“Initially, we called this a reopening guide. It’s not. This isn’t about reopening—this is a full reset. We have a massive opportunity to thrive after this pandemic, but it’ll only happen if we spend today solving tomorrow’s problems. We need to look to the future and create solutions that will resonate in the months and… Read more
Celebrity chef Jet Tila learned the importance of diversification in business early in life, and that’s made the difference in his ability to make it out of the pandemic intact, rather than going under. Tila grew up in the family business, which encompassed some of the first Thai restaurants in California, the first Thai grocery… Read more
One minute, you’re running a Michelin-starred restaurant; the next, you’re lobbying Congress and advocating for fair wages for restaurant workers. They seem like two totally different careers, but as the COVID-19 pandemic shows little signs of easing up, chefs and restaurateurs have had to take on new and sometimes intimidating jobs just to keep the… Read more
The COVID-19 pandemic doesn’t care if you’re a Michelin-starred restaurant or a hole-in-the-wall bagel shop—no restaurateur can escape the fact that the hospitality business has changed. Will kitchens return to the typical 80-100 hours a week, or will there be a new normal with a better work-life balance? The pandemic has given chefs and restaurant… Read more
COVID-19 has brought challenges to the restaurant industry that no one could have predicted, but it’s also created opportunities. While some restaurants quickly pivoted to online ordering and expanded delivery radiuses, others proactively planned for the moment when they’d be able to open their doors again. Consumer outlooks and behaviors have also shifted during this… Read more
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the conventional wisdom in the restaurant business was to save cash, cut overhead, and “If you’re fine dining: hibernate.” Mark Canlis did the exact opposite and performed the ultimate pivot—transforming Canlis from a world-famous, upscale restaurant with a months-long waiting list to serving bagels, burgers, and takeout. Most restaurants enjoying… Read more
What does it feel like when your entire industry—the industry that raised you—gets cancelled? Imagine if what happened to hospitality happened to any other industry. Doctors stop practicing medicine. Lawyers stop practicing law. Farmers stop farming. It’s inconceivable… until it happens to you. I saw what was coming more than a week before the mandatory… Read more
Who do I write for in these uncertain times? Is it the restaurateur trying to find their way through this mess? Is it the patron, curious about what the future of restaurants will look like? Today, it’s both. Restaurateurs, we need to have an honest conversation about discounts and how we’ve created a culture where… Read more
Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit was born 15 years ago when owner Carrie Morey knew her mother Callie’s homemade biscuit recipe had to be shared outside of the walls of her cozy childhood kitchen in Charleston, South Carolina. She first launched a mail-order business with the signature country ham biscuit and has since grown to four… Read more
Since early March, the world has been on the rollercoaster that is COVID-19 and all of its dramatic highs and lows. The volatile spread of the pandemic—in addition to an unprecedented unemployment rate as well as racial and social injustices and unrest—have all contributed to a challenging and very overwhelming time for most small businesses,… Read more