Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Waiting On Fries: Inside Bars and Restaurants

When some people tell stories you ask others if they're true. James Zinkand is no exception to this as it's hard to believe anyone would be biking around the world multiple times from coast to coast, find himself stranded overseas without a Visa, living one adventure to the next.

So how'd we land into creating a spirits brand for those that enjoy adventure? He's got to tell this one to you - and we're just all going to listen.

https://misguidedspirits.com

We're here, and it's another chance to find ways to take advantage of the sporting events for sports bars. Justin runs through some of the arguments he had internally about how to gain further restaurant traction as well as what kind of promotions fit the business and establishment he's building.

There's reasons certain advertising styles work in some locations and may fail in other locations. What are some ways you take advantage of advertising to your clients?

Welp. We discussed that aging and sports just doesn't work the same way one would think...

Since Justin's all roughed up, but the restaurants certainly need to continue being worked on and managed - he's got a plan. We get into the thick of booking parties, looking at his Toast system and more. We should assume much computer work will be done over the next few months!

Consistently joking about the busiest time of Justin's restaurant not being Christmas Holiday area, and actually being Super Bowl Sunday - this is his Super Bowl.

Justin runs through a few techniques he uses to get through the week leading up to the Super Bowl and how he handles people once their at the restaurant.

Also, is it too hard to ask people to parent their children in restaurants? There's so many ways they can get hurt and affect others experiences that we've got to clamp down on whatever opportunities and options we have in creating a safe and hospitable environment for our guests.

https://instagram.com/waitingonfriespodcast.com

What's this stuff people are drinking? Kombucha? Is it healthy? Is it fizzy? Is it delicious? Who knows. We're speaking with Julz Enriquez today who started Feel Good Booch while working in plenty of amazing bars and restaurants.

Juggling how to start a business is never an easy task, and a scary one when your income is derived from elsewhere. This is what also makes Julz drive and hustle harder as he is continuing to work his other bar job to make sure income continues while growing his brand.

http://feelgoodbooch.com

Have you always wanted to figure out how to scale your business to the next level? We're talking to a group of guys who weren't even really in the restaurant business prior that have managed to assemble strengths and "figure it out".

Sitting with Carmelo, Nick, and Sebastian we learn that they all come from largely different roles and found themselves in the restaurant business together. Along with a perfect storm of outside factors that helped the brand become just that, a brand, there were plenty of learning lessons along the way.

Find out how they got themselves to 6 restaurants and growing - I mean, why stop if it works?

The Taco Project Website

The Taco Project Instagram

The year end is upon your restaurant and bar. Did you already figure out your budget for next year? Justin takes us through what he's done to account for what he expects to be spending on for 2025 at Smokehouse, his BBQ restaurant.

Filmed At: Smokehouse Tailgate Grill, New Rochelle, NY

It's great being able to get deep. Nick put his phone down for a bit and let his notorious hospitality and bar industry meme account run itself for an hour before a pop up he conducted in collaboration with Kabin NYC and Campari. This conversation covers so many different thoughts from making a conscious decision to adopt sobriety, how the business found itself as a meme page, cease and desist letters, and more. Mover & Shaker Co. is the leading meme account with millions of impressions across the world from bartenders and hospitality sector workers alike. In their 7th year of existence it seems they're only picking up steam. Nick Hogan (https://www.instagram.com/boldcitybourbon) Mover & Shaker (https://www.instagram.com/moverandshakerco/) Mover & Shaker Co. (https://moverandshakerco.com/) Filmed By:  @jaeboogz  Filmed At: Kabin, NYC

It's the end of the year so we're talking balance sheets and what we're looking for to know our bars and restaurants are healthy, different ways of looking at the books, and what percentage of growth we want to see.

We're also looking at what point it's too late to keep booking holiday parties. Would you agree that most companies have already booked their parties for the end of year?

What we're discussing:

• PR Firm Functions
• Event Planning
• Lead Generating
• Taking without Giving
• Potential to do good

What we're talking about?

• A dress code!? Not at this steakhouse. The new generaation cares far more about being comfortable than dressing to the nines.
• Paying attention to detail about a belief system we care about. It says a lot about an owner that genuinely cares.
• Leaving guests satisfied even when they didn't have a great experience.
• SBA Loans and interest rates, applying for credit on your businesses EIN.
• Vinyl Records and how many times you can play one before it breaks.

Shot at: Vinyl Steakhouse, NYC

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vinylsteakhouse/

How do we talk about more business topics? #shiftbeers is a covnersation that has a ton of different gems about current topics happening in our Bar and Restaurant ownership journey. What are we talking about today? • Planning the year's events through calendar to prepare for correctly. • Different levels and types of events: Natural Holiday's, Municipality Created, Personal Events. • When do you hire an event coordinator to increase the sales of event rooms • What sort of event packages do you utilize in your banquet packaging. Shot in: Cocktail Garnish Co. White Plains, NY

This episode features Baked After Midnight's Gianna Khader (https://www.bakedaftermidnight.com), a cookie company that uses high end ingredients and is gaining ground in bars & restaurants. Gianna literally quit her job to pursue making cookies. She was always baking, literally for years - but doing it after midnight was therapeutic as no one is often around late night to bother. We discuss things like costs, motivation to have the business, how we gauge success in expos or trade events as well as using a third party delivery app to potentially help create a sales lift for the business.📷: Filmed, Recorded, & Edited by: Pour Shots, Justin Benfaida📍: Baked After Midnight, Gianna KhaderFind us on Youtube as well for all the shorts and bonus content! (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHhZ1-fp853NdPkWeL53bWg)

This episode features Rust & Gold (https://www.therustandgold.com/), a Huntington Long Island bar and restaurant that allows families to gather and fun to happen late night. Frank came from beginnings in the music industry, but decided that the A plan wasn't going to be the one he retired on. Along with a few friends Rust & Gold opened 7 years ago. The pandemic also wound up accelerating growth with the concepts of The Rolling Gold (tap & catering truck - a '63 Chevy!) and 1653 pizza. 📷: Filmed, Recorded, & Edited by: Pour Shots, Justin Benfaida 📍: The Rust & Gold, 70 Gerard St, Huntington, NY 11743

On the couch later? Find us on Youtube! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdzqYSPp5Ts)

We get to the bottom of Justin's hatred for Uber Eats and why it's still a necessary evil in the restaurant space. They have near zero risk - and the restaurant always deals with the blame. Florida has also taken on more hurricanes than it prefers.

https://instagram.com/waitingonfriespodcast

It wasn't always that Mark Taxiera was focused on opening a space outside of the city. As a guy who grew up in Ossining (a town north of New York City along the Hudson River) Mark had sights on working in the big city. After doing notable stints at Beppe & The Russian Tea Room, his wife Brianne and him decided to open up a beautiful Italian space in another outside of New York City town, Mamaroneck.

Brianne understands the front of house as she spent time at BLT Steak, Eatily, and Loring Place. She's also responsible for a killer Amari collection in the front of the bar.

https://www.instagram.com/augustines_salumeria/
https://augustinesny.com/

What do we care about? Providing gems and conversations for hospitality professionals everywhere to add to your bottom line. Running a business is hard, running a restaurant is worse. We talk to restaurateurs all over to discover their stories while pulling out the tricks they've learned along the way.

It's no secret that AI is the hottest clickbait conversation across all sectors at the moment. The race between companies to develop generated images, video, and conversations is quite impressive - although there's repetition and flaws.

https://waitingonfriespodcast.com

Have you seen Drink Masters yet? The show where bartenders from around the nation get to compete for the title of Ultimate Drink Master? Judged by Julie Reiner, Frankie Solarik, Tone Bell - over the course of 10 episodes the contestants get to compete showcasing techniques and skills learned over the course of their real world tenures.

LPDRINKS.org | FOCUSONHEALTH.org

Thinking about switching over to Toast? Use our link here and when you sign up to sue the better POS, we'll send you $500. http://refer.toasttab.com/referred-by/JustinZeytoonian/

Brenton Land is an owner/operator that doesn't believe in Defeat. His little bar, The VIG Bar is located in the neighborhood of Nolita in NYC... and although it's not packed with square footage - it's packed with people every night. In a time where bars take themselves a little too seriously, VIG bar pokes fun at trends and makes sure that there is plenty of fun to be had.

Drop our name and receive $500 back when you sign on with TOAST. This link will also get you set up with a free demo!

Stop by our website for a handful of other good information, tips, and tricks. http://waitingonfriespodcast.com

Patreon support link: Support the show!

Kris Baljak is the Beverage Director for a decently large restaurant group. We get to speak about hardships of managing such a large scale operation and finding key players in the space to help make his job a little easier. Kris reflects upon some of the new things we are seeing in the hospitality space with an all new work force that doesn't necessarily have years of training in dealing with the general public.

https://www.instagram.com/cocktails_by_kris/
@Oscar Wilde // @Papillon // @Lillie's Victorian

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$500 Back when you make the switch to Toast: TOAST LINK   - http://refer.toasttab.com/referred-by/JustinZeytoonian/
//
Contact us directly to get set up with Atmosphere TV Free:
info@waitingonfriespodcast.com
http://instagram.com/waitingonfriespodcast

There's always someone in your family that returns from the restroom just to comment on the sinks and the tiles. You can't escape the fact that they are often times one of the most under-looked components to a restaurants. Let's talk bathrooms! //
$500 Back when you make the switch to Toast: TOAST LINK   - http://refer.toasttab.com/referred-by/JustinZeytoonian/
//
Contact us directly to get set up with Atmosphere TV Free:
info@waitingonfriespodcast.com
http://instagram.com/waitingonfriespodcast

Salt Bae dodges a lawsuit from Nusr-Et staff unhappy with how tips are distributed, but that leads us to talk a little bit more about the ways tip share gets distributed. There's a few different business models out there and it's all about what works for you. //
$500 Back when you make the switch to Toast: TOAST LINK   - http://refer.toasttab.com/referred-by/JustinZeytoonian/
//
Contact us directly to get set up with Atmosphere TV Free:
info@waitingonfriespodcast.com
http://instagram.com/waitingonfriespodcast

Modeled after how Justin carries out his training process at Smokehouse, let's take a look at some of the major functions of trainings and how some of these streamlined processes may aid in consistency for your own execution. //
$500 Back when you make the switch to Toast: TOAST LINK   - http://refer.toasttab.com/referred-by/JustinZeytoonian/
//
Contact us directly to get set up with Atmosphere TV Free:
info@waitingonfriespodcast.com
http://instagram.com/waitingonfriespodcast

Bars and Restaurants are having trouble getting staff, here's where we find people!

Outdoor dining tips & tricks to build your brand and increase sales.

We're getting to the point where robots are starting to replace some basic restaurant tasks. How long until these robots are making perfect omelettes?!

It's not everyday we get to talk about firefighting and food at the same time - but today we have done just that. AJ Fusco runs an instagram account called @Forkandhose that features plates from firefighters everywhere. He also knows what he's doing in a kitchen though as he's graced several premier establishments over the years with his Fork skills. He has also improved his hosing over the years as he's been a firefighter longer than you've been listening to podcasts! http://www.forkandhoseco.com/

What's this guy know? Enough to build one business, sell it, and start a few more businesses. Matt Stanczak currently operates Good Old Days - a pizza joint in Newtown, Ct. that is looking to harbor a hip atmosphere that is doing great Detroit style pies and even has a cocktail den. 

We walk through what the complete dining experience is like from front to back and highlight a handful of the crucial points that your guests are experiencing in today's world. Are you missing opportunities? Have you maximized your check average?

Justin & Anum talk about different personalities in the kitchen and what we like to see when contributing to a building team dynamic.

As Justin has almost built out his new restaurant - he's run into quite a few odd problems that need to be navigated through. Let's look at some of the ways he's thinking of how to succeed.

As Smokehouse 1.2 gets closer to opening, Justin prepares his new space by pulling the trigger on utilizing a new POS that may offer a little more for his needs than his previous provider. Sometimes it starts to be about the ability for extensions and third party integrations.

Justin has a bit of OCD incase you didn't know. Seriously - let him vent a little bit while Noomz highlights how many chefs it takes to change a lightbulb.... I mean cook a steak.

People thought he was crazy when he left a restaurant designated 4 stars by the New York Times (Del Posto) to open up a BBQ place as a pop up in an empty lot in a dirty part of Brooklyn. Sure enough Matt Abdoo and his partners have been building a name, a brand, and populating the streets around Pig Beach over the last few years. We talk to Matt about current hardships of staffing locations so large, 

There's so much happening so quickly. Apparently Justin and Noomz are key to the refrigeration knowledge and have some experience to share with you if you're having issues with your coolers. Jae complained again about having a work week at the bar where there weren't enough bodies to man the bar - but somehow made do with what they had.... are you feeling constricted by how many employees you have? Here's some tips.

Yes. We're from New York. Yes. We like pizza. Yes. It's natural that we talk about it. Matt Di Gesu has an interesting story as he left New York to the west coast, just to find a couple east coast buddies that allowed him to learn everything about pizza. Soon enough - he came back.

Recently a new hire that successfully made it through training decided that it was too much for them to deal with a busy weekend night and decided that the job called for too much. We also discuss the greed of the liquor stores as they push to maintain their higher sales they've seen through the pandemic.

Let's talk about powerhouse party bars. Finding a balance between  operating a food focused dining experience and keeping the register ringing all night with high volume liquor and beer sales isn't easy. We speak with Stephen Primerano, the General Manager of Sign of the Whale - a super high volume bar located in Stamford, CT.

Well - here we are again talking about the Grub Hub Hijacking that is going on. Seems some states have put laws into effect that prevent third party services from taking over and portraying themselves as known establishments. These laws can fine them per day that they are operating! Also.... you know what's crazy about not getting shifts? Gotta have a conversation with management and get to the bottom of why you may not be where you think you should be.

Jon takes a second to discuss with us the frozen drink business. He didn't always sell frozen drink machines and mix - but when he did he realized that restaurants can use a lot of it.... this has made him one of the highest selling franchisee's in the Margarita Man umbrella. Let's find out about franchises as well as how he's tackling growth.

Get off of the couch and off of unemployment benefits. We're making money considering no one is working and it's great. By the time your benefits end you're going to be out of opportunities and left without the chair to sit in. We also discuss the passport you receive when you get your shots and how that may give you added abilities when it comes to dining out. 

Getting to speak to Angelo about his history as an owner can teach you a lot about being ok with taking your lumps, how to move on and make tough decisions, being too early to the party, and keeping the wheels turning with day to day operations and ideas. We also speak about segmenting your email blasts to maximize customer engagement.

What do you do when you live in an area where 3 states meet and have completely different opening plans? Well..... you grab the strap and you ride that bull as long as you can before she bucks you!

The major question always is - why should I go attend this event that I have to pay to be a part of? Well, you aren't wrong.... but you aren't right either. We cover some valid points of what you need to do to really maximize your return on investment when looking at trade shows, expos, or any industry event!

Juicy Lucy looks to hold the title of Brisket King 2021 and we get to sit down and talk with them, Blue Smoke, Handsome Devil, Pulkies, The Gramercy/Friends of Firefighters, and Avellino Family BBQ in a short form episode recorded live on site. We'll look to have more in depth conversations with these guys in the future! 

I can't believe what we discovered that Grubhub was doing with out business. These 3rd party apps are relentless in their vulture like tactics to facilitate delivery charges... has our story happened to you?

What do you get when 4 Bros walk into a pizza joint? As many owners lost their restaurants and bars, other businesses began with the extra time, stimulus aid, and ability to turn dreams into a reality. Carlos, Will, Danny, & Bryan have a cumulative lifetime in the pizza business. With each brother specializing in a different part of the business this team is able to deliver consistency and quality through their pies.

"You can't get away with plastic fold out chairs and tables anymore!" Justin proclaimed. This season it's time to get our business together and actually look like you want to have outside seating. Waiting on permits? Forget all that! Just get your tables back out there and start making money!

With three establishments under his belt and a no sleep until who knows mentality - Travis Koester is the partner and operator of The Local (a local beer bar in the truest sense), Two Villains Brewery (A micro brewery), and The Henry (A gastropbub with enough televisions to watch a game). We discuss balancing operations and the story behind these popular establishments in Nyack, NY

With the Masters upon us we are looking at signature drinks and how they help to immerse patrons in the environment you help create. We've spoken in past episodes about creating ecosystems... well - let's look deeper at tying it all in. Also we take a look into businesses opening to help underserved communities and the outreach these restaurants (notably top restaurants in the world) are doing to help.