and we cheap beer, seltzer, and everythingin-...

PART 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  We continue the conversation with John Park, Food Evangelist, Content Creator, Scallion King.  We talk about growth, an idea for an app, John Park's impact on the food and dining scene in Roanoke, and then we wrap things up with a bit of tomfoolery. On this episode of "Rookie Restaurateur" , we pick up the conversation right from where is left off in Part.1 ....

Food Evangelist, Content Creator, Scallion King-- the list of titles go on and on for John Park.  Having loved food his whole life, and now having made it part of his professional career, John Park joins us on the podcast today to talk food. And man, no one knows food quite like John Park, there's a reason that his most prominent nickname is "The Hungry Asian". He eats better than a...

We have a surprise bonus episode with Xavier Tramaine! Xaiver has been doing a lot of great community work in  Roanoke  and for VA as a whole. He stopped by (well actually we went to his podcast studio at The Collective) to have him give us the low down on the upcoming Roots & Reggae Festival!   Xavier is not a restaurateur, but he is an entrepreneur and hustler through and through. I hope you...

Nick and Stacia are incredible young chefs and entrepreneurs who are following their dream by operating and investing in their pop-up restaurant "Eatza Pizza" .  With years of hospitality industry experience, Nick and Stacia are navigating the restaurateur landscape and what that means for their careers, finances, and personal lives. Having a business partner can be difficult, but does h...

For the first "solo" episode, Quincy beings a new segment for the podcast called "What I've Learned". Quincy goes into great detail about his thoughts, experiences, and recommendations on all things culinary school, and if he feels like attending it worthwhile to emerging young chefs. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------...

Bryn is an incredible self-taught baker, who decided to make a serious push as an entrepreneur after the passing of her grandmother. Since then, Bryn has won business grants,  started by selling her delightful pastries at the Farmers' Market, and now operates not one, not two, but three business entities. As someone willingly to shift completely to a new to follow a dream, Bryn is an inspirat...

We have an incredible guest this week. Layla is a food writer and author who has written for Food52, Food Network, Mother Untitled, The Roanoker and more!  She sits down today to discuss the everchanging landscape of being a freelance food writer, what it's like working on her first book, and the direction she see's restaurants going with ever evolving technology. -----------------------...

On this episode, we get to chat with Nathan Webster. Nathan is the owner of multiple premier food businesses in Roanoke. He was originally in real estate, but after seeing an opportunity, he jumped into restaurant ownership without any prior experience.  Nathan's story and insights showcase how  utilizing experience from another career can be extremely helpful in becoming a restaurateur. Also...

On this episode, we are joined by the wonderful Julie Casey. Julie takes us through her journey and mindset when founding Bread Run Roanoke, as well as highlighting how her experience in merchandising has helped Bread Run quickly become a highly recognized and sought after brand here in Roanoke. She also has good tastes in breakfast pastries, and we bond over the fact the English muffins aren&apos...

For the official debut episode, we are joined by Chef Patrick Riley. Patrick is a close friend, and the Chef/Owner of Food Hut in Roanoke. On this episode we get a chance to share anecdotes and experiences as new business owners, we dialogue on whether chefs really hate brunch, and which pop-tart flavors are S-tier. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------...

Welcome to the pilot episode of "Rookie Restaurateur"! Today I chat with the one and only Steffon Randolph, aka my brother.  We chat about how we launched our business, how we got to this point as business owners,  how we view hospitality, and we learn that Steffon is bad at tier lists.   Watch highlight clips of the podcast on the "Rookie Restaurateur" YouTube Channel: "R...