7/8/14 David Houston Barney's Beanery

While having difficulty getting a table at a local pool hall with one of his friends, David Houston decided he should open a pool hall. In 1989, David opened Q's Billiard Club that is still in its current location today. In 1999, long-time Los Angeles eatery Barney's Beanery came on the market. David jumped at the chance to purchase the restaurant-bar hybrid and has gone on to expand the brand by opening locations in Santa Monica, Pasadena, Burbank and Westwood. Barney's Beanery employs a staff of about 400 that includes a managerial staff including Human Resources and Regional Managers. Today our listeners get to learn how to transition from one business to another, how to make it smooth, and keep it running like a well oiled machine! Simon Mainwaring is the founder of We First, the leading social branding firm that provides consulting and training to help companies tell the story of the good they do to build their reputation, profits and social impact.Simon’s first book, We First: How brands and consumers use social media to build a better world (Palgrave Macmillan) is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Amazon bestseller. It was named an Amazon Top Ten Business Book for 2011, 800CEORead Top Five Marketing Book for 2011, and strategy+business named it the Best Business Marketing Book of 2011. It has been translated into Russian, Chinese, Taiwanese and Korean.