843: Patrick Whalen CEO at 5th Street Group

  Working as a dish-washer all the way up to executive level management, Patrick has developed a service-centered style where knowledge, passion, and a drive to excel are paramount. After almost a decade of learning the trade by working in New York City, Patrick, bound to his North Carolina roots, moved his family back South and was hired as Butter NC's General Manager. Under his leadership, Butter NC became established as the premier nightclub establishment in the Southeast and received numerous awards for excellence in service. Guided by his entrepreneurial spirit, Patrick was in search of a strategic, collaborative partnership to open a new type of restaurant that complements his passion for good food and his detailed business acumen. Friends and former colleagues Alejandro Torio and Mills Howell expressed similar thoughts and their combined strengths led to the creation of 5Church Restaurant. Show notes… Calls to ACTION!!! Join Restaurant Unstoppable Network and connect with my past guest and a community of superfans. 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: "Why not us?" "There's only we." In today's episode with Patrick Whalen we will discuss: Running a casino Advice on restaurant openings Being empathetic Retaining staff Events Tip pool systems Personal life informing career decisions Public perception of your company False-modesty Balancing ego and modesty Recognizing initiative The "Tip The Kitchen" system Today's sponsor: Diageo Bar Academy equips bartenders, servers, managers, and hospitality professionals with the insights, stories, and tools to be better - raising the bar on industry standards. 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Take your back office paperwork down to 2-3 minutes a day while creating real-time financial views to inform your path ahead. Knowledge bombs Which "it factor" habit, trait, or characteristic you believe most contributes to your success? Very good public speaker What is your biggest weakness? Impatient What's one question you ask or thing you look for during an interview? What do you want to do? What's a current challenge? How are you dealing with it? Unreasonable people Share one code of conduct or behavior you teach your team. Say what you mean and do what you say What is one uncommon standard of service you teach your staff? Highly unscripted at tables What's one book we must read to become a better person or restaurant owner? The Art Of War by Sun Tzu GET THIS BOOK FOR FREE AT AUDIBLE.COM  What's one thing you feel restaurateurs don't know well enough or do often enough? Share information with their employees Name one service you've hired. The Bradley Projects - architecture What's one piece of technology you've adopted within your restaurant walls and how has it influence operations? Avero - unlock your restaurant's potential 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 empathetic Be reasonable Work hard Contact info: Twitter: @tip_kitchen 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 Patrick Whalen 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!