651: Tanya Sanchez on Leading By Example

651: Tanya Sanchez on Leading By Example

Author: Inspiring interviews with todays most successful restaurateurs 2-days a wee September 19, 2019 Duration: 1:31:26

Albuquerque native, Tanya Sanchez, developed a passion for food at a young age while cooking with her father. Her dreams of becoming a restaurant owner began to bubble up during her years as a college student working in both corporate and independent restaurant settings.

Fast forward through 10 years in marketing, design, and as a small landscaping business owner, and it was time for Sanchez to take action on her dreams of being a restaurant owner. In 2015 the process leading into what would become Brixens started.

It's been nearly a 5 years uphill battle for Sanchez, overcoming one hurdle after another. Her hard work and dedication are finally paying off as Brixens is rapidly becoming a staple in Albuquerque's dining scene.

Show notes…

Favorite success quote or mantra:

  • "If you settle for good you will never have the courage or the motivation to be great."

In this episode with Tanya Sanchez we will discuss:

  • Parents as mentors
  • Show guests you care
  • Treat your team as well (or better) than your guests
  • Lead by example
  • Major differences between corporate and independent
  • Importance of systems vs. heart
  • Don't be afraid to take advice from your team
  • The IMMENSE importance of lawyers
  • Partnerships
  • Labor and overtime management
  • Budgeting
  • POS systems and the best ones to utilize and why
  • Inventory time management

Today's sponsor:

BentoBox empowers restaurants to own their presence, profits and relationships. The hospitality platform disrupts third-party services that come between the restaurant and the guest. BentoBox puts the restaurant first and offers tools that drive high-margin revenue directly through the restaurant's website. BentoBox is trusted and loved by over 5,000 restaurants worldwide including Union Square Hospitality Group, Eleven Madison Park, Gramercy Tavern, Lilia and more.

 

CAKE provides an easy-to-use integrated software and hardware solution to build better dining experiences for restaurant operators and their guests. With mobile marketing and waitlist management to point of sale payment processing, the CAKErestaurant management system helps you grow your business.  Learn more at trycake.com/unstoppable

Restaurant365 is a cloud-based, all-in-one, restaurant-specific accounting and back-office platform that seamlessly integrates with POS systems, payroll providers, food and beverage vendors. It generates accurate real-time reporting and analysis in user-friendly dashboards, facilitating immediate, data-driven decision making. Restaurant365 eliminates manual, error-prone processes and is designed to help restaurant businesses grow with functionality that helps optimize labor costs, reduce food costs and increase revenue.

 

Knowledge bombs

  1. Which "it factor" habit, trait, or characteristic you believe most contributes to your success?
    • Constant desire to learn and to get better.
  2. What is your biggest weakness?
    • Take on too much and try to do too many things at once; prioritize.
  3. What's one question you ask or thing you look for during an interview?
    • The best servers walk with a sense of purpose so we have an exercise that tests that. Also test their ability to sell a food item.
  4. What's a current challenge? How are you dealing with it?
    • Labor
  5. Share one code of conduct or behavior you teach your team.
    • Do whatever you can to blow the guest's mind
  6. What's one book we must read to become a better person or restaurant owner?
  7. What's the one thing you feel restaurateurs don't know well enough or do often enough?
    • Appreciate your team and tell them so.
  8. What's one piece of technology you've adopted within your four walls restaurant and how has it influence operations?
    1. Toast
    2. Open Table
    3. 7 shifts
    4. Foodager
    5. Tablee
  9. 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?
    • Your actions matter
    • Keep getting better, don't be complacent
    • Let the people that you love know that you love them

Contact info:

Brixens website

Email: tanya@brixens.com

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!

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post.

Also, please leave an honest review for the Restaurant Unstoppable Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them.

And finally, don't forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates.

Huge thanks to Tanya Sanchez for joining me for another awesome episode. Until next time!

 

Restaurant Unstoppable is a free podcast. One of the ways I'm able to make it free is by earning a commission when sharing certain products with you. I've made it a core value to only share tools, resources, and services my guest mentors have recommend, first. If you're finding value in my podcast, please use my links!

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
1235: Dan Weinberger, Founder of Weinberger's Deli [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:53:25
Dan Weinberger is the Founder of Weinberger's Deli located in Grapevine, Texas. Dan's parents opened and operated 5 deli's in Chicago from 1952 until 2000. Dan worked in his parent's stores growing up and eventually went…
1234: Addie and Dustin Teague, Owners of Relish Restaurant and Bar [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:05:21
Addie and Dustin Teague are the owners of Relish Restaurant and Bar located in Houston, TX. The pair are married and are both from Houston originally. Dustin worked in restaurants in Las Vegas and New York before returni…
1233: David Denis, Chef/Owner of Bistro Mistral [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:47:48
Chef David Denis was born and raised in France with a grandmother and mother who both owned restaurants and cafes. David became a chef and ended up in Houston for a private chef gig and stayed. He opened his first restau…
1232: Brian Reece and Steve Crowley, Co-Founders of Service Physics [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01:21
Brian Reece and Steve Crowley are the co-founders of Service Physics. Service Physics is a multi-unit restaurant service consultant company based in NYC. The company was organically recommended by Haven Hot Chicken for f…
1231: Dan Carr, CEO and Co-Owner of Visconti's Hospitality Group [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:16:29
Dan Carr is the Co-Owner of Visconti's Hospitality Group. The original Visconti's was opened in 1985 in Wenatchee, WA. Dan moved to Wenatchee from the midwest in 1991 and started working in Visconti's in 1993 after meeti…
1230: What you need to know about L.T.O.'s with Anna Neave [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:32
This is a Restaurant Unstoppable Network LIVE event all about Limited Time Offers (L.T.O.'s) and how to best utilize them in your business, as presented by Anna Neave. Anna is the owner of Good Kind Consulting and Sweet…
1228: 7 Phases of Menu Engineering with Sean Willard [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:55:17
Sean Willard has two decades of hospitality experience. He started in the business in his teens in a steakhouse and quickly moved through nearly all positions (FOH and BOH) until he landed at menu engineering. He then at…