In this episode of Culinary Conversations, we sit down with Drew McLeod, owner of Savour, one of Yelp’s Top 100 Restaurants. Drew shares his journey as a serial entrepreneur, including how his first restaurant failed after just 7 months, his experience owning both independent restaurants and franchises, and his unique management style. We also explore Savour’s distinctive schedule—only open 22 hours a week and closed on all major holidays. Tune in for invaluable insights on leadership, resilience, and success in the restaurant industry.

Welcome back to Becca’s Breakdown, where we dive into key lessons from our Culinary Conversations! In this episode, we explore insights from Jason Kennedy, Head Chef of Infinite Wonder Productions and Jasna Ostojich, founder of Podular.

We discuss Jason's unique pop-up restaurant model, his approach to team buy-in, and balancing passion with part-time work. Jasna shares her perspectives on managing rental costs, asking the right questions, and navigating startup expenses. Rebecca and Manuel also cover their views on the importance of time management, happiness, and ignoring advice from people whose lives you wouldn’t want to emulate!

In this episode of Culinary Conversations, we sit down with Marvin Kinney, Owner and Operator of R Town Pizza in Reno, Nevada. Marvin shares his journey of building his Detroit-style pizzeria from the ground up, including the year-and-a-half-long construction process and the unexpectedly challenging “soft open” that led him to shut down the restaurant the very next day to address critical issues in the kitchen. Despite the rocky start, Marvin’s focus on community connection and the humanity of the restaurant industry has earned R Town a cherished spot in the community and a place on Yelp’s Top 100 list. Marvin also dives into the challenges of scaling while maintaining quality and connection.