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1. "The Frontline"
This podcast, by Rachael Nemeth, CEO of Opus, and guest star Ben Conniff, co-founder and CEO of Luke's Lobster, a highly successful global restaurant chain, touches on the ways Ben is engaging the immigrant community and what “employee engagement” truly means. The biggest portion of the workforce, Ben says, are those who do the craftsmanship of turning live lobster into perfectly cooked and picked lobster meat, which relies on many different immigrant populations. 4.6% of Maine residents are immigrants -- communicating clearly with folks in 5 different languages to make sure all protocols are followed- is challenging. Ben discusses sustainability as a cornerstone of his company- specifically, sustainable Seafood. BeCorp, he exclaims, opened up new ways to work in social justice throughout various communities, and environmentally as well. Ben established a diversity & Inclusion committee in one’s company to have honest conversations about what the company can do to be a more diverse community and ways to advocate for immigrants throughout the state and country altogether.
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2. "What Restaurant Owners Can Do to Overcome Daily Obstacles"
This podcast discusses Restaurant Prosperity Formula allows restaurant owners to achieve success and prosperity. From employee burnout to the need for stronger leadership, Darren Denington, guest speaker of this podcast, holds the most prestigious certification available for hospitality professionals. Many places are struggling to find employees, and guest expectations are succeeding. Time, focus, and effort - key to a successful business. Develop the people - they want to be a part of something. Give a small raise, buy them a delicious meal, show your employees you are there for them and in it together. It's all about company culture.
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3. "7 Shifts | BlueCart Zero Waste Kitchen - Time Management & Increased Productivity"
CEO Jordan Boesch chats with chefs Tim Ma of Kyirisan, Tanya Holland of Brown Sugar Kitchen and Jehangir Mehta of Graffiti Earth in this podcast goes into depth on importance of over-communicating with staff as the key to a successful restaurant. Training where they know what to expect, and if we keep it up to that level, they will be appreciated and needed here helps to retain workers. for those opening a restaurant, they believe keeping your fixed costs low is significant, such as rent, and try not to hire too in advance- wait till your close to opening. Keep checking your budget and be strategic.
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4. "Roger Reflects on 20+ Years of Restaurant Success"
For this episode, Roger discusses his two decades in the restaurant business, from knowing nothing to building high volume high profit restaurants and selling those properties, and then pivoting and getting back into the restaurant business. 23 years ago Roger started a restaurant with simply a business degree. Roger trained his staff to take care of the kids to attract the youth; often times, kids make the decisions where the family eats. He got 96% retention rate; they all delivered great service, and they felt like 'family.' Taught them to serve and sell, recognized and rewarded them.
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5. "Jake Wolf- Capital Club 16- Raleigh, NYC"
This podcast by Jake and his wife Shannon one of the most respected restaurants in Raleigh, NC discusses how he became successful over the past 5 summers. Jake and his wife not only care passionately about the business but their staff. the key to consistent service and good energy is having a good staff working with us, not for us, with common goals. "you can't train someone to care, but you can train someone to do any technical job from the work front" Jake says. if things come up in their personal life, they make sure to accommodate them and understand their needs to take some time off, because if someones having a bad day, it'll show. Additionally, Jake and Shannon, owners of the restaurant, emphasize that you make it a point to be present and lead by example.
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6. "This Ain't Your Mommas Sandwich Shop - Renae Scott of Ikes Love & Sandwiches"
Restaurant Rockstar's podcast featuring Renae Scott, Chief Marketing Officer of Ikes Love & Sandwiches, discusses the importance of creativity and 'hooks.' It has 80 different locations and has a competitive advantage in the market. Renae started out in hospitality as a waitress at an old-fashioned ice cream parlor, continuing waitressing throughout college. Once Renae experienced the culture of Ikes Love & Sandwiches, she said "it felt like home." Culture, the foundational element of any restaurant, and food and quality play into the mission of the business. What sets Ikes apart is that it's a completely unique environment - Ike's vision is of love and sandwiches - "love comes before sandwiches at Ikes." They make their guests feel loved, welcomes, and that Ikes is an inclusive place for people to go. from the beginning, they wanted to serve a great sandwich to people of all different ways of eating too. They have 8 different vegan proteins, and 100's of vegetarian options, they serve halal chicken, meeting the needs of a diverse range of customers
