Networking & Name-Dropping: It’s All About Who You Know

Networking & Name-Dropping: It’s All About Who You Know

Author: Kara Restaurant Group August 11, 2023 Duration: 12:32

When you own a business, everyone knows your name. So, how do you handle it when people start name-dropping to get reservations or extra favors? Leah, George, and Noelle are swapping stories and discussing questions, including:

  • Do you share your “VIP List” with your employees?
  • How do you keep your friends and family list from getting out of control?
  • What do you do if someone you know treats your team poorly?
  • Can restaurant/bar employees get too comfortable with their regulars?

Behind every great meal is a story that’s often messy, chaotic, and surprisingly funny. Restaurant Punk is that story, told straight from the trenches by the team behind Kara Restaurant Group. This isn't a polished, corporate guide. It's the raw, unfiltered conversation that happens after hours, where decades of hard-won experience collide with the absurd reality of running restaurants. You'll hear the kind of hilarious, cringe-worthy anecdotes that only come from a life spent in hospitality, paired with genuinely humbling advice on building a business that actually treats people well-staff and guests alike. Each episode feels like pulling up a stool next to veterans who have seen it all, offering a necessary release valve for the industry's daily pressures and a spark of inspiration for entrepreneurs brave enough to try it themselves. It’s a blend of business savvy, artistic struggle, and comedic relief, all served up without the pretense. Tune into this podcast for a unique mix of lessons learned the hard way and the unvarnished truth about creating a place where people want to be, all delivered with the kind of energy that keeps the kitchen-and the conversation-moving.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 219

Restaurant Punk
Podcast Episodes
On A Budget or Big Ballin’: Tap, Still, or Sparkling? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:21
As Americans, we pay good money for our tap water to be kept at its highest quality in our taxes. So, when your server approaches the table while you’re out on a date and asks if you’d like ice water or bottled, still, o…
Popular vs Profitable: The Reality of Running a Restaurant [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:53
A common misconception about restaurants with lines out the door is that the owner MUST be rich. And so perpetuates the cycle of misinformed investors throwing away their savings to own a franchise that seems like it wil…
Mistakes Will Be Made: How to Handle Hot Heads in the Kitchen [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:12
The battle between front-of-house and back-of-house employees is a tale as old as time. So, it comes as no surprise that the people on the line (usually men) are inclined to make a mockery of their teammates when servers…
Stop & Smell The Roses: Should Restaurants Use Fresh or Fake Flowers? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:06
A lot of little things impact the design of a space, and sometimes those bits and pieces can make or break the final product. In restaurants especially, the floral and greenery choices can take a space in two directions:…
Losing a Legend: Why Really Great Restaurants Go Out of Business [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:54
From small towns to big cities and everywhere in between, there is always a legendary eatery wherever you find yourself. But what makes them iconic? Is it the food, the ambiance, the people, or something else entirely? A…