432: Pushing through it with Brian Pekarcik

432: Pushing through it with Brian Pekarcik

Author: Inspiring interviews with todays most successful restaurateurs 2-days a wee January 29, 2018 Duration: 1:07:12

 

In this episode with Chef Brian Pekarcik, we discuss:

  • How the team dynamic of a kitchen filled the void after Pekarcik's baseball dreams ended.
  • Making your employees feel valued.
  • If you want to be the best you need to work for the best.
  • Taking a step back in position, if it means being on a better team.
  • Planning each day out to increase productivity.
  • Being the standard you want your team to live up to.
  • How working under a corporate umbrella can limit the creative freedom of a chef.
  • Using your experience, knowledge, and expertise as leverage when finding partners.
  • Taking time to get to know your partners and to create the SAME visions.
  • The dynamics of Chef Pekarcik and Rick Stern partnership.
  • Pushing through your fear.
  • Building a team of strong mangers around you by teaching them how to think.
  • Why now it is more important than every to not burn bridges in this industry.
  • Dialing back scheduled hours to 50-55 a week.

Raised in Pittsburgh, Chef Brian Pekarcik is a graduate of John Carroll University in 1997. Pekarcik then moved out to, CA to fine tune his craft while working in some of the most well know kitchen at the time. In 2007 he moved back to PA and would eventually team up with Rick Stern in 2009 to open S + P Restaurant Group. To S+P restaurant Group consist of Spoon, Brgr, G&G Noodle Bar and Willow.


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
734: Drew Delaughter on Operating Without Fear or Greed [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:30:09
Saint-Germain was created by Drew Delaughter, Chef Blake Aguillard, and Trey Smith. Drew and Trey met in 2008 at culinary school in Hyde Park, NY. They both moved to New Orleans after school. Drew worked at Susan Spicer'…
733: Ariane Daguin on Humane and Sustainable Farming [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:30
Ariane Daguin is the founder, owner and CEO of D'Artagnan, the renowned gourmet food purveyor. Famous for providing humanely-raised meats, from game and foie gras to organic chicken and prepared charcuterie, the name D'A…
732: Michael Gulotta on Employees-First Culture [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:41:59
Born and raised in New Orleans, Michael Gulotta began cooking in local restaurants at a young age. After graduating from the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute, he joined the newly opened Restaurant August, where he was…
731: Dr. Kara Farley on COVID-19 and Blue Ocean Health Services [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:17:56
Dr. Kara Farley is a veteran, wife, mother of two, and physician. The COVID-19 pandemic occurred during Dr. Farley's last tour as a Naval Flight Surgeon. During that time, Dr. Farley was a lead member of the public healt…
731: Dr. Kara Farley on COVID-19 and Blue Ocean Health Services [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:17:56
Dr. Kara Farley is a veteran, wife, mother of two, and physician. The COVID-19 pandemic occurred during Dr. Farley's last tour as a Naval Flight Surgeon. During that time, Dr. Farley was a lead member of the public healt…
730: Dennis Bagneris Giving People the Space to Grow [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:31:41
In 2008, Janet Davas founded Liberty's Kitchen. Her vision was to create a place where young adults who had been neglected or criminalized could come for a hot meal, a job opportunity, and a support system. Fast forward…
729: Page Pressley on Clarity of Vision [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:41:15
Page Pressley got his start in culinary where he grew up; Santa Fe, New Mexico. He continued on to The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. Upon graduation, Pressley returned to the Southwest to manage k…
728: Mike Rypka on the Devil is in the Details [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:23:19
Hailing from Virginia, just outside Washington DC, Mike Rypka got his start in the restaurant industry as a fry cook at Popeyes. He found his passion for cooking during his time working at a country club in Springfield,…
726: Diego Galicia on Providing Insurance with only 6 Employees [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:39:14
Originally from Toluca, Mexico, Diego Galicia moved to San Antonio in 2001. He studied at The University of Texas-San Antonio, and the Culinary Institute of America. As a student at the CIA he worked at John Besh's Luke,…