672: Will Pacio on Preparation and Opportunity
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Release Date: 12/02/2019
1285: Kathy Terry on Employee Ownership Trusts: Why P. Terry’s Chose Legacy over an Exit
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Today's guest will join the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on August 24th, 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! Kathy Terry co-founded with her husband, Patrick Terry, in 2005, opening the first location in Austin, Texas. Known as the company’s guiding conscience, she helped shape the brand’s mission around quality food, exceptional service, and community-minded...
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1284: Restaurant Profit Breakthroughs with Robert Sloop: AI, Kaizen, Tech Stack Implementation, and Fractional CFO Support
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Robert Sloop is the CEO of , a consulting firm that helps restaurant operators improve financial performance, operations, and tech stack implementation. With over 30 years in foodservice, he has served as CFO for leading multi‑concept restaurant groups and now advises owners on data‑driven systems and continuous improvement. Join RULibrary: Join RULive: Set Up your RUEvolve 1:1: Subscribe on YouTube: Subscribe to our email newsletter: Today's sponsors: - - Private event leads die in inboxes every day. Mia fixes that. She's an AI agent that responds within seconds,...
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1283: The No B.S. Tech Stack w/ Mike Bausch
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Mike Bausch is an industry leader whose restaurant, Andolini's Pizzeria, is a top ten pizzeria in the US, as named by Trip Advisor, BuzzFeed, CNN and USA Today. Andolini's began in 2005 and has grown to five pizzerias, two gelaterias, two food-hall concepts, a food truck, and a fine dining restaurant by 2020. He's a World Pizza Champion, a Guinness Book world record holder, and a writer for Pizza Today, and the author of Unsliced: How to Stay Whole in the Pizzeria Business. Join RULibrary: Join RULive: Set Up your RUEvolve 1:1: Subscribe on YouTube: Subscribe to our email...
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1282: Cutting Your Software Cost in Half (or more!) with Albert Sanchez, CEO of HotShift
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Today's guest will join the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on July 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! 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 Grand Prairie High School,...
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1281: Peter and Martha Pollay, co-founders of Mandara Hospitality Group
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Today's guests will join the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on August 10th, 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! Peter and Martha Pollay are the cofounders of Mandara Hospitality Group, the Asheville restaurant group behind Posana and other hospitality-driven concepts. Built around a philosophy of local ingredients, sustainability, and intentional service, their work...
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1280: Molly Irani, co-founder and Chief Culture Officer at Chai Pani Restaurant Group
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Today's guest will join the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on August 3rd, 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! Molly Irani is the cofounder and chief culture officer of the James Beard Award-winning Chai Pani Restaurant Group in Asheville, North Carolina. She has helped shape the company’s celebrated hospitality, community-minded culture, and people-first management...
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1279: Jeff Tonidandel and Jamie Brown, co-owners of Tonidandel-Brown Restaurant Group
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Today's guests will join the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on July 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! Jeff Tonidandel and Jamie Brown are the husband-and-wife team behind Tonidandel-Brown Restaurant Group, one of Charlotte’s most distinctive hospitality groups. After leaving corporate life to travel through Europe, they returned home inspired to open a...
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1278: Dan Simons, co-founder of Founding Farmers Restaurant Group
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
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! Dan Simons is the co-founder and co-owner of Founding Farmers Restaurant Group, a mission-driven hospitality company built around sustainable food, responsible business practices, and support for American family farmers. Along with his partner Michael Vucurevich, he helped grow Founding Farmers into one of the most recognized restaurant groups in the Washington,...
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1277: Mike Cordero, chef/owner of Cordero Hospitality Group
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Today's guests will join the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on July 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! Chef Mike Cordero is the chef and owner of Cordero Hospitality, bringing more than four decades of experience in the hospitality industry to some of Northern Virginia’s most recognizable restaurants. Known for his creativity, entrepreneurial drive, and...
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1276: Greg Casten, co-owner of Fish & Fire Food Group
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Today's guests will join the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on July 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! Greg Casten is a veteran restaurateur and co-owner of Fish & Fire Food Group, with more than four decades of experience in the fish and seafood industry. He has helped create, develop, and build standout concepts including Ivy City Smokehouse and Tavern,...
info_outlineAfter graduating from Stanford, Will decided to go to culinary school instead of medical school. From there he went on to join the opening team of Thomas Keller's Per Se in New York City.
Following NYC he would come back to California to cook at The French Laundry in Yountville. Eventually, Thomas Keller saw Will's talent for tech and asked him to run all of IT for the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group.
After learning from the best, Will pursued his dream and opened his own chain of fast-casual restaurants as founder and CEO of Spice Kit restaurants in 2007 which scaled to multiple locations in the Bay Area.
Today, Will serves as founder and CEO of Pared, a leading hospitality and restaurant network with over 100,000 members.
Show notes…
Favorite success quote or mantra:
- "Luck is where preparation meets opportunity."
In today's episode with Will Pacio we will discuss:
- Setting yourself up for opportunity
- Passion for food
- Taking risks
- Working for free in order to learn
- What you do and don't learn in culinary school
- Collaboration
- Establishing good culture
- The culture of Per Se
- Cooking for a food critic
- How a good review affects business
- What is Pared?
- How clients changed the direction of Pared
- Labor issues today