833: Nicole Nocella Chef/Owner at Stalk Restaurant

With Excitement allow me to introduce to you today's guest, Chef and Co-founder of Stalk Restuarant Nicole Nocella. Chef Nicole Nocella is From Londonderry, NH. After high school she spent some time in California, then returned to the Northeast where she became a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu School of Culinary Arts- Cambridge, MA. She's has since spent the majority of her career on the NH Seacoast serving as Chef for notable restaurants such as The Rosa, Row 34, and Jumpin Jay's Fish Cafe. In early 2020, Chef Nicole partnered with John Daniels to open Stalk Restaurant in Dover, NH.

Past guests from the Row 34 restaurant family:

Check out episode 071 with Garrett Harker as mentioned in today's episode

Check out episode 248 with Shore Gregory as mentioned in today's episode

Check out episode 554 with Matty Bailey as mentioned in today's episode

Check out episode 744 with Jamie Bissonnette as mentioned in today's episode

Check out episode 831 with George Bezanson as mentioned in today's episode

Past guests from the Jay McSharry restaurant family:

Check out episode 755 with Dave Vargas as mentioned in today's episode

Check out episode 764 with Kate McGrath as mentioned in today's episode

Check out episode 770 with Will Myska as mentioned in today's episode

Show notes…

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Favorite success quote or mantra:

• “Invest in your people, not your business.”
• "Imperfection is perfection."

In today's workshop with Nicole Nocello we will discuss:

• Creating relationships with your crew
• Culinary school?
• Being a woman in the industry
• Sexual harassment in the industry
• Communicating to e poses that they are valued
• Recipe management
• Manager/owner presence
• Retaining employees by creating opportunity
• Taking a break from the industry
• Educating your employees
• Premeal emphasis
• Implement systems and documentation
• Buildout lessons
• Plumbing issues
• Double-check contractor licenses

Today's sponsor:

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Meez One platform to organize, cost, scale, and share your recipes. With a built in database of thousands of ingredient yields and unit conversions for laser accurate costs.  Train your teams with step by step video and image slideshows that live right alongside the recipe.  Build ops guides and SOPs, create and upload content in seconds.  Never let anyone make the wrong outdated recipe again, all the while keeping your IP safe and secure.

At Popmenu, we know that in today’s world, a great hospitality experience usually begins online. Keeping the conversation with guests going beyond the meal also requires simple, powerful, fun technology capable of expression through all kinds of channels. Our team takes pride in helping restaurants put their best foot forward digitally so they can focus on what they do best. We think PDF menus are super boring, we believe 3rd party platforms have had too much say in how consumers find their next dining experience and we deeply feel that sharing your beautiful menu doesn’t have to be so difficult, time-consuming and expensive. As a listener of the Restaurant Unstoppable, you'll receive $100 off your first month of Popmenu!

Knowledge bombs

1. Which "it factor" habit, trait, or characteristic you believe most contributes to your success?
   • Being stern with people
2. What is your biggest weakness?
   • Asking for help
3. What's one question you ask or thing you look for during an interview?
   • Where does your passion lie and where does it come from?
4. What's a current challenge? How are you dealing with it?
   • Free time
5. Share one code of conduct or behavior you teach your team.
   • Respect your co-workers
6. What is one uncommon standard of service you teach your staff?
   • Call the guests "guests"
7. What's one book we must read to become a better person or restaurant owner?
   • White Heat by Marco Pierre White
     GET THIS BOOK FOR FREE AT AUDIBLE.COM 
8. What's one thing you feel restaurateurs don't know well enough or do often enough?
   • Being part of the team and doing any job in the restaurant that's necessary
9. Name one service you've hired.
   • Accounting
10. What's one piece of technology you've adopted within your restaurant walls and how has it influence operations?
    • Resy
11. 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?
    1. Invest in your people
    2. Be the role model
    3. Be strong-willed

Contact info:

Stalk website

Social: @stalkrestaurant

Call Stalk: 603-343-2600

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 Nicole Nocella for joining me for another awesome episode. Until next time!

 

Restaurant Unstoppable is a free podcast. One of the ways I'm able to make it free is by earning a commission when sharing certain products with you. I've made it a core value to only share tools, resources, and services my guest mentors have recommend, first. If you're finding value in my podcast, please use my links!