629: John Stage on Always Under Construction
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Release Date: 07/04/2019
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...
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1254: Sarah Heard, Chef/Co-Owner of Foreign & Domestic
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Sarah Heard 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! Chef Sarah Heard is the co-owner and co-chef of Austin’s acclaimed , where she’s known for boldly flavored, from-scratch cooking and a deep respect for every ingredient. Raised in Conroe, Texas, she learned early from her mother and grandmother to use every part...
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1253: Taylor Swenning, Owner of Darlin's Diner
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Taylor Swenning joins the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on March 16th, 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! Taylor Swenning is the creative force and owner behind , a modern small-town spot known for its nostalgic charm and scratch-made comfort food. A Texas A&M graduate who studied Construction Science, Taylor first tested her entrepreneurial chops with a food...
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1252: Jody Fiess, COO at Cerboni Services
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Jody Fiess is the COO of , HQ'd in Houston, Texas. Cerboni is an all-in-one financial solution for restaurants. Cerboni Services was formed in 2017 to help independent restaurants manage their financials and lower costs through performance based metrics. Today, Cerboni helps around 800 restaurants nationwide. 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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1251: Pete Mora, Founder of Fajita Pete’s
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Pete Mora joins the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on March 16th, 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! Pedro “Pete” Mora is the founder and CEO of Fajita Pete’s, a Houston-based Tex-Mex concept built around catering, delivery, and a streamlined fajita-focused menu. Born in Colombia and raised with an entrepreneurial push from his family, he opened his first...
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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,...
info_outlineIn 1988, tired of the gypsy lifestyle, John Stage decided to settle in Syracuse, NY, where he opened his first Dinosaur Bar-B-Que restaurant. In the following years, Stage has expanded with locations in Rochester, Manhattan, Troy, Newark, New Jersey, Stamford, Brooklyn, and Buffalo.
Show Notes
Success Quote or Mantra
- "The road to success is always under construction."
In this episode with John Stage we will discuss:
- No straight line to success
- It’s not easy so you must love it
- How to go from biker to restaurant owner
- John’s history before Dinosaur Bar-B-Que
- How to name and brand a restaurant
- The inspiration of long-established forms of cooking
- Bringing southern food to NYC
- Mobile foos operations
- Getting capital
- Rough opening days
- Altering the business based on volume
- Successfully bringing different demographics together at your restaurant
- Aim, put people in place to help you succeed…and THEN shoot
- Recognizing when you need help
- Your culture suffers when you open too many restaurant too soon
- Selling one of your products in retail
Today's sponsor:
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Knowledge bombs
- Which "it factor" habit, trait, or characteristic you believe most contributes to your success?
- Curiosity and Perseverance
- What is your biggest weakness?
- Patience, too eager
- What's one question you ask or thing you look for during an interview?
- Curiosity, engagement, body language, a connection
- What's a current challenge? How are you dealing with it?
- Lack of people in the workforce
- Share one code of conduct or behavior you teach your team.
- Respect
- What is one uncommon standard of service you teach your staff?
- One approach does not work for everyone, tailor the experience to the table
- What's one book we must read to become a better person or restaurant owner?
- Setting the Table by Danny Meyer
GET THIS BOOK FOR FREE AT AUDIBLE.COM
- Setting the Table by Danny Meyer
- 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?
- Respect people
- Love what you do, passion
- Give back and work with your community
Contact info:
Thanks for listening!
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Huge thanks to John Stage for joining me for another awesome episode. Until next time!