713: Monte Silva on Applying the Right Pressure on Your Team
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Release Date: 05/11/2020
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,...
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1246: Jordan Ware and Cindi Kozak, Co-Owners of Frankie’s
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Jordan Ware and Cindi Kozak are the chef-and-general manager team behind in Burlington, Vermont, a 70-seat, seafood-forward, farm-to-table restaurant in the former Penny Cluse Café space that has quickly become one of the most talked-about new spots in the country. After years working together at Hen of the Wood—Jordan as executive chef and Cindi as general manager and wine buyer—they struck out on their first solo venture, building a warm, “fine but friendly” dining room that bridges casual and special-occasion hospitality while spotlighting New England farms, fisheries, and...
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1245: Eric Scheffer, Founder and CEO of The Scheffer Group
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Eric Scheffer is the Founder and CEO of , based in Asheville, North Carolina. Eric comes from a family that worked in the entertainment business in NYC and LA and he too joined them in that business at a young age. Eventually, he decided to pivot to restaurateur. Eric opened his first restaurant in Asheville in 2000 and has owned 7 concepts in the city since then. Today, The Scheffer Group consists of 2 Vinnie's neighborhood Italian locations, 1 Jettie Rea's Oyster House location, and 1 Gan Shan Neighborhood Asian location. Join RULibrary: Join RULive: Set Up your RUEvolve...
info_outlineMonte Silva has over 40 years of experience in the restaurant industry. He has worked for Wolfgang Puck, Acme Feed & Seed, Fleming’s Steakhouse & Wine Bar, Merchants, Bound'ry, Watermark, Piatti Italian Restaurant, and Jeff Ruby Culinary Entertainment. He has 20 years in management as Director of Restaurants, Director of Operations, General Manager, Regional Training Manager, Chef, Wine Director, Service Manager, and Bar Manager. Monte has also worked as a Regional Sales Manager for a Wine Importer in Los Angeles, and consulted at Vine Street Wine & Spirits and Premiere Liquors, as well as for restaurant groups.
Check out episode 642 with Johnny Carrabba as mentioned in today's episode.
Check out HotSchedules as mentioned in today's episode.
Check out OpenTable as mentioned in today's episode.
Check out The New One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard as mentioned in today's episode.
Check out It's My Company Too!: How Entangled Companies Move Beyond Employee Engagement for Remarkable Results by Thomas J. Walter, Kenneth R. Thompson, Ramon L. Benedetto and Molly Meyer as mentioned in today's episode.
Check out episode 318 with Tom Walter as mentioned in today's episode.
Show notes…
Calls to ACTION!!!
- Subscribe to the Restaurant Unstoppable YouTube Channel
- Join the private Unstoppable Facebook Group
- Join the email list! (Scroll Down to get the Vendor List!)
Favorite success quote or mantra:
- "Attitude determines altitude."
In today's episode with Monte Silva we will discuss:
- Hospitality, gratitude, making people smile
- Working in restaurants allows you to work literally anywhere in the world
- Mentors
- MAJOR ways to cut cost
- Linen costs
- Working with Wolfgang Puck
- How do you make food look sexy?
- What a manager can do from home to help his/her restaurants
- Importance of tracking
- Guest interaction is critical for a manager
- Hospitality is a team sport
- How he is dealing with COVID-19 within his restaurants
Today's sponsor:
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.
Knowledge bombs
- Which "it factor" habit, trait, or characteristic you believe most contributes to your success?
- Care about people, guests and staff
- What is your biggest weakness?
- "Hard for me to watch bad decisions being made that are out of my control."
- What's one question you ask or thing you look for during an interview?
- I care more about character than talent
- What's a current challenge? How are you dealing with it?
- Raising money during COVID-19
- Share one code of conduct or behavior you teach your team.
- Honesty and owning up to our mistakes
- What is one uncommon standard of service you teach your staff?
- Lack of leadership on the floor in most restaurants. Not with us.
- What's one book we must read to become a better person or restaurant owner?
- Lessons in Service from Charlie Trotter by Edmund Lawler
- GET THIS BOOK FOR FREE AT AUDIBLE.COM
- What's one thing you feel restaurateurs don't know well enough or do often enough?
- Tell their staff their doing a great job
- Name one service you've hired.
- 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?
- Be kind
- Learn empathy
- Be you
Contact info:
Email: monteallansilva@gmail.com
Instagram: @themontesilva
Facebook: @MonteSilva
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 Monte Silva for joining me for another awesome episode. Until next time!