624: Michael Kloeti on Keeping an Open Mind
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Release Date: 06/17/2019
1271: Shai Lavi, Chef/Owner of The Third Space
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Shai Lavi joins the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on May 25th, 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! Shai Lavi is an Atlanta-based chef and restaurateur known for bringing bold, deeply personal Mediterranean flavors to the city’s dining scene. Born and raised in Israel and shaped by his Turkish and Libyan family roots, he has built a career around fresh ingredients,...
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1270: Ryan Turner, Partner at Unsǔkáy Restaurants
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Ryan Turner joins the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on June 1st, 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! Ryan Turner is a co-founder and partner at Unsukay, the Atlanta-based restaurant group behind Muss & Turner’s, Eleanor’s, Local Three, MTH Pizza, and Roshambo. A Maine native who made his way to Atlanta, Ryan built his career from the ground up, working every...
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1269: Ryan Pernice, Founder of R.O. Hospitality
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Ryan Pernice joins the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on May 18th, 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! Ryan Pernice is the founder of R.O. Hospitality, the Atlanta-based restaurant group behind beloved neighborhood concepts including Table & Main and Osteria Mattone. A lifelong restaurateur with more than 25 years of experience, Ryan began working in kitchens as a...
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1268: Robby Kukler, Founding Partner of Fifth Group Restaurants and Founder of Kukler Restaurant Advisory
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Robby Kukler joins the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on May 18th, 2026 at 11AM EST. Robby Kukler is the founding partner of Fifth Group Restaurants, one of Atlanta’s most respected restaurant companies. A lifelong hospitality professional, Robby helped grow Fifth Group from its first restaurant, South City Kitchen, into a nationally recognized collection of chef-driven concepts known for warm service, thoughtful design, and a people-first culture. Over the course of his career, he has played a key role in building standout brands including Ecco, La Tavola Trattoria, Alma...
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1267: Ron Cardwell, Director of Commodity Strategy at Restaurant Technologies
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Ron Cardwell is the Director of Commodity Strategy at , where he oversees cooking oil sourcing, pricing, and risk management for foodservice operators across the country. With more than two decades in agriculture, energy, and vegetable oil markets, he has managed global corn oil and biodiesel trading, logistics, and policy engagement at ADM and other major firms. Ron now helps restaurants navigate everything from flavor profiles and performance to sustainability and cost savings, including how to get the most out of every pound of cooking oil. Join RULibrary: Join RULive: Set Up...
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1266: Randy Hines, CEO and Partner at The Kolache Shoppe
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Randy Hines joins the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on May 4th, 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! Randy Hines is the CEO and owner of , a beloved Houston bakery that has been serving made-from-scratch kolaches since 1970. A former CPA and consultant, Randy fell in love with authentic Texas kolaches while growing up in the state’s “Czech belt,” and later...
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1265: Christian Wiens, Founder and CEO of Loman AI
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Christian Wiens joins the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on May 4th, 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! Christian Wiens is the Founder and CEO of Loman AI, a leading voice AI platform built specifically for restaurants that answers every call, takes orders, and helps operators capture missed revenue while easing front-of-house labor pressure. Since launching the...
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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...
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!