746: Matt Jennings on Homegrown Vision
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Release Date: 09/07/2020
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: ...
info_outline
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."...
info_outline
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,...
info_outline
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_outline
1070: Bret Oliverio Owner of Sup Dogs
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Bret Oliverio is the Owner of Sup Dogs, based in Greenville, NC. Bret began his post-school career as a radio broadcaster. His brother started Sup Dogs back in 2008 but tragically passed away a few years later. That's when, in 2012, Bret took over the restaurant and continues to own it today. Now, there are two Sup Dogs locations, plus a distillery and a cocktail bar. Favorite success quote/mantra: "If you let up, you lose." In this episode we will discuss: Marketing Leaving another industry for restaurants Get an accountant Profit-first Menu engineering Verticle integration...
info_outline
1069: Sother Teague Creative Drunk and Founder of Sother Hospitality
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Sother Teague is the "Creative Drunk." He is the Founder of Sother Hospitality, Beverage Director at Amor y Amargo, Cohost of the Speakeasy Podcast, author of "I'm Just Here For The Drinks", and most importantly, a bar tender. Favorite success quote/mantra: "If you're the smartest guy in the room, you're in the wrong room." In this episode we will discuss: Partnerships Theater of hospitality Lawyers Popups Bars/bartending Today's sponsor: : Are you a chef, owner, operator, or manage recipes in professional kitchens? meez is built just for you. Organize, share, prep, and scale recipes...
info_outline
1068: Kate Holowchik Chef/Owner of Lionheart Confections
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Kate Holowchik is the chef/owner of Lionheart Confections. Kate grew up baking with her family and began baking in corporate kitchens, such as Panera Bread, during college. After going from kitchen to kitchen, from FOH to baking in BOH, she eventually started Lionheart Confections, a baking popup based in New Hampshire, in 2020. Favorite success quote/mantra: "Lead with a kind heart and live unapologetically." In this episode we will discuss: Mentors Popups Toxic kitchens Today's sponsor: : Are you a chef, owner, operator, or manage recipes in professional kitchens? meez is built just for...
info_outline
1067: Matt Berry & Vinny and Dante Marino Co-Owners of DeadProof Pizza Co
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Matt Berry, Vinny Marino, and Dante Marino are the Co-Owners of in New Hampshire. DeadProof Pizza Co is a mobile pizza vendor based in Manchester, NH. Chef Matt Berry created the concept and sought Dante and Vinny for help with marketing. They are all now co-owners of the wildely popular concept. Favorite success quote/mantra: "If you're scared, do it scared." In this episode we will discuss: Pop-ups Marketing Pizza Finding the balance Today's sponsor: : Boost your efficiency and profitability without adding labor costs. MarginEdge is a complete restaurant management software that...
info_outline
1066: Irene Li Co-Owner of Mei Mei Dumplings
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Irene Li is the co-owner of in Boston, MA. Irene grew up in Boston in a Chinese-American family where food was always paramount. She realized her love for cooking while attending Cornell. She and her brother and sister opened Mei Mei Street Kitchen, a food truck, in 2012. In 2018, Irene bought out her co-owner siblings in order to take full control of the business and take it in a new direction, a direction dedicated to identifying and addressing food injustice. She soon realized that dumplings were the most popular item on the menu, and doubled down on that item. Today she sells dumplings...
info_outline
1065: Peter Minich CEO of Fresh City Kitchen
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Peter Minich is the Owner/CEO of based in Boston, MA. Peter got his start in the industry at the age of 16 and eventually made his way to Vail, CO to ski and work in kitchens after school. He worked in restaurants there and soon found himself at the Culinary Institute of America. He worked in many fine establishments all over the country until he became the VP at Fresh City in 2010. He bought the company in 2014 and has been the CEO ever since. Today, Fresh City Kitchen is primarily an office catering company. Favorite success quote/mantra: "Mise en place." In this episode we will...
info_outlineMatthew Jennings grew up in Boston, MA. During his summer teen years, Jennings got his start as a prep cook in Nantucket, MA. He went on to study at the New England Culinary Institute, and to work as a cheesemonger before opening his first business, Farmstead, in Providence, RI. After 10 years of successfully running and scaling Farmstead restaurant, Jennings followed his gut and made the move to his hometown of Boston to open Townsman. Jennings received countless awards and accolades for both restaurants. Yet, in 2018 he walked away from it all. Today, Jennings shares his knowledge with clients at Full Heart Hospitality, and works on executing his vision for Red Barn Kitchen.
Check out Matt's book Homegrown: Cooking From My New England Roots
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:
- "Head down, full heart"
- Culinary school
- New England Culinary Institute
- The D.I.S.K. method
- Starting small
- Buying/operating a cheese shop as a starting point
- Budgeting
- Buying a business with established roots
- A partnership is a marriage
- Farmers markets
- Visioning - write it down
- Knowing when to say "No"
- Regrets
- Self-care
- Public Relations - do you need it?
- Chasing accolades
Today's sponsor:
Toast - A POS built for restaurants by restaurant people Adapt fast with Toast's cloud-based restaurant POS system that updates to evolve your POS along with changing industry trends and guest expectations. Toast is built exclusively for restaurants of all shapes and sizes, with over 2/3 of our employees having restaurant experience to serve you better. Online Ordering - Let guests easily order directly from your restaurant for pickup or contactless delivery to keep revenue flowing during these uncertain times. Toast Delivery Services Dispatch local drivers through an on-demand network to keep your community fed and revenue coming in.
Knowledge bombs
- Which "it factor" habit, trait, or characteristic you believe most contributes to your success?
- Sense of urgency
- What is your biggest weakness?
- Over-thinking
- What's one question you ask or thing you look for during an interview?
- The fire in their eyes
- What's a current challenge? How are you dealing with it?
- Shifting a culture to a new philosophy on food
- Share one code of conduct or behavior you teach your team.
- Respect
- What is one uncommon standard of service you teach your staff?
- Empathy
- 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
- What's one thing you feel restaurateurs don't know well enough or do often enough?
- Listen
- Name one service you've hired.
- PR
- What's one piece of technology you've adopted within your restaurant walls and how has it influenced operations?
- Galley Solutions - data-driven foodservice software
- 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 good to other people
- Believe in your own ability
- Love hard
Contact info:
Instagram: @matthewjennings
Twitter: @matthewjennings
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!
If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post.
Also, please leave an honest review for the Restaurant Unstoppable Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them.
And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates.
Huge thanks to Matthew Jennings for joining me for another awesome episode. Until next time!