Almost 10 years ago co-founders Robert Kauffman and Gabriel Malbogat started cooking and delivering food from their dorm room kitchen. Chef on Call was born. Since, Chef On Call has grown into a quick service delivery restaurant phenom. They have grown their dorm room operation to 80 team members and over one million successful deliveries, Chef On Call continues to expand, improve, and innovate in order to provide its customers the best service possible.
Show notes…
Favorite Success Quote or Mantra.
Gabriel: "Do good, be good, and you're going to feel good."
Robert: "Treat others you want to be treated."
In this episode we discuss:
- Robert's entrepreneurial bug from early on- at age 14 seeing his Dad run his own retail business.
- How Robert and Gabriel met in college and how their business would begin together.
- Knowing your market and how you can serve them.
- Using influencers to reach new people, using connections to network and capitalize.
- How Gabe and Rob set up their first commercial space, and the mistakes and successes along the way.
- How cash flow made a difference for building the business.
- How to build a brand and how to market it.
- Offering free food
- Placing menus everywhere.
- How the men built multiple locations and hubs for their deliveries.
- How research in the restaurant industry and your needs will get you the best products.
Knowledge bombs
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Which "it factor" habit, trait, or characteristic you believe most contributes to your success?
- Homemade fresh, AWESOME quality
- How to treat your customers and employees
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What is your biggest weakness?
- Being too friendly
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What's one question you ask or thing you look for during an interview?
- We look for personality and if it would mesh with who we have now. We look for someone who will add positivity to our workforce.
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What's a current challenge? How are you dealing with it?
- Trying to open a new restaurant in a new province in Ontario. Getting into a new market, and connecting and networking to make it successful.
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Share one code of conduct or behavior you teach your team.
- How to deal with customer call backs, training them how to know how to handle those situations.
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What's one book we must read to become a better person or restaurant owner?
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Start With Why
- Share an online resource or tool.
- Slack
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What's one piece of technology you've adopted in your restaurant and how has it influence operations?
- KDS
- Maitre de
- Online
- Ishop
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If you got the news that you'd be leaving this world tomorrow and all memories of you, your work, and your restaurants would be lost with your departure with the exception of 3 pieces of wisdom you could leave behind for the good of humanity, what would they be?
Contact Info
Facebook: @chefoncallmtl
Instagram: @chef_on_call
Twitter: @chefoncallmtl
Thanks for Listening!
Thanks so much for joining today! Have some feedback you'd like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!
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Huge thanks to Gabriel and Robert for joining me for another awesome episode. Until next time!
