677: Anisha Blodgett on Reinventing Pizza
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Release Date: 12/19/2019
1080: David Conn Partner 4Top Hospitality
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
David Conn is a Partner at . David Conn began working FOH in restaurants during college to earn good, quick money. David truly grew as a restaurant professional, though, while working with , an Italian concept under the 4Top Hospitality umbrella. Tpday, David is a partner with 4Top Hospitality and there are currently 6 concepts in and around Jackson, MS in the 4Top family of restaurants. Favorite success quote/mantra: "Excellence is simplicity." In this episode we will discuss: FOH Partners Opening a restaurant Buffets Credit card processors ESOPs Today's sponsor: : Are you a chef,...
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1079: John Currence Chef/Owner City Grocery Restaurant Group
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
John Currence is the Executive Chef and Owner of , HQ'd in Oxford, MS. John opened his first restaurant, City Grocery, at 26 in 1992. John later opened which has scaled to 22 locations today. The company has its sights currently set on 50 locations nationwide. Favorite success quote/mantra: “Everything is everybody’s job all the time.” “Don’t your own press.” “Never forget that it’s your people that give you the ability to make the living that you do. In this episode we will discuss: Partners Labor markets Cooking Leadership Scaling Tech stack...
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1078: Vishwesh Bhatt Executive Chef and Co-Owner of Snackbar
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Vishwesh Bhatt is the Co-Owner and Executive Chef at Snackbar, located in Oxford, MS. Vishwesh immigrated to the US from India and in college, he studied biology. It wasn't until he worked at a restaurant that he decided to become a chef, then went to culinary school in Miami. He worked in the City Grocery family of restaurants, which includes Snackbar (opened in 2009), until he took over as head chef and become part owner around 2017. Favorite success quote/mantra: "Respect." In this episode we will discuss: Culinary school Partners Respect Equity Opening and closing restaurants Today's...
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1077: Jeff Good Owner & President Mangia Bene
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Jeff Good is the owner and President of Mangia Bene (and 2 other restaurants) in the Jackson, MS area. Jeff started in the industry as a teen, and also at that time he met his business partner in high school. After college, Jeff went into sales. He left that industry and decided to open a restaurant with his childhood friend, who is a chef. In order to convince investors to invest, he held dinners out of his home. Today, he owns 3 restaurants in the Jackson, MS area. Favorite success quote/mantra: "I ask God to help me do the right thing." In this episode we will discuss: Raising...
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1076: Charles Morgan, a “Restaurant Guy”
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Charles Morgan considers himself simply a "restaurant guy" from Atlanta. Charles started in the restaurant business in Gulf coast Florida in 1979. Today he owns approximately 12 restaurants all over the Florida panhandle and the surrounding areas. Favorite success quote/mantra: "Common sense in an uncommon degree is what the world calls wisdom." In this episode we will discuss: Expanding Restaurants in the 70s/80s/90s Commercial fishing and restaurants Profit sharing Labor markets Today's sponsor: : Are you a chef, owner, operator, or manage recipes in professional kitchens? meez is...
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1075: Faras Kargar Owner Delbar Restaurant and Bar
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Fares Kargar is the Owner of and in Atlanta, Georgia. Fares was born in Iran and grew up there until he was 18 when he moved to the US. Once in Atlanta, he went to school for hospitality management and while in school, he began working in restaurants. Once he graduated, he moved on to work in many restaurants, including Waffle House, until he landed at Rumi's Kitchen where he quickly became a GM. Finally, in 2020, he opened his first restaurant, Delbar. Today, there are 4 Delbar locations. Favorite success quote/mantra: "This too shall pass." In this episode we will discuss: ...
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1074: Doug Turbush Chef & Owner Seed Kitchen and Bar
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Doug Turbush is the Chef & Owner of in Atlanta, GA. Doug started in the business as a 15 year old washing dishes. He went to school for hotel managment and went to the C.I.A. after that. His goal was to open his own restaurant by his early 30s. He lived and cooked in Thailand and lived and cooked in Atlanta until at 39 he opened Seed Kitchen and Bar in Atlanta in 2011. In 2013 he opened Stem Wine Bar next to Seed, and in 2016 he opened another restaurant which then closed in 2024. Favorite success quote/mantra: "Make it nice or make it twice." In this episode we will discuss: ...
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1073: Jen Hidinger-Kendrick Founder of Giving Kitchen
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Jen Hidinger-Kendrick is the Founder of . Jen and her late husband, Ryan, started a supper club in Atlanta around 2012. The supper club was incredibly successful and finally, four years later, they opened Staplehouse together. Staplehouse was also a great success. However, before the restaurant opened, Ryan was disgnosed with cancer and passed away in 2014. Jen sold her share of the restaurant to her partners and started Giving Kitchen, a nonprofit with this mission: "to provide emergency assitance to food service workers through financial support and a network of community resources."...
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1072: Damian Otero and Miguel Hernandez, CEO and COO at Rreal Tacos
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Damian Otero is the CEO of Rreal Tacos and Miguel Hernandez is the company's COO. Damian and Rreal Tacos were previously on the show for episode 945 back in 2022. At that time, Rreal Tacos was opening their third location. Today there are 8 locations with more on the way. They are based in Atlanta, GA. Favorite success quote/mantra: "Create an opportunity biug enough for everybody to get a piece of the action." In this episode we will discuss: Negotiating leases Real estate and restaurants Growth/expansion Sharing equity with employees Marketing Today's sponsor: : Are you a chef, owner,...
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1071: Shuai & Corrie Wang Co-Owners of Super Happy Fun Time Group
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Corrie and Shuai Wang are the co-owners of Super Happy Fun Time Group which operates and in Charleston, SC. Shuai is a Chinese immigrant who grew up in NYC. There he met Corrie while working in restaurants. Corrie is from upstate NY and is also an author. They moved to Charleston together in 2014 and soon after started a foodtruck and popups to test their culinary concepts. Jackrabbirt Filly opened in 2019 with King BBQ opening in November of 2023. Favorite success quote/mantra: Shuai: "You have yet to experience your best days." Corrie: "Like attracts like." In this episode we...
info_outlineAfter years of working in the world acquisitions, development, asset management, and commercial real estate investments, Anisha Blodgett decided it was time to trade in her portfolio for pizza. As an avid health and fitness enthusiast, Anisha was frustrated that she couldn't scratch her pizza itch without being unhealthy. In 2017 she set out to solve her problem by developing a healthier alternative to the traditional pie. In January of 2019 Power Haus Pizza and Smoothies, located in San Diego, was born.
Show notes…
Favorite success quote or mantra:
- "Live intentionally."
In today's episode with Anisha Blodgett we will discuss:
- Opening a restaurant within the last year
- Most-current challenges
- Food halls
- Healthy pizza
- Free events to find out if there's a demand for your food
- Taking risks
- Hiring when you're desperate
- Don't settle
- Labor shortages
- Avoiding stress
- Work/life balance
- Hosting events that double as education
- Recognize what brings people in and going all in on it
- Catering
- Branding
- Design
Today's sponsor:
BentoBox empowers restaurants to own their presence, profits and relationships. The hospitality platform disrupts third-party services that come between the restaurant and the guest. BentoBox puts the restaurant first and offers tools that drive high-margin revenue directly through the restaurant’s website. BentoBox is trusted and loved by over 5,000 restaurants worldwide including Union Square Hospitality Group, Eleven Madison Park, Gramercy Tavern, Lilia and more.
Restaurant365 is a cloud-based, all-in-one, restaurant-specific accounting and back-office platform that seamlessly integrates with POS systems, payroll providers, food and beverage vendors. It generates accurate real-time reporting and analysis in user-friendly dashboards, facilitating immediate, data-driven decision making. Restaurant365 eliminates manual, error-prone processes and is designed to help restaurant businesses grow with functionality that helps optimize labor costs, reduce food costs and increase revenue.
Wisetail’s user-friendly platform focuses on engaging, growing, and empowering your workforce while enabling your culture to thrive in multi-site businesses. It is easily configurable to an organization's brand and technical specifications. In addition, Wisetail provides a social community for their customers to share best practices and continuously improve the learning experience.
Knowledge bombs
- Which "it factor" habit, trait, or characteristic you believe most contributes to your success?
- "Teaching myself things."
- What is your biggest weakness?
- "Too trusting."
- What's one question you ask or thing you look for during an interview?
- "Do I want to work with this person?"
- What's a current challenge? How are you dealing with it?
- "Bring in more revenue."
- Share one code of conduct or behavior you teach your team.
- "Bring the energy."
- What is one uncommon standard of service you teach your staff?
- "Encouraging guests to try different foods."
- What's one book we must read to become a better person or restaurant owner?
- Hug Your Customers by Jack Mitchell
- GET THIS BOOK FOR FREE AT AUDIBLE.COM
- What's one thing you feel restaurateurs don't know well enough or do often enough?
- Organization
- Name one service you've hired.
- Whiplash for SEO in San Diego
- What's one piece of technology you've adopted within your restaurant walls and how has it influence operations?
- 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?
- Live your life the way that makes you the happiest
- Surround yourself with good people
- Quality time with yourself
Contact info:
Instagram: personal @asliceof.life
Instagram: business @PowerhausPizza
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 Anisha Blodgett for joining me for another awesome episode. Until next time!