Not All Bars Are Built The Same

Not All Bars Are Built The Same

Author: Kara Restaurant Group January 10, 2023 Duration: 15:13

Join Leah, Liz, and Noelle as they revisit their careers working at every type of bar you can imagine, including speakeasy-type destinations, sports bars, nightclubs, and everything in between. The ladies of Restaurant Punk dig into the pros and cons of different experiences in the beverage service industry - from the just-turned-21-year-old who doesn't realize there isn't any rum in her mojito to that a**hole who thinks that you should  "take care of him" (read: steal drinks for him from your employer) just because he tips you.


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
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…
Restaurant Reality Check: Why Aren’t More Women in the Kitchen? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:08
You know that old song “I am woman, hear me roar?” Well, in this episode, Leah is a woman; hear her sound off on Yianni over comments made in a previous episode about why there aren’t many women in the kitchen (Pro or Fa…
New Kid on the Block: Restaurant Rookies [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:36
Have you ever been the rookie at a restaurant? You know, when everyone acts like you’re not good enough to make the cut during your first few days or weeks, but shortly after that, they depend on you to cover their shift…
Knife Skills: Cutting Corners in the Kitchen [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:39
They say there are always exceptions to the rules, so when working in a kitchen, when is it necessary (or acceptable) to turn a blind eye? From how often you change the fryer oil and whether you leave dishes stacking up…
Call Me, Maybe: How to Answer a Restaurant Phone [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:48
When the phone starts ringing in a restaurant, what’s the best way to answer? While some restaurant owners and managers feel that scripting the staff is your best bet, others prefer to let team members with personality p…
Pro or Faux: What Differentiates a Chef from a Cook [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 23:33
What makes a chef? By definition, “a professional cook, typically the chief cook in a restaurant or hotel,” but what is it really? Does the number of years that you’ve worked in the kitchen matter? What about the caliber…
Kitchen Culture: Sex, Jokes, and Inappropriate Comments [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:12
Besides 86, the most common number you’ll hear in a restaurant kitchen is probably 69. But why do back-of-house employees tend to make sexually charged comments, jokes, and gestures more often than others in the hospital…
The Location for Less: No Money, No Problems [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:25
You’ve got the vision and the drive, but you’ve got no budget - how the hell do you open your dream venue? Be it a bar or a restaurant, there are some design corners you can cut and some menu adjustments you just have to…
The Smoke Show: Cigarette Breaks & Smelly Servers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:46
There are jokers, smokers, and midnight tokers, but how do you feel about co-workers who get cigarette/vape breaks? A smoker, a vaper, and two non-smokers sit down to discuss one of the most common vices in the restauran…