349: Being grateful with Johnny Ray Zone

349: Being grateful with Johnny Ray Zone

Author: Inspiring interviews with todays most successful restaurateurs 2-days a wee July 14, 2017 Duration: 1:15:14

Chef Johnny Ray Zone, an LA native, has worked professionally under some of the best chefs in the world, including Thomas Keller, Gordon Ramsay and Nobu Mat Sue He Sa. In 2014, during a stage at Sean Brock's Husk in Nashville, TN, a local chef introduced Johnny to Nashville Hot Chicken. It was instantaneous love. It is safe to say in the years to follow, Chef Johnny has dedicated is life to mastering the perfect piece of hot fried chicken. You can find his chicken at Howlin' Ray's Nashville Hot Chicken, located in Los Angeles, CA.

In this episode we will discuss: Striving for perfection. Hiring customers. The decision to go or not go to culinary school. Mentors in the restaurant industry. The different mindset of someone leaving culinary school with massive debt. The cost of training an employee. Integrity in the restaurant industry. Transitioning from food truck to restaurant. Do one thing well instead of many things well enough. Making guests happy (and encouraging them to come back) is more important than watching the numbers.


Eric Cacciatore sits down with the people who actually run the show in the world of food service. Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore is built on conversations with established restaurateurs and seasoned professionals who have navigated the intense realities of the industry. Twice a week, these interviews dig past the surface, focusing on the tangible details of leadership, team management, and effective marketing that separate a thriving venue from a struggling one. You’ll hear firsthand accounts of what worked, what didn’t, and the often-overlooked decisions that shape a restaurant's path. This podcast serves as a direct line to collective experience, whether you're dreaming of your first opening or steering a multi-location group. The dialogue is practical, centered on the daily grind and long-term strategy needed to build something lasting. For anyone invested in the business of hospitality, these regular episodes compile a vital resource, turning shared insights into actionable knowledge for your own journey.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 1000

Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Podcast Episodes
1038: Robert Chen Founder and CEO at EatMise [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:23:01
Robert Chen is the Founder and CEO of eatmise, currently operating out of and within NYC. Robert graduated from Columbia with a 4.0 and entered the world of Professional Investment. During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, he…
1037: Anthony Tartaglia Co-Founder and CEO of Costa Verde Hospitality [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:36:02
Anthony Tartaglia is the Co-Founder and CEO of Costa Verde Hospitality. Anthony got his start in the industry at age 13 and basically never left. Hen worked in restaurant and bar management, as well as being a bartender…
1036: Adam Guild CEO at Owner.com [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:47:45
Adam Guild is the cofounder and CEO of Owner.com. Owner.com is a software-as-a-service company that provides restaurants with everything they need to succeed online, and drive traffic into their stores. The company curre…
1035: Jamie Greer Interim CEO Sticky's The Finger Joint [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:42:51
Jamie Greer is the Interim CEO at Sticky's The Finger Joint in NYC. Jamie Greer got her start in the culinary world in high school, where she attended a vocational school for culinary arts and restaurant management. She…
1034: Nick Kenner Founder and CEO of Just Salad [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:53:10
Just Salad was co-founded by Nick Kenner and Rob Crespi. They established the company in 2006 with the goal of providing healthy and environmentally friendly fast-food options. Just Salad recently opened their newest loc…
1033: Steven Salm Founder & CEO of PLANTA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:14:13
Steven Salm is the Founder and CEO of PLANTA. Steven Salm started in the restaurant industry at the age of 18 and he fully embraced the ideas of making people happy and providing off of that. He opened his first restaura…
1032: Al Lucas and Ed Doherty on The Impact of Predictive Index [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:33:34
Al Lucas is a Partner at Defined Hospitality in Philadelphia, PA. Al began his career at Chart House where he began as a dishwasher, leaving the company 21 years later as the Vice President of the East Coast. He then mov…
1031: Chutatip "Nok" Suntaranon Chef/Owner of Kalaya [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:42:07
Chef Nok is the chef/owner at Kalaya in Philadephia, PA. Chef Nok got her start in the industry as a flight attendant, first in Kuwait and then in Bangkok, where she excelled from 1994 to 2009. There she learned her love…
1030: David Kaplan Founder and Co-Owner of Death & Co and Gin & Luck [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:20:27
David Kaplan is the Founder and Co-Owner of both Gin & Luck and Death & Co. Dave fell in love with cocktails at a relatively young age. After school he headed to Las Vegas and worked in a 4,000 person night club and left…
1029: Bo Davis Cofounder and CEO of MarginEdge [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:04:59
Bo Davis is the Co-Founder and CEO of MarginEdge. Bo Davis studied philosophy as na undergrad and left school to develop Prometheus, an educational software company. He sold the company, joined the Peace Corps., and rece…