846: Ben Goldberg Co-founder & CEO of Strategic Hospitality
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Release Date: 11/29/2021
1234: Addie and Dustin Teague, Owners of Relish Restaurant and Bar
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Addie and Dustin Teague are the owners of located in Houston, TX. The pair are married and are both from Houston originally. Dustin worked in restaurants in Las Vegas and New York before returning to Houston. Addie attended culinary school and worked in places as revered as Eleven Madison Park in NYC, and also returned to Houston. In 2011, Addie opened Relish as a market and hired Dustin as her chef. The market version of Relish closed in 2015 and was reopened in 2016 as Relish Restaurant and Bar. In 2024, the second location opened. Join RULibrary: Join RULive: Set Up...
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1233: David Denis, Chef/Owner of Bistro Mistral
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Chef David Denis was born and raised in France with a grandmother and mother who both owned restaurants and cafes. David became a chef and ended up in Houston for a private chef gig and stayed. He opened his first restaurant in Houston in 2001, then opened his second restaurant 7 years later. He later became a consultant and finally in 2020 he bought with his partners. This year he became the sole owner of the restaurant and will rename it Bistro Mistral. He plans to open at least 4 more restaurants in Houston. Join RULibrary: Join RULive: Set Up your RUEvolve 1:1: Subscribe on...
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1232: Brian Reece and Steve Crowley, Co-Founders of Service Physics
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Brian Reece and Steve Crowley are the co-founders of . Service Physics is a multi-unit restaurant service consultant company based in NYC. The company was organically recommended by Haven Hot Chicken for franchising. Brian and Steve are hosting a live on December 9th, 2025. Go to to get a link to join that conversation! Join RULibrary: Join RULive: Set Up your RUEvolve 1:1: Subscribe on YouTube: Subscribe to our email newsletter: Today's sponsors: : Are you a chef, owner, operator, or manage recipes in professional kitchens? meez is built just for you. Organize, share,...
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1231: Dan Carr, CEO and Co-Owner of Visconti’s Hospitality Group
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Dan Carr is the Co-Owner of . The original Visconti’s was opened in 1985 in Wenatchee, WA. Dan moved to Wenatchee from the midwest in 1991 and started working in Visconti’s in 1993 after meeting the President and Owner, Candy Mecham. Dan and candy then opened a second Visconti’s in Leavenworth, WA and since then they have opened 6 concepts across 9 locations in Washington. Join RULibrary: Join RULive: Set Up your RUEvolve 1:1: Subscribe on YouTube: Subscribe to our email newsletter: Today's sponsors: : Are you a chef, owner, operator, or manage recipes in professional...
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1230: What you need to know about L.T.O.’s with Anna Neave
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
This is a LIVE event all about Limited Time Offers (L.T.O.'s) and how to best utilize them in your business, as presented by Anna Neave. Anna is the owner of and in Austin, Texas! Join RULibrary: Join RULive: Set Up your RUEvolve 1:1: Subscribe on YouTube: Subscribe to our email newsletter: Today's sponsors: : Are you a chef, owner, operator, or manage recipes in professional kitchens? meez is built just for you. Organize, share, prep, and scale recipes like never before. Plus, engineer your menu in real-time and get accurate food costs. Sign up for free today and get 2 FREE...
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1229: Hannah Selinger, Author of Cellar Rat: My Life in the Restaurant Underbelly
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
is a James Beard-nominated lifestyle writer and journalist based in Massachusetts. Hannah attended the French Culinary Institute and started working in the restaurants around 2002 in NYC. She worked for some very big names, such as David Chang. In addition to promoting her new book, a memoir titled , she is also promoting restaurant workers' rights in the modern age. Hannah asked that you use to purchase her book. Come hang with Hannah and me on 10/20/25 at 11 AM EST: https://zoom.us/j/6508205412 Join RULibrary: Join RULive: Set Up your RUEvolve 1:1: Subscribe on YouTube: ...
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1228: 7 Phases of Menu Engineering with Sean Willard
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Sean Willard has two decades of hospitality experience. He started in the business in his teens in a steakhouse and quickly moved through nearly all positions (FOH and BOH) until he landed at menu engineering. He then attended Cornell University's School of hotel Administration where he was taught by Stephani Robson (past guest many times over!). You can find Sean these days at https://www.menuengineers.com/ Join RULibrary: Join RULive: Set Up your RUEvolve 1:1: Subscribe on YouTube: Subscribe to our email newsletter: Today's sponsors: : Are you a chef, owner, operator, or...
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1227: Jason E. Brooks, Keynote Speaker, Author, and Profitability Coach
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
is many things, including: keynote speaker, author, profitability coach, and podcast host. In the past, Jason has worked for so many impressive companies in the hospitality industry. Some of his roles include: Managing Partner at Ruby Tuesday, Director of Operations at LIME Fresh Mexican Grill, Franchise Business Consultant at Moe’s Southwest Grill, Franchise Operations Coach at The Wendy’s Company, and Strategic Leadership Facilitator at Runza Restaurants, among many others. Currently he is the Founder of Coach Up and Founder & Creator of CoachNext.AI. He is based in Charlotte,...
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1226: Three Elements that Define Excellence with Rudy Miick, Part 3
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Rudy’s an executive coach, psychologist, restaurateur, writer, speaker, athlete and dad. His clients typically run at 3 – 5 times above median profit within our industry, and they get there within contract periods. He is a co-founder and curriculum creator for UCLA Extension’s Hospitality Management Program and was an adjunct professor there for 13 years. Rudy is a Certified Management Consultant, CMC®. This certification is only given after meeting the highest global standards and ethical canons of the profession. Less than 1% of all consultants have achieved this level of excellence....
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1225: Erik Niel, Chef/Owner of Easy Bistro & Bar, Main Street Meats, and Little Coyote
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Erik Niel is the Chef/Owner of , , and , all located in Chattanooga, TN. This in Erik's second time on the show, previously joining us all the way back in 2015. Erik grew up in Louisiana, Virginia, and Texas, before finally settling in Chattanooga after attending Johnson & Wales. In 2005, he opened before, 15 years later, moving it to a smaller location a few blocks away. In just the past few years, Erik and his partners have opened 2 additional concepts, and Join RULibrary: Join RULive: Set Up your RUEvolve 1:1: Subscribe on YouTube: Subscribe to our email newsletter: ...
info_outlineWith excitement allow me to introduce to you today's guest Co-founder and Co-owner of Strategic Hospitality, Benjamin Goldberg. Strategic Hospitality, co-founded with his brother, Max Goldberg, is a Nashville-based hospitality company shaping the city’s dining landscape by continuously introducing innovative, one-of-a-kind concepts. Properties include Paradise Park Trailer Resort, The Patterson House, Merchants Restaurant, The Catbird Seat, Pinewood, The Band Box, Bastion, Henrietta Red, Downtown Sporting Club, and Locust. Strategic Hospitality also provides consulting and management services to other hospitality groups. Founded in 2006, Strategic Hospitality has experienced steady growth annually and continues to revolutionize the dining scene.
Show notes…
Calls to ACTION!!!
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Favorite success quote or mantra:
- “People remember how you make them feel, not what you say.”
In today's episode with Ben Goldberg we will discuss:
- Opening your first restaurant at 23
- Early mentors
- Advice on getting investors
- Transparency
- Forced to learn because you are undercapitalized
- Location
- Being stubborn early in your career
- Deliver a product worth going out of the way for
- Going into business with family
- Ego
- Giving up control
- The importance of asking your team what they want
- Setting quarterly and annual goals
- Evolving operations
- Tech stacks
- Implementing Toast POS
Today's sponsor:
Diageo Bar Academy equips bartenders, servers, managers, and hospitality professionals with the insights, stories, and tools to be better - raising the bar on industry standards. Diageo Bar Academy reaches a diverse audience, with backgrounds and skill levels of all ranges- providing them with skills, knowledge, and the techniques they need to improve their personal and professional lives.
7shifts is a modern labor management platform, designed by restaurateurs, for restaurateurs. Effectively labor management is more important than ever to ensure profitability and restaurant success. Trusted by over 400,000 restaurant professionals, 7shifts gives you the tools you need to streamline labor operations, communicate with your team, and retain your talent. Best of all 7shifts integrates with the POS and Payroll systems you already use and trust (like Toast!) turning labor into a competitive advantage for your business. Restaurant Unstoppable members get 3 months, absolutely free.
MarginEdge is completely free for new customers until September. No setup fees. No integration fees. No commitment. Take your back office paperwork down to 2-3 minutes a day while creating real-time financial views to inform your path ahead.
Knowledge bombs
- Which "it factor" habit, trait, or characteristic you believe most contributes to your success?
- Hard work
- What is your biggest weakness?
- Not delegating enough
- What's one question you ask or thing you look for during an interview?
- A good person
- What's a current challenge? How are you dealing with it?
- Ramping up multiple restaurants at the same time
- Share one code of conduct or behavior you teach your team.
- Make people happy
- What is one uncommon standard of service you teach your staff?
- Go above and beyond
- What's one book we must read to become a better person or restaurant owner?
- What's one thing you feel restaurateurs don't know well enough or do often enough?
- Rest
- Name one service you've hired.
- What's one piece of technology you've adopted within your restaurant walls and how has it influenced operations?
- Toast POS
- 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 honest
- Be kind
- Surround yourself with amazing people
Contact info:
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 Benjamin Goldberg for joining me for another awesome episode. Until next time!