662: Oliver Ridgeway on Do it Nice or Do it Twice

Chef Oliver Ridgeway, was born and raised in Sussex, England. For Ridgeway, life in the kitchen began in his father's restaurant, where his own passion began to emerge. After studying cooking at Crawley College, Ridgeway worked in multiple hotels and even a cruise ship before landing in U.S. where he held multiple chef positions and even cooked for VIP's during the Olympics. In 2011 Ridgeway made the move Sacramento where he took the Executive Chef Role at Grange Restaurant & Bar, and Camden Spit & Larder in 2018.   Show notes… Favorite success quote or mantra: "Do it nice or do it twice." In today's episode with Oliver Ridgeway we will discuss: Born into the industry and staying with it Traveling there ENTIRE world and what you learn Cutting your teeth on a cruise ship kitchen Hotel kitchens Airport restaurant kitchens The importance of world travel The importance of connections Working as a chef at the olympics You have to give a shit Standards, expectations, and aiming points for your team Accountability Keep your ego and temper in check How to let team members go during hard financial times You don't know everything so surround yourself with people who know things you don't Resentment in the industry Today's sponsor: BentoBox empowers restaurants to own their presence, profits and relationships. The hospitality platform disrupts third-party services that come between the restaurant and the guest. BentoBox puts the restaurant first and offers tools that drive high-margin revenue directly through the restaurant's website. BentoBox is trusted and loved by over 5,000 restaurants worldwide including Union Square Hospitality Group, Eleven Madison Park, Gramercy Tavern, Lilia and more.   Gusto offers modern, easy payroll, benefits, and HR to small businesses across the country — they were even named best online payroll by PCMag. And as a listener, you'll get three months free when you run your first payroll. Sign up and give it a try at Gusto.com/unstoppable.    Knowledge bombs Which "it factor" habit, trait, or characteristic you believe most contributes to your success? Leading by example What is your biggest weakness? Addressing the issue of team members who try hard but it isn't hard enough What's one question you ask or thing you look for during an interview? What makes you happy? What drives you? What's a current challenge? How are you dealing with it? Telling good people that they aren't good enough Share one code of conduct or behavior you teach your team. Working with efficiency and urgency What is one uncommon standard of service you teach your staff? Making "no" sound like "yes" What's one book we must read to become a better person or restaurant owner? Setting the Table by Danny Meyer 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? Look at the long road rather than just the immediate What's one piece of technology you've adopted within your four walls restaurant and how has it influence operations? Resy | Homebase | Toast 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? Be kind Cook from the heart Do it nice or do it twice Contact info: Camden Spit & Larder 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 Oliver Ridgeway 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!