893: Creative Destruction with David Dressler

893: Creative Destruction with David Dressler

Author: Inspiring interviews with todays most successful restaurateurs 2-days a wee May 26, 2022 Duration: 1:01:09

With excitement, allow me to introduce to you today's guest, David Dressler. David began his hospitality career at age 6, working in a family-run hotel in the Adirondacks. After graduating from the Ecole Hôtelière, David built a career in luxury hospitality with Four Seasons hotels. Combining his professional experience with his personal style, he shaped and scaled Tender Greens' distinctive heart-centered culture.

After leading as Tender Greens President and Chief People Officer, David founded Quiet Advisory where he holistically coaches and advises purpose-driven entrepreneurs. He is married to Randi and they have two amazing kids.

Check out Ten Year Plan: How the Founders of Tender Greens Sacled Their Heart-Centered Brand by David Dressler and Erik Oberholtzer as mentioned in today's episode!

Check out episode 882 with David Dressler as mentioned in today's episode.

Check out episode 887 with Erik Oberholtzer as mentioned in today's episode.

Today's feature affiliate: Bentobox. In need of a restaurant website? Click this link to find out why so many of my guests use Bentobox!

Show notes…

Calls to ACTION!!!

Favorite success quote or mantra:

  • "When you are lost, go back to where you came from."

In this episode with David Dressler we will discuss:

  • What is a purpose-driven organization?
  • The importance of fiscal responsibility
  • Conscious capitalism
  • The Tender Greens purpose

Today's sponsor:

This episode is brought to  you by Plate IQ, your Accounts Payable Automation and Expense Management solution. PateIQ works with 20,000 restaurants across the country. Plate IQ uses OCR "Optical Character Recognition" and Deep Machine Learning to eliminate manual data entry from the AP process. Automate the full life cycle of your invoices from General Ledger coding to bill payment via PlateIQ's VendorPay network. With PlateIQ's VendorPay you can seamless flow from invoice upload to paying your bills. You can earn cashback on invoices from over 180,000 vendors. With Plate IQ Vender Pay, you can see what is due when. Schedule payment by check/ACH/or Plate IQ Card. Lastly, VendorPay is also FOR Vendors. Keeping your vendors happy will give you leverage in negotiating your terms. Vendors participating in Plate IQ's VendorPay network LOVE it because it shortens Day Sales Outstanding by 25% - AKA: Vendors get paid 25% faster. To learn more head to plateIQ.com/unstoppable to get at least 25% off implementation.

Fluctuating food prices. Staffing challenges- Now more than ever you need to control costs to remain profitable. MarginEdge is a restaurant management software that lets you see your food and labor costs in real time. By automating your invoice processing and totally digitizing your back office, MarginEdge saves your team hours on paperwork and gives you instant insights to manage your prime costs. Try MarginEdge free for 30 days. No contract. No setup fee. Learn more at marginedge.com/unstoppable

Over 20,000 restaurants trust ChowNow (chownow.com/unstoppable) for their online ordering. With ChowNow, you'll take control of your online presence, connect with more local diners, and keep your hard-earned profits. Join the free ChowNow Marketplace to reach new customers without commissions. Want to go big? Put your restaurant in the spotlight with ChowNow Direct—a full suite of branded ordering and marketing tools, including your own app! For a limited time, Restaurant Unstoppable listeners save 30% on a ChowNow Direct annual plan.

Contact info:

Quiet Advisory website: quietadvisory.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 David Dressler 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
390: PART 2- Never do these 3 things with Scott Crawford [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:36
This is the second part of a two-part series! In part two, Chef Scott Crawford and I discuss why shutting the door on opportunity is sometimes the best way to open doors to more opportunities, building a reputation by do…
389: PART 1- Focusing on results with Scott Crawford [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:26:20
This is the first of a two-part series! In part one Chef Scott Crawford and I discuss focusing on results, how Chef Crawford found his lane, how to find your passion, working for the best possible people, how to build re…
388: Respect, listen, and push forward with Marc Jacksina [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:46:27
In this episode with Chef Marc Jacksina, we discuss what attracted Chef Jacksina to this industry, why you need to "remember where the fence is", why a clean workspace is more than just a clean workspace, paying attentio…
387: The 7 Rules of Greatness with Chef Charles Carroll [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:39
In this episode with Chef Charles Carroll, we discuss the power in building your team, the inspiration behind his new book, and we share "Chef's Seven Rules of Greatness". Chef Carroll is an award-winning chef who travel…
386: Writing job posts that convert with Pablo Fuentes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:37
In this episode with guest, Pablo Fuentes we discuss how success starts with discipline, how to use your team to get inspiration for writing a good job post, the elements of a perfect job post, common mistakes to avoid w…
385: Creating opportunity for the talented with Alex Lapratt [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:36
In this episode, with Master Sommelier, Alex Lapratt, we discuss hiring those who are persistent about working for you, being positive and humble, knowing your stuff- if you don't know don't make it up, hard work making…
384: Blazing your own path with Colin Lynch & Jefferson Macklin [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:16
In this episode, we bring back past guest, Business Manager of Bar Mezzana, Jefferson Macklin, and business partner, Executive Chef, Colin Lynch. When Jefferson first came on the show (episode 228) he and his partners, C…
383: 5 places NEW customers come from with Erik Shellenberger [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:54
In this episode, we discuss what makes Erik Shellenberger an authority on the topic of marketing, and we cover the 5 areas you're most likely to find your next NEW customer: word-of-mouth, reviews, search engine optimiza…
382: Collaborating with the greatness in others with Donnie Madia [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:18:18
In this episode with Donnie Madia, we discuss the power of collaboration, knowing your strengths, attracting onto yourself those who are strong where you're weak, taking the ideas of others and tweaking them to make them…
381: Summarizing your brand by being the best with Jennifer Pelka [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:19:42
In this episode, we discuss how Jen Pelka got her start in the industry, how you got to "fake it till you make it", how to create opportunity for yourself by creating positions, the power of side hustles, having great co…