773: Chad Grubbs on Creating Unique Experiences

773: Chad Grubbs on Creating Unique Experiences

Author: Inspiring interviews with todays most successful restaurateurs 2-days a wee January 18, 2021 Duration: 1:46:09

Stitch is a hospitality concept created by husband and wife team, Chad Grubbs and Jen Semmler Grubbs, with inspiration from key team members, close friends and mentors.  Chad, former owner of Okay Yeah Co. and previously BENT on Creativity, and Jen, owner of Plant Shoppe, are best known for their resourceful approach in creating unique experiences and offerings to the Oklahoma City scene. Born and raised in Oklahoma, the couple strives to make positive, inspiring impacts in the community through various craft ventures.

Check out Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear as mentioned in today's episode.

Check out Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable by Seth Godin as mentioned in today's episode.

Check out What I Know About Running Coffee Shops by Colin Harmon as mentioned in today's episode.

Check out Homebase: Free Employee Scheduling as mentioned in today's episode.

Show notes…

Calls to ACTION!!!

Favorite success quote or mantra:

  • "Shit'll buff out."

In today's episode with Chad Grubbs:

  • Psychology
  • Christianity/being a former pastor
  • Working in the tech industry
  • A coffee shop with a strong focus on food
  • The restaurant industry is a grind that you need to love
  • Making your indoor seating feel like outdoor seating
  • Losing your dream location
  • The pains of restaurant real estate
  • Better and more polished experiences
  • Confusing service with hospitality
  • Social media - Instagram
  • Restaurateur online/social media engagement
  • Coffee subscriptions
  • Cross-promotion/collaboration
  • Podcasting and podcasting about coffee
  • Constant self-improvment

Today's sponsor:

7shifts is a modern labor management platform, designed by restaurateurs, for restaurateurs. Effectively labor management is more important than ever to ensure profitability and restaurant success. Trusted by over 400,000 restaurant professionals, 7shifts gives you the tools you need to streamline labor operations, communicate with your team, and retain your talent. Best of all 7shifts integrates with the POS and Payroll systems you already use and trust (like Toast!) turning labor into a competitive advantage for your business. Restaurant Unstoppable members get 3 months, absolutely free.

RestaurantOwner.com is an online community of independent restaurant owners and managers who want training and tools to build a better restaurant and a more profitable, successful business. Resources include hundreds of downloadable templates, training videos and online courses on topics such as recipe costing, prime cost, improving the guest experience and building a positive culture. RestaurantOwner.com also conducts regular live webinars on a variety of timely and relevant topics. Whether you're thinking about opening a restaurant, in the planning stages, or already have multiple locations, RestaurantOwner.com has resources that can help you make better decisions, streamline operations and elevate the thinking and level of engagement of your team.

Ecolab: Streamline your clean with Ecolab's new EPA-registered 2-in-1 solution, Sink & Surface Cleaner Sanitizer. It will help reduce risk, simplify your procedures and help ensure compliance. This solution cleans and sanitizes hard non-porous surfaces with a single product, eliminates the rinse step and equips your staff to clean more efficiently. Clean simplified, confidence delivered.

Ecolab S&S Clean Simplifed Ad 300x300

Knowledge bombs

  1. Which "it factor" habit, trait, or characteristic you believe most contributes to your success?
    • Take punches well and dust myself off
  2. What is your biggest weakness?
    • Clarity on choosing the best path to what you want
  3. What's one question you ask or thing you look for during an interview?
    • Where do you want to be in 2 years?
  4. What's a current challenge? How are you dealing with it?
    • minimizing goals and achieving smaller victories
  5. Share one code of conduct or behavior you teach your team.
    • 1% improvement, improve everyday
  6. What is one uncommon standard of service you teach your staff?
    • Caring about people, staff will write thank you notes on to-go containers/knowing frequent customer names
  7. What's one book we must read to become a better person or restaurant owner?
  8. What's one thing you feel restaurateurs don't know well enough or do often enough?
    • Engaging with their staff
  9. Name one service you've hired.
  10. What's one piece of technology you've adopted within your restaurant walls and how has it influenced operations?
  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?
    • Engage with people
    • Be who you are and improve
    • Try things that are different for you

Contact info:

Instagram: @stitchokc

Stitch website

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 Chad Grubbs 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
1018: Ryan Thorman CEO and Co-Founder of Bango Bowls [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:54:05
Ryan Thorman is the Co-Founder and CEO of Bango Bowls. After getting his business degree and working in some impressive companies, such as LinkedIn, Ryan opened Bango Bowls with childhood friend (and past RU guest) James…
1017: James Bonanno CEO of Upstream Hospitality Group [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:58:09
James Bonanno is the CEO of Upstream Hospitality Group. James began his hospitality career as a bartender in college. He worked and saved money through his 20s and, in 2011, opened his first bar, The Taproom. He and his…
1016: Nick Mathews CEO and Founder of Mainvest [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:10:34
Nick Matthews is the CEO and Founder of Mainvest. Nick began his career as a ground level Uber employee in 2011. He spent 6.5 years there working in the ares of marketing and community management. In 2019, he left to sta…
1015: Matt Poepsel Author and Vice President at The Predictive Index [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:53:46
Matt Poepsel spent time in the Marine Corps. before heading off to college and studying psychology and business. He eventually realized his passion is to "guide other leaders as they climb." Today, Matt is there Vice Pre…
1014: James and Johanna Windon Founders of Buena Papa Fry Bar [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:57:52
Husband-and-wife team, James and Johanna Windon, founded Buena Papa (Spanish translation, Good Potato) in 2021 in Raleigh, N.C., after the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to temporarily shut down their cleaning business. I…
1013: Jon Seelbinder Founder of Local Icon Hospitality [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:10:18
Jon Seelbinder is from the mountains of North Carolina. While growing up, he learned to cook and be a great host and leader through his grandmother. After leaving the Airfare academy, Jon began working in bars. He worked…
1012: Gary Crunkleton Owner of The Crunkleton [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:02:02
Gary Crunkleton is the Owner of The Crunkleton, specializing in antique drinks. Gary has been a "barman" since 1992. He is a veteran of the navy and a veteran bar tender. He opened his first location in 2008 with "The Cr…
1011: Kevin Barrett and Drew Schenk Co-Owners of Dram and Draught [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:58:34
Kevin Barrett and Drew Schenk are the co-owners of Dram and Draught based in and around Raleigh, North Carolina. Drew truly began his restaurant career with Applebees in 1990. he then opened his first restaurant, Remingt…
1010: Wil Brawley Podcast Host, Author, and Co-Owner of Schedulefly [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:14
Wil Brawley is the Co-Founder and Co-Owner of Schedulefly, a scheduling software for restaurants. He is also the author of Restaurant Owners Uncorked and Restaurant Owners Uncorked Part II. He is also the host of the Res…
1009: Dave Nitzel and Dave Domzalski Authors of Hospitality DNA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:52:31
Dave Nitzel is the co-author of Hospitality DNA: Career Journeys with Unprecedented Insights from Industry Award Winners and The Bar Shift: 41 Short Management Lessons You Don't Have to Learn the Hard Way! He left execut…