868: Ronnie Evans Co-Owner of Blue Oak BBQ

A Louisiana native, Ronnie was always enamored with Southern heritage and foodways. While earning his Bachelor's in Business Management, Ronnie spent every spare minute in small mom and pop kitchens and earned his college drinking money at a beloved barbecue joint. That experience changed his entire trajectory. In 2012, Ronnie and Phil created Blue Oak BBQ, changed the face of 'cue in NOLA and beyond, and never looked back. Today's feature affiliate: Bentobox. In need of a restaurant website? Click this link to find out why so many of my guests use Bentobox! Show notes… Calls to ACTION!!! Join Restaurant Unstoppable Network and get your first 30 days on me!  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: "Work hard and have fun." In this episode with Ronnie Evans we will discuss: Franchising? Pop ups Securing funding BOH Real estate Health insurance in restaurants Personal growth The importance of understanding psychology in the restaurant industry Today's sponsor: 7shifts is a modern labor management platform, designed by restaurateurs, for restaurateurs. Effectively labor management is more important than ever to ensure profitability and restaurant success. Trusted by over 400,000 restaurant professionals, 7shifts gives you the tools you need to streamline labor operations, communicate with your team, and retain your talent. Best of all 7shifts integrates with the POS and Payroll systems you already use and trust (like Toast!) turning labor into a competitive advantage for your business. Restaurant Unstoppable members get 3 months, absolutely free. Talk To The Manager – Nowadays, most guests don't want to call you on the phone or give you their feedback face-to-face. With TalkToTheManager, guests can avoid making a scene by sending you comments and questions anonymously by text message, allowing you to respond and handle issues in real-time. It's easy to set up and simple to use for both staff and visitors. No software integration. No downloads, and no apps to install. 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. Diageo Bar Academy reaches a diverse audience, with backgrounds and skill levels of all ranges- providing them with skills, knowledge, and the techniques they need to improve their personal and professional lives. Knowledge bombs Which "it factor" habit, trait, or characteristic you believe most contributes to your success? Persistence What is your biggest weakness? Get hyped up too easily What's one question you ask or thing you look for during an interview? Great attitude and great work ethic What's a current challenge? How are you dealing with it? People/labor Share one code of conduct or behavior you teach your team. Honesty What is one uncommon standard of service you teach your staff? always have a smile on your face 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 is something restaurateurs don't do well enough or often enough? Appreciate their people What's one piece of technology you've adopted within your restaurant walls and how has it influence operations? Toast On-line Ordering Name one service you've hired. Accounting - Tim Baudier at DTS 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? Work hard Have fun Save some time for your family Contact info: Website: blueoakbbq.com Instagram: @blueoakbbq 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 Ronnie Evans 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!