672: Will Pacio on Preparation and Opportunity
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Release Date: 12/02/2019
1272: Mike Gallagher, Co-Founder and Owner of Brick Store Pub Restaurant Group
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Mike Gallagher joins the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on June 8th, 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! Join the Vibe Coding 8-part workshop (only 15 seats available!): restaurantunstoppable.com/vibecoding Mike Gallagher is a longtime Atlanta restaurateur and co-owner of some of the region’s most respected hospitality spots, including Brick Store Pub, Leon’s Full...
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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...
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