738: Trey Smith on Building an Unsinkable Restaurant

Saint-Germain was created by Drew Delaughter, Chef Blake Aguillard, and Trey Smith. Drew and Trey met in 2008 at culinary school in Hyde Park, NY. They both moved to New Orleans after school. Drew worked at Susan Spicer's Bayona Restaurant working his way up to Captain, gaining valuable service experience, as well as wine and spirit knowledge. Smith went to work for Chef Michael Gulotta at Restaurant August where he met and worked alongside Blake.  After some European traveling, and working in other cities, the trio reunited and Saint-Germain was born. Check out episode 734 with Drew Delaughter as mentioned in today's episode. Check out episode 732 with Chef Michael Gulotta as mentioned in today's episode. Show notes… Calls to ACTION!!! Subscribe to the Restaurant Unstoppable YouTube Channel Join the private Unstoppable Facebook Group Join the email list! (Scroll Down to get the Vendor List!) Favorite success quote or mantra: "Success is a journey, not a destination." Found on a coffee mug in the rubble of the restaurant now called Saint-Germain. In today's episode with Trey Smith we will discuss: Attention to detail Mentors From law school to culinary school The competitive side of cooking Learning how to ask for help Trusting your team to execute your vision Living and learning in Germany In German restaurants you serve what you kill the night before You're only as good as your team CPA's and accounting Leadership and how to manager people Be respectful always in your restaurant Projections and checklists Today's sponsor: Toast - A POS built for restaurants by restaurant people Adapt fast with Toast's cloud-based restaurant POS system that updates to evolve your POS along with changing industry trends and guest expectations. Toast is built exclusively for restaurants of all shapes and sizes, with over 2/3 of our employees having restaurant experience to serve you better. Online Ordering - Let guests easily order directly from your restaurant for pickup or contactless delivery to keep revenue flowing during these uncertain times. Toast Delivery Services Dispatch local drivers through an on-demand network to keep your community fed and revenue coming in.   Knowledge bombs Which "it factor" habit, trait, or characteristic you believe most contributes to your success? Perfectionist What is your biggest weakness? Perfectionist What's one question you ask or thing you look for during an interview? What is your long-term goal What's a current challenge? How are you dealing with it? Planning anything during COVID-19 Share one code of conduct or behavior you teach your team. Communication What is one uncommon standard of service you teach your staff? Professional actions within a casual environment What's one book we must read to become a better person or restaurant owner? Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain GET THIS BOOK FOR FREE AT AUDIBLE.COM  Name one service you've hired. Lawyer What's one piece of technology you've adopted within your restaurant walls and how has it influenced operations? DineX POS system 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? If you have a dream, take the leap Enjoy what success you have Work your butt off until it's time to stop Contact info: Instagram: @saintgermainnola website: www.saintgermainnola.com 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 Trey Smith 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!