620: Steve DiFillippo on Following Your Passion

Steve Difillippo started his restaurant career at a young age and would go on to attend Boston University and Cambridge School of Culinary Arts. In 1985, He took over Davio's of Boston at the young age of 24. 33 years later he has grown the Davio's brand to 10 separate locations which include 5 locations in MA, 2 Locations in PA, one location in Manhattan, Atlanta, and Irvine, CA. The Davio's brand also has a food company, which spun off the concept of their Philly Cheese Steak Spring Rolls. Lastly, Mr. DiFillippo is the author of the restaurant business book It's All About The Guest: Exceeding Expectations in Business and in Life, The Davio's Way Catch Steve DeFillippo's first appearance in Episode 003 of Restaurant Unstoppable. Show notes… Favorite success quote or mantra: "Follow your passion. Figure out what you want to do in life and do it." In this episode with Steve DeFillippo we discuss: Julia Child Learning to cook as a child The love of serving people and cooking Passion for people If you're not a people person, don't get into the restaurant industry Food is important but hospitality matter more Mentors Learning how to deal with people Pay attention (situational awareness) Learn more from people in other environments Mindfulness Never quitting Do your best, but don't worry about winning It's not about money, its about knowledge Loving what you do The history of Davio's prior to Steve's acquisition The importance of culture The importance of adhering to your own standards The importance of a to-do list Knowing when to grow Can't have your head in the sand Self-awareness Accountability 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? Run every morning What is your biggest weakness? Eat too much What's one question you ask or thing you look for during an interview? "What do you do to be philanthropic?" What's a current challenge? How are you dealing with it? Finding the right people Share one code of conduct or behavior you teach your team. Be yourself What is one uncommon standard of service you teach your staff? do whatever it takes. Eye contact. Never say no. What's one book we must read to become a better person or restaurant owner? The TB12 Method by Tom Brady 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? They don't take care of their people as much as they should. What's one piece of technology you've adopted within your four walls restaurant and how has it influence operations? Cameras 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? Love what you do. Show up every day, give it your all, don't coast Never forget where you came from, stay humble Contact info: Email: [email protected] Davio's website Twitter: @stevedefillippo Instagram: @daviosrestaurant 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 Steve DeFillippo 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!