In 1977 Drew Niepornt graduated from Cornell University with a degree from the School of Hotel Management and set out on a career in hospitality that has only been matched by few. Nieporent's first restaurant, the groundbreaking Montrachet (1985), earned three stars from The New York Times and kept that rating for 21 years. Over the following 33 years, he would go on to form the Myriad Restaurant Group and has opened and operated over 39 restaurants around the world, including Seattle, Louisville, Providence, Boca Raton, London, San Francisco, Moscow, Citi Field, home of the New York Mets in Flushing, New York.
Show Notes
Success Quote Mantra
- "Serve it hot or serve it cold."
In this episode with Drew Nieporent we will discuss:
- The importance of precision
- Attention to detail
- The restaurant scene in NYC in the 60's
- Why choose hospitality over cooking
- Fake it 'til you make it
- Serving food on a cruise ship
- Respecting your staff
- Profit sharing
- Controlling anger as the manager
- Thew importance of working together FOH and BOH
- Doubting yourself
- Maintaining culture when a head chef leaves
- Confidence
- Celebrity investors
- The importance of hands-on ownership
- The difference between chefs and restauranteurs
- Caution
- The fear of losing money
- Strike while the iron is hot
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Knowledge bombs
- Which "it factor" habit, trait, or characteristic you believe most contributes to your success?
- What is your biggest weakness?
- What's one question you ask or thing you look for during an interview?
- What's a current challenge? How are you dealing with it?
- Someone as clever as myself
- Share one code of conduct or behavior you teach your team.
- Keep your hands to yourself
- What is one uncommon standard of service you teach your staff?
- What's one book we must read to become a better person or restaurant owner?
- What's the one thing you feel restaurateurs don't know well enough or do often enough?
- What's one piece of technology you've adopted within your four walls restaurant and how has it influence operations?
- 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?
- Kindness and fairness
- Serve the best food and attract the best talent
- Don't believe your own hype
Contact info:
Tribeca Grill
375 Greenwich St.
New York, NY 10012
Thanks for listening!
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Huge thanks to Drew Nieporent for joining me for another awesome episode. Until next time!
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