623: Zeb Stewart on The Importance of Chaos

Zeb Stewart has a history of success in Brooklyn, New York. As designer and owner/ operator of cherished Williamsburg hotspots Union Pool, Hotel Delmano, and Café Colette, Zeb has played a significant role in the growth and development of the neighborhood’s social scene over the years. In 2016 Zeb joined forces with Jud Mongell and Warren Baired to form Brightside Hospitality. With their over 60 years of combined experience, the trio offers a full range of consulting services. Show notes… Favorite success quote or mantra: "Authenticity is everything." In this episode with Zeb Stewart we will discuss: Don't chase the "cool" Building for yourself Zeb's eye for design How a space dictates the flow of space in a restaurant Forcing organic interactions on your space Partnerships First restaurants as learning experiences Know your lane and stay in it Managing good mental health Getting yourself out of the day-to-day work in the restaurant Your relationship with your customers as an open conversation Sharing and balancing multiple restaurants Learning from others every chance you get Building a healthy community for your team Starting a restaurant group Consulting Today's sponsor: BentoBox helps restaurants grow their business through a connected suite of tools, offering them an integrated website to connect with their guests and drive revenue online. Restaurant owners and operators are able to easily update menus, promote specials, take catering and event inquiries, sell merchandise, gift cards and more. Revel Systems integrates front of house and back of house operations into a single dashboard. Designed to increase security, stability, ease of use, and speed of service, Revel’s streamlined ecosystem provides businesses with the right tools to grow. Learn more at revelsystems.com/unstoppable. Knowledge bombs Which "it factor" habit, trait, or characteristic you believe most contributes to your success? Emotionally involved What is your biggest weakness? Too emotionally involved What's one question you ask or thing you look for during an interview? Trying to connect with the candidate What's a current challenge? How are you dealing with it? How to move forward without abandoning in your past projects Share one code of conduct or behavior you teach your team. Give everyone a chance, break up with a customer if necessary What is one uncommon standard of service you teach your staff? Fight for the clientele, let people know you want them back What's one book we must read to become a better person or restaurant owner?  A Pattern Language by Christopher Alexander GET THIS BOOK FOR FREE AT AUDIBLE.COM  What's the one thing you feel restaurateurs don't know well enough or do often enough? Travel What's one piece of technology you've adopted within your four walls restaurant and how has it influence operations? Social media 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? Do what you love or don't do it Love who you're with Be kind to strangers Contact info: Brightside Hospitality website Instagram: @zeberino 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 Zeb Stewart 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!