Building Chicago's Thattu | Margaret Pak, Chef/Owner | 050

Great teams make great restaurants. On The Pre-Shift, restaurant operators and industry experts dive into building great restaurant teams. We explore their stories, their strategies, and valuable lessons on running restaurant teams. Hosted by D.J. Costantino. Presented by 7shifts. In the latest episode of the Preshift Podcast, host D.J. Costantino chats with Margaret Pak, chef and co-owner of Thattu in Chicago. Pak shares her inspiring transition from corporate life to culinary arts, detailing her journey from selling spicy ketchup to opening a successful food stall and finally establishing an award-winning restaurant. The episode delves into her passion for Kerala cuisine, her experience with food pop-ups, and her innovative no-tip service model. Pak also discusses the significance of transparent menu pricing, equitable staff wages, and her future plans, including participating in prestigious culinary events and creating retail condiments. 00:00 Welcome to the Preshift Podcast 00:17 Meet Margaret Pak: Chef and Co-Owner of Thattu 01:13 From Corporate to Culinary: Margaret's Journey 02:38 Falling in Love with Kerala Cuisine 03:41 From Prep Cook to Pop-Up Success 07:23 The Birth of Thattu: From Food Stall to Restaurant 10:41 Navigating the Pandemic and Reassessing Plans 11:59 Reopening and Expanding Through Pop-Ups 17:15 Innovative Business Model: No Tips, No Service Charge 27:19 Building a Collaborative and Equitable Team 31:06 Advice for Aspiring Restaurateurs 36:42 What's Next for Thattu? 38:21 Closing Remarks and Thank You Send us Fan Mail 📲 Connect with us Email us Follow on LinkedIn More 7shifts Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts Subscribe to Food Runner, our Monthly Restaurant Newsletter 7shifts on YouTube Follow us on TikTok Read the 7shifts Blog About Us 7shifts is the restaurant HR platform helping operators hire, train, schedule, pay, and retain their team in one place. With an easy-to-use platform and built-for-restaurant workflows, 7shifts replaces disconnected systems for 55,000 restaurants.