My First Restaurant

Akash Mirchandani is a Partner at Kitchen Fund, a leading investment firm focused on the emerging restaurant space. Kitchen Fund aims to fuel the brands that are changing how we eat, including investments in some popular restaurants you may have heard of such as sweetgreen, CAVA, and Curry Up Now. Prior to Kitchen Fund Akash worked in Blackstone’s Private Equity Group, graduated from Harvard where he was captain of the golf team, and deepened his passion for the food industry through a brief stage working in the kitchen at Alinea, the three Michelin star restaurant in Chicago. In this interview, Akash and I discuss the ever elusive topic of how to raise money for a growing restaurant brand. We talk about funding options, when to raise, what investors look for, and how valuations are determined. Specifically, restaurant owners will learn: - How many units a brand typically needs before institutional investors become interested - The most important metric investors look for, along with a “best in class” benchmark - When a growing restaurant brand should look for outside capital - How restaurant valuations are determined - How investors keep restaurant founders motivated after a raise - The Kitchen Fund investments Akash is most excited about and more. If you own a restaurant brand with eyes toward growth, this is definitely an episode you’ll want to bookmark and come back to at regular intervals as you hit key growth milestones in your business. Please enjoy my conversation with Akash Mirchandani of Kitchen Fund. –– Where to find Kitchen Fund: https://kitchenfund.com/@KitchenFundhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/kitchen-fund/about/–– Where to find Akash: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akash-mirchandani/–– Where to find Bryan: https://www.myfirstrestaurant.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-tublin-03548910/@btublin–– Where to find Kitava: https://www.kitava.com/@kitavakitchen–– Referenced: CAVASweetgreenINDAYRestaurant Business OnlineIn this episode, we cover:

Host Bryan Tublin shares his top 10 lessons learned from Season 1 of My First Restaurant. Top 10 Lessons Learned:

“I work really hard, and my staff works really hard, so I have to be in love with that city and that community to do the work that I do.” — Dominica Rice-Cisneros is the Chef & Owner of Bombera in Oakland, California. During her long career as a line cook, Dominica worked her way up in fine dining establishments such as Chez Panisse and The Four Seasons, before opening her first restaurant Cosecha to showcase her take on California Mexican cuisine. Forced to close Cosecha during the Covid-19 pandemic due to its downtown Oakland location, she reopened as Bombera in the Dimond neighborhood, where she is now thriving as a full service restaurant showcasing her Chicano cooking heritage using live fire techniques. In this interview Dominica shares how she transitioned from career line cook to restaurant owner, including lessons learned along the way. We discuss: - Why working as a “stage” was a blessing early in her career - What inspired her career in food and restaurants - The importance of connecting with mentors - Her biggest hurdles transitioning from line cook to restaurant owner and much more. Dominica provides a rare perspective from someone who truly workd her way up from the bottom, and provides practical insight for others looking to do the same. Please enjoy my conversation with Dominica Rice-Cisneros of Bombera! –– Where to find Bombera: https://www.bomberaoakland.com/bomberaoaklandbomberaoakland–– Where to find Dominica: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominica-rice-1828ab2b/dominicarice–– Where to find Bryan: https://www.myfirstrestaurant.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-tublin-03548910/@btublin–– Where to find Kitava: https://www.kitava.com/@kitavakitchen–– Referenced: Vik’s ChaatGreat China504 LoansIn this episode, we cover:

“You want more happy employees that are gonna turn to happy guests, and in order to do that you don’t want your team to feel overwhelmed.” — Mistie Boulton is the CEO of Oren’s Hummus, and the President and Founder of EyeSpy Critiquing & Consulting, a mystery shopping and operations improvement business for the service industry. Mistie brings 20+ years of restaurant industry experience to this conversation, where we dive deep into why she decided to start a mystery shopping business in her 20’s, how she grew Oren’s Hummus to 6 brick-and-mortar locations, and her thoughts on scaling with diversified revenue streams. She shares her thoughts on virtual kitchens, storefront location selection, leveraging a commissary kitchen to help grow, counter service vs. full service business models, and much more. Mistie is super sharp and accomplished, with decades of knowledge to share. Please enjoy my conversation with Mistie Boulton of Oren’s Hummus and EyeSpy! –– Where to find Oren’s Hummus: https://orenshummus.com/@orenshummusOrensHummus@orenshummus–– Where to find Mistie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mistiecohen/–– Where to find Bryan: https://www.myfirstrestaurant.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-tublin-03548910/@btublin–– Where to find Kitava: https://www.kitava.com/@kitavakitchen–– Referenced: CTUITIn this episode, we cover:

“Don’t ever even consider opening a restaurant unless you have worked in and ideally managed one.” — This week’s guest is Gabriel Baldinucci, co-founder of Baldinucci Pizza Romana, a “fast premium” pizza restaurant based in Austin, Texas. In this interview we discuss the origins of the concept, as well as: and much more. Gabriel and team opened Baldinucci just over 6 months ago, and they’ve already established themselves as one of the best pizza joints in Austin. This is an insightful episode for those of you in the early stages of your restaurant journey, and Gabriel does a great job breaking down their key lessons learned so far. Please enjoy my conversation with Gabriel Baldinucci, of Baldinucci Pizza Romana. –– Where to find Baldinucci: baldinucci.pizza@baldinucci.pizzaBaldinucci Pizza Romana–– Where to find Gabriel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gbaldinucci/@gbvchttps://medium.com/@gabrielbaldinucci –– Where to find Bryan: https://www.myfirstrestaurant.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-tublin-03548910/@btublin –– Where to find Kitava: https://www.kitava.com/@kitavakitchen–– Referenced: GenslerExpandShareRaving Fans In this episode, we cover:

“The people that are super successful have their operations on lock.” — James Deng is the Founder & CEO of Poké House, a poké chain based in Northern California with 9 locations and counting. James opened Poké House’s first location in 2015, and has since grown the concept to 5 company-owned locations and 4 franchise operated units, with big plans to scale beyond those numbers in the coming years. In this episode James shares how Poké House grew into this success, including: - How Poké House differentiated from competition by making their tightening their operations - Why buying a warehouse and using it as a distribution center can be helpful to business owners with multiple locations - All the technology tools Poké House uses to run a tight ship, and - How James manages the stress and anxiety that comes with running a bootstrapped restaurant business James is sharp, insightful, and full of operational wisdom, so I think you’ll really enjoy this episode. Please enjoy my conversation with James Deng of Poké House! –– Where to find Poké House: poke.house@poke.housePoke House@PokeHouseUSA–– Where to find James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yundeng/–– Where to find Bryan: https://www.myfirstrestaurant.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-tublin-03548910/@btublin–– Where to find Kitava: https://www.kitava.com/@kitavakitchen–– Referenced: The E-MythHomebaseJoltBeekeeperOloChocoSBA 7a loanShoe DogPrinciplesIMP SeafoodIn this episode, we cover:

“Lean into your network, don’t be afraid to grow it, and don’t be afraid to ask people for help and reach out to people who have done it before. You never know what you’ll get back, you just have to ask.” — Marc Schechter is the Co-Founder of Square Pie Guys, a Detroit style fast casual pizza chain based in the San Francisco Bay Area. With three locations between San Francisco and Oakland, Marc has grown Square Pie Guys into a trendsetting brand inspiring square pizza concepts nationwide. I sit down with Marc in person to discuss: - His early love for pizza - How standup comedy gave him the skills to market & promote events - Where the idea for focusing on Detroit style pizza came from - How Marc raised money, and lessons learned from their first two buildouts - The story behind negotiating their exclusive rev share deal with Caviar - SPG’s approach to marketing, promotions, and celebrity collabs and much more, including stories about celebrities Jim Gaffigan and Jeremy Lin. Please enjoy my conversation with Marc Schechter of Square Pie Guys! –– Where to find Square Pie Guys: https://squarepieguys.com/@squarepieguys@SPGPizzaSF@SquarePieGuys@squarepieguys9514–– Where to find Marc: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcschechter/@pizzaman420–– Where to find Bryan: https://www.myfirstrestaurant.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-tublin-03548910/@btublin–– Where to find Kitava: https://www.kitava.com/@kitavakitchen–– Referenced: My Pizza@pizzaman420The Culinary EdgePizzaHackerDelfinaCut+DryReciprofityIn this episode, we cover:

“The least understood thing about opening a public facing business is the feeling of it, the emotional journey you have to go on” — Manny Yekutiel is the owner of Manny’s, a civic and political event space with a bookshop, coffee shop, bar, and restaurant, located in San Francisco. As you’ll quickly find out, Manny is not your traditional business owner, and this is far from a traditional interview. Having worked in the world of fundraising for political campaigns, Manny is charismatic and persuasive, with a knack for convincing people to go along with his ideas… like asking me to take my shirt off during the interview – you’ll have to listen on to find out what happens there. After burning out from his career in politics, Manny set out to use his skills to create a gathering space for the civic-minded, using food and drink as the great equalizer to bring people together. We discuss his journey to make a reality out of his vision, touching on topics like his unconventional approach to fundraising, the business’s four primary revenue streams, the pros and cons of partnering with a culinary nonprofit to run the kitchen early on, loneliness as the number one hurdle he had to overcome, and the least understood aspect of opening a brick-and-mortar business. Please enjoy this fun, quirky, and informative interview with Manny Yekutiel. –– Where to find Manny’s: https://welcometomannys.com/@welcometomannys@welcometomannys@welcometomannys@welcometomannys–– Where to find Manny: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manny-yekutiel-2523b843/@emanuelsethhttps://www.facebook.com/emanuel.seth.9@manny_yekutiel–– Where to find Bryan: https://www.myfirstrestaurant.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-tublin-03548910/@btublin–– Where to find Kitava: https://www.kitava.com/@kitavakitchen–– Referenced: Farming HopeManny’s Op Ed in the SF ChronicleCivic Joy FundIn this episode, we cover:

“Don’t pick the cheapest person, don’t pick the person who says they’re going to do it fast… pick the person that is the most responsible.” — In this episode we’re joined by David Murphy & Kayla Abe, co-owners of Shuggie’s Trash Pie & Natural Wine, a climate solutions restaurant highlighting upcycled ingredients, where they take all kinds of things left over from the food system and make them the stars of the menu. Shuggie’s is the new hotness of the San Francisco food scene and beyond, having been featured in the SF Chronicle, NY Times, Eater National, and Esquire, who named them one of the Best New Restaurants in America in 2022. Chef David and Kayla have created a fun, colorful, and lighthearted dining experience to tackle the problem of climate change. By using food waste products, upcycled ingredients, and natural wine to create a truly unique dining experience, they’re making it trendy and craveworthy to put food dollars to good use. In this conversation we dive deep into what it took for David & Kayla to open Shuggie’s. We cover topics such as how they funded the business (and the challenges of using Kickstarter), finding a location without a real estate broker, mistakes made during the build-out process (like getting ripped off to the tune of $38k by a bad contractor), and much more. Please enjoy my conversation with Chef David Murphy & Kayla Abe of Shuggie's. –– Where to find Shuggie’s: https://www.shuggiespizza.com/@shuggiespizza@shuggiespizza–– Where to find David & Kayla: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaylaabe/@doublefastdave–– Where to find Bryan: https://www.myfirstrestaurant.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-tublin-03548910/@btublin–– Where to find Kitava: https://www.kitava.com/@kitavakitchen–– Referenced: Shuggies Kickstarter CampaignCream Co. MeatsMonterey Bay FisheriesIn this episode, we cover:

“Whatever you think it’s gonna cost double it, whatever you think you need for working capital triple” — This week’s guest is Todd Parent, Co-Founder & CEO of Extreme Pizza, a Bay Area-born chain with over 30 locations from coast to coast. Todd had a unique journey to restaurant ownership, starting in the dish pit of a friend’s restaurant in New Jersey, honing his management skills in Aspen, then eventually making his way to San Francisco, where he was encouraged to chase his entrepreneurial dreams by the founder of Noah’s Bagels. After launching the first Extreme Pizza in 1994, Todd admits he made every mistake imaginable. He had the wrong business model, a poor location, was under capitalized, and had to navigate a nasty breakup with his original co-founder. We discuss how he overcame these challenges, what he learned from them, and how he would do things differently if he were starting Extreme Pizza in 2023. Big props to Todd for being honest and vulnerable as he shared his journey, and not sugar coating anything for anyone looking to get into the restaurant industry. Please enjoy my conversation with Todd Parent of Extreme Pizza! –– Where to find Extreme Pizza: https://www.extremepizza.com/@extreme.pizza@ExtremePizza@Extreme_Pizza–– Where to find Todd: https://www.linkedin.com/in/todd-parent-0875691/–– Where to find Bryan: https://www.myfirstrestaurant.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-tublin-03548910/@btublin–– Where to find Kitava: https://www.kitava.com/@kitavakitchen–– In this episode, we cover:

“At some point you have to say, ‘I’m not going to make a bad business decision to get my dream space.’” — Today our guest is Roberta Economidis, co-founder and partner of Georgopoulos & Economidis, a boutique business law firm based in San Francisco, with a specialty in the hospitality industry. Roberta has helped restaurants and hospitality businesses throughout California and the US with everything from corporate structure, to lease negotiations, private equity offerings, licensing, permitting, and much more. The focus of our conversation today is the restaurant lease, a VERY important topic for anyone looking to open a restaurant, whether it’s their first or 51st. Signing a favorable lease can make the difference between a successful or unsuccessful restaurant business. Roberta helps demystify the restaurant lease, covering topics like: - What the typical lease negotiation process looks like - The purpose of an LOI - Breaking down different types of restaurant leases - Important clauses to consider, and - Tips for how to negotiate favorable lease terms Get your notepad ready, cuz the information you’re about to hear would normally cost a pretty penny in legal fees! Please enjoy my chat about restaurant leases with Roberta Economidis. –– Where to find GE Law Group: www.gelawgroup.com@GroupGe–– Where to find Roberta: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roberta-economidis-495177/–– Where to find Bryan: https://www.myfirstrestaurant.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-tublin-03548910/@btublin–- Where to find Kitava: https://www.kitava.com/@kitavakitchen–– In this episode, we cover:

“I wanted to close the gap between who I was and what I did.” — Jennifer Peters is the Founder & Foodie of Just BE Kitchen, a two-unit fast casual concept in Colorado, with an allergen friendly menu focused on serving “mindful mouthfuls from a conscious kitchen” through meals that are gluten, grain, refined sugar, and dairy-free. As you’ll hear in our conversation, Jen’s mettle was tested several times along the way to opening and sustaining Just BE, from having her funding fall through right before she opened, to her Head Chef leaving to film a TV show two weeks before opening day. We discuss how she overcame these challenges, as well as: - How the idea started from an MBA class project - Signing 56 letters of intent before finalizing her first location lease - Why growing your business only unveils new challenges to overcome - How owning a business is the “most expensive and fastest self development course” Please enjoy my conversation with Jennifer Peters! –– Where to find Just BE Kitchen: https://justbekitchen.com/@justbekitchen@justbekitchen@justBEkitchen–– Where to find Jennifer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-peters-61013a/–– Where to find Bryan: https://www.myfirstrestaurant.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-tublin-03548910/@btublin–– Where to find Kitava: https://www.kitava.com/@kitavakitchen–– Referenced: Daring GreatlyToast Online OrderingFryingpan BaconHavenly Breads–– In this episode, we cover:

This week we’re flipping the script. Guest host Sam Oches, Editorial Director of Informa’s Restaurant & Food Group, interviews Bryan about his journey to start and grow Kitava. Sam and Bryan discuss Kitava’s origin story, including the path from pop-ups and farmers markets to opening a brick-and-mortar location inside an old McDonald’s. Other topics covered include: - How Bryan merged his business with his eventual co-founder’s to form Kitava - The process of coming up with a name and brand that would resonate with consumers - Adjustments Kitava made in the early days after opening - How Covid changed Kitava - The most significant lessons learned since starting Kitava and much more. Please enjoy this special episode of My First Restaurant! –– Where to find Sam Oches’ work: Nation’s Restaurant NewsTake Away PodcastExtra Serving Podcast–– Where to find Sam: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-oches-5923bb13/–– Where to find Bryan: https://www.myfirstrestaurant.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-tublin-03548910/@btublin–– Where to find Kitava: https://www.kitava.com/@kitavakitchen–– Referenced: Nation’s Restaurant NewsTake Away PodcastExtra Serving PodcastRestaurant Success by the NumbersBoss LifeThe E-Myth RevisitedHomebaseReviewPush–– In this episode, we cover:

“The guest experience will never rise above the level of the team experience” — Leo Kremer is the Co-Founder of Dos Toros Taqueria. As a Berkeley, CA native, Leo and his brother Oliver grew up eating Mission-style burritos from local taquerias throughout the Bay Area. After spending time as a professional musician, including with Third Eye Blind, and working briefly in management consulting, Leo and his brother opened Dos Toros in New York City in 2009. Leo and Oliver steadily grew the business to 21 locations over the next 11 years, eventually joining forces via acquisition with the salad chain Chopt to form Founders Table, a restaurant holding company. In this interview we discuss: - How Dos Toros approached building their team - The importance of passion in authentically expanding a brand - The marketing tactics that worked and didn’t work when launching in their second major market and much more. Please enjoy my conversation with Leo Kremer! –– Where to find Dos Toros: https://www.dostoros.com/@dostoros@dostorostaqueria@DosToros–– Where to find Leo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leo-kremer-bb75a22/–– Where to find Bryan: https://www.myfirstrestaurant.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-tublin-03548910/@btublin–– Where to find Kitava: https://www.kitava.com/@kitavakitchen–– Referenced: Nick MarshFounders TableSetting the TableUnreasonable Hospitality–– In this episode, we cover:

Charles Bililies is the Founder & CEO of Souvla, a group of fast-fine Greek restaurants with six locations throughout San Francisco. Charles has built Souvla from a passion project into a brand with a cult-like following, having been named a “Top 100 Restaurant” by the San Francisco Chronicle, and a recipient of the StarChefs award for “Best Concept”, as well as being featured in national media outlets such as The Today Show, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and Bloomberg. If you’re looking to start a restaurant in 2023 it’s hard to find advice from someone with more relevant experience and credibility than Charles. We cover topics such as the inspiration behind Souvla’s innovative “fast-fine” business model, the very first step Charles took to make his concept a reality, how Souvla structured it’s first financial investment, the story of how Charles met his co-founder Tony, a detailed breakdown of how Souvla staffs its restaurants and management team, and much more. Please enjoy my conversation with Charles Bililies! –– Where to find Souvla: @souvla@souvla@souvla–– Where to find Charles: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-bililies/@cbililies@cbililies–– Where to find Bryan: https://www.myfirstrestaurant.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-tublin-03548910/@btublin–– Where to find Kitava: https://www.kitava.com/@kitavakitchen–– Referenced: The Mina GroupRN74KokkariHow to Open a RestaurantVesta Foodservice–– In this episode, we cover:

“The universe will pay you in direct proportion to the value that you are giving.” This is Part 2 of a two-part conversation with Ike Shehadeh. If you haven’t listened to Part 1, go back and listen to Episode 11 for full context! In this deeply philosophical episode, we cover: Enjoy Part 2 of my conversation with Ike Shehadeh. –– Where to find Ike’s Sandwiches: https://www.ikessandwich.com/@ikessandwicheshttps://www.facebook.com/ikesandwiches/@ikessandwiches–– Where to find Ike: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ike-shehadeh-a023155/@ikeshehadeh@IkeShehadehhttps://fullmentalalchemist.com/–– Where to find Bryan: https://www.myfirstrestaurant.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-tublin-03548910/@btublin–– Where to find Kitava: https://www.kitava.com/@kitavakitchen–– Referenced: The Richest Man in BabylonIke’s School of WealthFullMentalAlchemist.com–– In this episode, we cover:

“I’m working LESS now with a hundred locations than I did with one… It’s a MYTH that it’s hard to expand.” - Ike Shehadeh --- Imagine the following… > You’ve been kicked out of college > Your first business goes broke and you become homeless > While working three jobs to make ends meet, you decide to open a sandwich shop > On your first day no one comes. You sell zero sandwiches > It takes you 3 months just to make more than $300 in gross sales per day What do you do from here? Well friends, this is the real life beginning of Ike’s Love & Sandwiches, a now iconic sandwich chain with nearly 100 locations throughout the Western US. I recently sat down with Ike’s founder Ike Shehadeh to learn about how he overcame these challenges early in life to build such a beloved brand and successful business. And Ike really BRINGS IT 🔥 His story and perspective is so fascinating, I had to break the interview up into two parts. Here’s Part 1. Get ready to have your frame altered. –– Where to find Ike’s Sandwiches: https://www.ikessandwich.com/@ikessandwicheshttps://www.facebook.com/ikesandwiches/@ikessandwiches–– Where to find Ike: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ike-shehadeh-a023155/@ikeshehadeh@IkeShehadehhttps://fullmentalalchemist.com/–– Where to find Bryan: https://www.myfirstrestaurant.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-tublin-03548910/@btublin–– Where to find Kitava: https://www.kitava.com/@kitavakitchen–– Referenced: LagniappeMarshall Thurber on Dynamic Value–– In this episode, we cover:

“You need to be all in, otherwise it doesn’t really work.” - Benson Wang Benson Wang is the co-founder and CEO of Palm House Hospitality, an experience driven lifestyle and hospitality company based in the Bay Area with a diversified portfolio in restaurants, nightlife and lodging. In our interview we discuss: - How Benson and team make data-driven menu changes by sending new items to the Thunderdome - How they embraced their target market to help make operational decisions (e.g. Valentine’s Day blind dating show) - What Palm House is doing to help bring a more holistic approach to team management Benson has had phenomenal success by tapping into the unique attributes of the target market for each of his concepts. He also shares practical advice around menu construction, staffing, fundraising and expansion. Enjoy! –– Where to find Palm House: https://www.palmhousesf.com/https://www.instagram.com/palmhousesf/https://www.facebook.com/palmhousesf/–– Where to find Benson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benson-wang-38b06b17/@bensonsfreshsqueeze–– Where to find Bryan: https://www.myfirstrestaurant.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-tublin-03548910/@btublin–– Where to find Kitava: https://www.kitava.com/@kitavakitchen–– Referenced: Sol FoodForeign CinemaSimco GroupThe Hillstone GroupAOC AccountingSpotOn POS–– In this episode, we cover:

“The end goal is to make people happy, and tell our stories through food” - Chef Nelson German -- Nelson German is the Executive Chef/Owner of alaMar Kitchen & Bar and Sobre Mesa in Oakland, CA. His restaurants tell the stories of the African and Caribbean diasporas through cultural foodways, and have achieved local and national accolades. Chef Nelson appeared as a contestant on Bravo’s Top Chef - Season 18, and he was named one of Plate magazine's “2020 Chefs to Watch,” and “Best Chef 2022” from East Bay Express. In our interview we discuss Nelson’s journey from Washington Heights to Award-winning Chef, including: - The tricky balance between signing a new lease and raising funds for your first restaurant - Why it’s important to continue doing research even after you open - Being open to pivoting and adjusting along the way - Checking your P&L numbers weekly, so you have time to react and adapt before it’s too late - A BIG announcement about the future of alaMar – you heard it here first! - How he got invited to appear on Top Chef after initially thinking it was a prank call –– Where to find alaMar: https://www.alamaroakland.com/alamaroaklandhttps://www.facebook.com/alamaroakland/–– Where to find Nelson: https://chefnelsongerman.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/nelson-german-6411b82b/@chefnel4–– Where to find Bryan: https://www.myfirstrestaurant.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-tublin-03548910/@btublin–– Where to find Kitava: https://www.kitava.com/@kitavakitchen–– Referenced: CopacabanaThe BearCommunity Bank of the BayBravo Top ChefOn CookingA History of FoodThe SecretThe E-Myth–– In this episode, we cover:

Jaime Sparrow is the owner of Sunbird Cape Cod, a zero-waste cafe specializing in fresh, local, and sustainable food. In this interview Jaime shares her journey from working in San Francisco restaurants to moving back home to open a food truck, and eventually a cafe, in a seasonal economy heavily driven by tourism. We discuss how Jaime and her husband tested their concept with a food truck, why popularity with Cape Cod locals gave them confidence to open their first restaurant, their early struggles due to not raising enough money prior to opening, and how Jaime manages to run a zero-waste kitchen. Jaime drops pearls of real talk wisdom in this one, making it a must-listen for anyone thinking about opening their first restaurant! –– Where to find Sunbird: https://www.sunbirdcapecod.com/@sunbirdcapecodhttps://www.facebook.com/sunbirdcapecod@sunbirdcapecod–– Where to find Jaime: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaime-sparrow-87544510/–– Where to find Bryan: https://www.myfirstrestaurant.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-tublin-03548910/@btublin–– Where to find Kitava: https://www.kitava.com/@kitavakitchen–– Referenced: Kimpton GroupThe Zuni Cafe CookbookHalcyon Farm–– In this episode, we cover: