624: Michael Kloeti on Keeping an Open Mind
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Release Date: 06/17/2019
1250: Understanding Tip Credits with Joshua Santana, Co-Founder of Cerboni Services
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Joshua Santana is the co-founder of , an outsourced accounting and financial consulting firm dedicated to helping restaurant and hospitality operators turn numbers into smarter decisions. A Houston native and graduate of the University of Houston with a degree in Accounting, Joshua has spent more than 15 years specializing in tax strategy, compliance, and financial planning for both individuals and businesses through his work with Santana & Associates, Cerboni’s sister tax firm. At Cerboni, he combines deep tax expertise with industry-specific financial insight to build forecasting,...
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1249: Sam Caucci, CEO of 1Huddle and Author of Wasted Talent
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Sam Caucci joins the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on March 9th, 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! Sam Caucci is the founder and CEO of , a workforce technology company that helps organizations find, train, and retain workers using science-backed, quick-burst mobile games. A global keynote speaker, workforce policy advisor, and bestselling author, Sam has helped...
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1248: Alec Bauer, Founder of Kitchen, Restaurant & Bar Specialists
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Alec Bauer joins the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on March 2nd, 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! Alec Bauer is the Principal and Creative Director of (KRBS), a Burlington, Vermont-based foodservice design consultancy. A graduate of the New England Culinary Institute, he honed his skills as a chef in renowned kitchens like The Ryland Inn, Auberge du Soleil,...
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1247: Chris Goss, Director of Human Resources at Heirloom Hospitality and Founder of Awakened Hospitality
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Chris Goss is the Director of Hospitality, Operations, and Human Resources at Heirloom Hospitality in Vermont, where he oversees people, culture, and guest experience across the organization. With more than four years in this role, and over 30 years of restaurant hospitality experience before that, Chris blends strategic HR leadership with hands-on operational expertise to help build engaged teams and memorable hospitality experiences. Passionate about “awakened” hospitality, he focuses on values-driven leadership, staff development, and creating workplaces where people feel seen,...
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1246: Jordan Ware and Cindi Kozak, Co-Owners of Frankie’s
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Jordan Ware and Cindi Kozak are the chef-and-general manager team behind in Burlington, Vermont, a 70-seat, seafood-forward, farm-to-table restaurant in the former Penny Cluse Café space that has quickly become one of the most talked-about new spots in the country. After years working together at Hen of the Wood—Jordan as executive chef and Cindi as general manager and wine buyer—they struck out on their first solo venture, building a warm, “fine but friendly” dining room that bridges casual and special-occasion hospitality while spotlighting New England farms, fisheries, and...
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1245: Eric Scheffer, Founder and CEO of The Scheffer Group
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Eric Scheffer is the Founder and CEO of , based in Asheville, North Carolina. Eric comes from a family that worked in the entertainment business in NYC and LA and he too joined them in that business at a young age. Eventually, he decided to pivot to restaurateur. Eric opened his first restaurant in Asheville in 2000 and has owned 7 concepts in the city since then. Today, The Scheffer Group consists of 2 Vinnie's neighborhood Italian locations, 1 Jettie Rea's Oyster House location, and 1 Gan Shan Neighborhood Asian location. Join RULibrary: Join RULive: Set Up your RUEvolve...
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1244: Philip Bollhoefer, Vice President of Food and Beverage at Parks Hospitality Group
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Philip Bollhoefer is the Vice President of Food & Beverage at based in Raleigh, North Carolina. Starting in 2008, Parks Hospitality Group opens, owns, and operates hotels in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia. When Philip joined in 2016 they owned 6 hotels and today they own 12. Join RULibrary: Join RULive: Set Up your RUEvolve 1:1: Subscribe on YouTube: Subscribe to our email newsletter: Today's sponsors: - — the leader in automated cooking oil management. Their Total Oil Management solution is an end-to-end closed loop automated...
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1243: Elizabeth Tilton, Founder and CEO of Oyster Sunday and OS BENEFiTS
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Elizabeth Tilton is the Founder and CEO of and . Based in both New Orleans and NYC and founded in 2019, Oyster Sunday is a hospitality consulting agency for independent F&B businesses. Consider them your thought partner or an extension of your in-house team, whether you're launching a business or currently operating one. The company is currently rolling out their Oyster Sunday HR department. OS BENEFiTS seeks to help your team get affordable health insurance and wellness benefits built for hospitality companies and organizations. Join RULibrary: Join RULive: Set Up...
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1242: Leonard Botello, Pit Master and Owner at Truth BBQ
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Leonard Botello is the owner and Pit Master of , which currently has two locations in Houston and Brenham, TX. Leonard grew up in restaurants with his family and went on to study Biology at A&M. He pivoted to BBQ when he had his first real eye-opening experience with craft BBQ. In 2015 he opened the first Truth BBQ in Brenham, Texas and in 2019 he opened the second location in Houston. Join RULibrary: Join RULive: Set Up your RUEvolve 1:1: Subscribe on YouTube: Subscribe to our email newsletter: Today's sponsors: - — the leader in automated cooking oil...
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1241: Ope Amosu, Chef/Owner/Blok Captain of ChòpnBlọk
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Ope Amosu is the chef/owner of located in Houston, Texas. Ope began his career working in oil and gas all over the globe. The son of Nigerian parents, Ope found that no matter where he travelled, it was difficult to get Nigerian food and find the local Nigerian culture. So, in 2017 he decided he should open a West African/Nigerian food restaurant in Houston. He began with private dinners and then held "restaurant takeovers" and in 2018 opened up in a food hall to great success. In 2022, the first standalone ChòpnBlọk opened. Join RULibrary: Join RULive: Set Up...
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!
Thanks so much for joining today! Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!
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Huge thanks to Michael Kloeti for joining me for another awesome episode. Until next time!