708: Chef Mike Behrend on How to Evolve and Pivot with Your Guiding Principles

Mike Behrend is a professional chef with more than 30 years experience in the restaurant business. With his mother Luann Singleton they owned and operated Lulu's Bakery and Café for 15 years. In January of 2006, they sold Lulu's allowing them to begin construction on Green, San Antonio's first vegetarian restaurant. Four years later they opened the first Earth Burger

Today, Mike owns 3 Green Vegitarian Cuisines, 3 Earth Burgers, and 1 Eat Bok Choy.

Show notes…

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Favorite success quote or mantra:

• The fishing is best where others won't go."

In today's episode with Chef mike Behrend we will discuss:

• Focus on being good and different rather than the best at something everyone else does
• Operating a 24-hour diner
• Owning a restaurant with family (mother in this case)
• Keep track of numbers to track your business
• The importance of finding the proper-sized restaurant for what you're trying to do and what you can handle with your team
• Do you want a line out the door or empty seats?
• Rebranding your restaurant. Should you do this? Why would you?
• Build your business as something you would sell later on. Keep the value high
• Becoming a vegetarian
• Creating a vegetarian restaurant in Texas in 2006
• Garner gains on social media before you even open
• Surviving a recession
• How to thrive within a college town
• Sustainability
• Adapting to COVID-19

Today's sponsor:

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Knowledge bombs

1. Which "it factor" habit, trait, or characteristic you believe most contributes to your success?
   • Be present, look people in the eye
2. What is your biggest weakness?
   • Too optimistic or too trusting
3. What's one question you ask or thing you look for during an interview?
   • Tell me about the last place you worked. If you let people talk they will tell you everything.
4. What's a current challenge? How are you dealing with it?
   • Keep a personal touch in an impersonal situation
5. Share one code of conduct or behavior you teach your team.
   • Slow down and really be present with the guest
6. What is one uncommon standard of service you teach your staff?
   • They have to be experts in what we do and sell
7. What's one book we must read to become a better person or restaurant owner?
   GET THIS BOOK FOR FREE AT AUDIBLE.COM 
   • How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
   • Dave's Way by Dave Thomas
   • The Fog of War: Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara by James Blight and Janet Lang
8. What's one thing you feel restaurateurs don't know well enough or do often enough?
   • The more successful we see, the more distance between you and your crew. Your team has the answers.
9. Name one service you've hired.
   • TheCFOToGo for CPA - Brian Potts in San Antonio, TX
10. What's one piece of technology you've adopted within your restaurant walls and how has it influenced operations?
    • Bentobox POS
    • Homebase by US Foods - Labor management
11. 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?
    • Be kind
    • Be generous
    • Give God the glory

Contact info:

DM Mike on Instagram: @thevegking

Website: eatatgreen.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!

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Huge thanks to Chef Mike Behrend 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!