624: Michael Kloeti on Keeping an Open Mind
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Release Date: 06/17/2019
1264: David T. Denney and Chelsea Masters, Partners and Denney Law Firm
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Today's guests join the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on April 27th, 2026 at 11AM EST. To join us and engage with all our guests and events, go to restaurantunstoppable.com/live -OR- to just catch today's guest, head over to restaurantunstoppable.com/cwe and we will get you a link to join that specific event for FREE! David T. Denney is the founder of Denney Law Group, a Dallas-based firm that counsels startups and growing companies on corporate transactions, business litigation, real estate, franchising, and beverage alcohol licensing, with a particular focus on the food,...
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1263: Eric Reed, Chief Development Officer at Layne’s Chicken Fingers
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Eric Reed and Natalie Hurley (also of Layne's) join the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on April 20th, 2026 at 11AM EST. To join us and engage with all our guests and events, go to restaurantunstoppable.com/live -OR- to just catch today's guest, head over to restaurantunstoppable.com/cwe and we will get you a link to join that specific event for FREE! Eric Reed is the Chief Development Officer at Layne’s Chicken Fingers, where he leads the brand’s aggressive growth and real estate strategy as the company scales its footprint across existing and new markets. With more than two...
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1262: Natalie Hurley, VP of Marketing at Layne’s Chicken Fingers
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Natalie Hurley and Eric Reed (also of Layne's) join the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on April 20th, 2026 at 11AM EST. To join us and engage with all our guests and events, go to restaurantunstoppable.com/live -OR- to just catch today's guest, head over to restaurantunstoppable.com/cwe and we will get you a link to join that specific event for FREE! Natalie Hurley is the Vice President of Marketing at Layne’s Chicken Fingers, where she leads brand strategy and growth for the “Soon to be Famous” chicken finger franchise as it expands nationwide. With nearly 20 years of...
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1261: Alex Camp & Cuyler Esposito, VP of Operations Services, VP of Culture Operations at Layne's Chicken Fingers
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Alex Camp and Cuyler Esposito join the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on April 13th, 2026 at 11AM EST. To join us and engage with all our guests and events, go to restaurantunstoppable.com/live -OR- to just catch today's guest, head over to restaurantunstoppable.com/cwe and we will get you a link to join that specific event for FREE! Alex Camp is the vice president of operations services at Layne’s Chicken Fingers, where he serves as the “central nervous system” of the brand’s rapidly growing franchise system. After joining Layne’s in 2024 as senior director of...
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1260: Albert Sanchez, Co-Founder of Beto’s Mexican Restaurant
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Albert Sanchez and Chris Schultz join the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on April 6th, 2026 at 11AM EST. To join us and engage with all our guests and events, go to restaurantunstoppable.com/live -OR- to just catch today's guest, head over to restaurantunstoppable.com/cwe and we will get you a link to join that specific event for FREE! Albert Sanchez is the co‑founder and owner of Beto’s Mexican Restaurant, a family‑owned Mexican restaurant based in Grand Prairie, Texas, that has been serving the community since 1993. A lifelong Grand Prairie resident and graduate of South...
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1259: Chris Schultz, CEO of Velvet Taco
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Chris Schultz joins the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on April 6th, 2026 at 11AM EST. To join us and engage with all our guests and events, go to restaurantunstoppable.com/live -OR- to just catch today's guest, head over to restaurantunstoppable.com/cwe and we will get you a link to join that specific event for FREE! Chris Schultz is the CEO of , a fast-casual taco brand known for its globally inspired, chef-driven tacos and cult-favorite Weekly Taco Feature program. He brings more than 30 years of restaurant leadership experience to the role and is focused on leading Velvet...
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1258: Jo Irizarry, Serial Entrepreneur and Investor at Barbs-B-Q and Thorn & Bred
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Jo Irizarry and Skeeter Miller join the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on March 23rd, 2026 at 11AM EST. To join us and engage with all our guests and events, go to restaurantunstoppable.com/live -OR- to just catch today's guest, head over to restaurantunstoppable.com/cwe and we will get you a link to join that specific event for FREE! Jo Irizarry is an investor and mentor in the modern Texas barbecue scene, best known for backing nationally acclaimed concepts like Barbs-B-Q and butcher shop and restaurant Thorn & Bred. As an early believer in Barbs-B-Q, Jo helped support...
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1257: John Russ, Chef/Owner of Clementine
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
John Russ and Kim Beechner join the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on March 30th, 2026 at 11AM EST. To join us and engage with all our guests and events, go to restaurantunstoppable.com/live -OR- to just catch today's guest, head over to restaurantunstoppable.com/cwe and we will get you a link to join that specific event for FREE! Chef John Russ is the chef-owner of , a celebrated neighborhood restaurant in San Antonio known for its seasonally driven menus and warm, family-centered hospitality. A New Orleans native and 2023 James Beard Award finalist for Best Chef: Texas,...
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1256: Kim Beechner, CEO of Embark Marketing
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Kim Beechner joins the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on March 30th, 2026 at 11AM EST. To join us and engage with all our guests and events, go to restaurantunstoppable.com/live -OR- to just catch today's guest, head over to restaurantunstoppable.com/cwe and we will get you a link to join that specific event for FREE! Kim Beechner is the CEO and founder of Embark Marketing, a boutique digital agency specializing in the food and beverage and hospitality industries. Drawing on more than a decade in marketing and many years in the restaurant and bar world, she helps...
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1255: Skeeter Miller, Owner and President of The County Line Bar-B-Q Restaurant Group
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Skeeter Miller joins the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on March 23rd, 2026 at 11AM EST. To join us and engage with all our guests and events, go to restaurantunstoppable.com/live -OR- to just catch today's guest, head over to restaurantunstoppable.com/cwe and we will get you a link to join that specific event for FREE! Don “Skeeter” Miller is the longtime owner and president of The County Line, the iconic Texas barbecue institution he helped launch in Austin in 1975. Starting as the restaurant’s first dishwasher, he worked every job in the house before being invited into...
info_outlineBorn, raised, and trained in Switzerland, Chef Kloeti moved to the United States to enrich his classical French cooking background with other cultures. Before make the move to VT, Kloeti absorbed experience from New York City's 4-star Lespinasse to upcountry comfort food in Hawaii, and back to NYC's Manhattan as Chef de Cuisine in the St. Regis Hotel. In pursuit of work-life balance, in 2002 Kloeti left the big city to open Michael's on the Hill Restaurant in Waterbury, VT.
Show notes…
Favorite success quote or mantra:
"Don't take yourself too seriously."
In this episode with Michael Kloeti we will discuss:
- The family dynamic of a kitchen
- Keeping your mind open
- Ignorance
- Sympathy and empathy
- Problem solving
- The importance of being part of a team
- The importance of being quiet and listening to others
- Dealing with unions
- Eye-opening experiences
- How to motivate people who just work for a paycheck
- Know yourself before you try to tell others how to be
- The problem with chefs who get angry at staff and thrown tantrums
- Controlling your emotions in the workplace
- Giving second and third chances
- Avoiding debt
- Failure is not an option
- Learning from failures
- Community
Today's sponsor:
BentoBox helps restaurants grow their business through a connected suite of tools, offering them an integrated website to connect with their guests and drive revenue online. Restaurant owners and operators are able to easily update menus, promote specials, take catering and event inquiries, sell merchandise, gift cards and more.
Revel Systems integrates front of house and back of house operations into a single dashboard. Designed to increase security, stability, ease of use, and speed of service, Revel’s streamlined ecosystem provides businesses with the right tools to grow. Learn more at revelsystems.com/unstoppable.
Knowledge bombs
- Which "it factor" habit, trait, or characteristic you believe most contributes to your success?
- Giving people second chances
- What is your biggest weakness?
- Giving people third chances
- What's one question you ask or thing you look for during an interview?
- Personality
- What's a current challenge? How are you dealing with it?
- Finding qualified staff
- Share one code of conduct or behavior you teach your team.
- Don't take yourself too seriously
- What is one uncommon standard of service you teach your staff?
- Hospitality
- What's one book we must read to become a better person or restaurant owner?
- The Old man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
- Setting the Table by Danny Meyer
- GET THIS BOOK FOR FREE AT AUDIBLE.COM
- What's the one thing you feel restaurateurs don't know well enough or do often enough?
- Hospitality
- What's one piece of technology you've adopted within your four walls restaurant and how has it influence operations?
- Cell phones
- If you got the news that you'd be leaving this world tomorrow and all memories of you, your work, and your restaurants would be lost with your departure with the exception of 3 pieces of wisdom you could leave behind for the good of humanity, what would they be?
- Don't take yourself too seriously
- Be open-minded
- Recognize your own ignorance
Contact info:
Thanks for listening!
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Huge thanks to Michael Kloeti for joining me for another awesome episode. Until next time!