EP #12: The French Evolution—New Beginnings Happen at Brandon Chrostowski's Edwins

For the past 14 years, Brandon Chrostowski has been in the life changing business.  EDWINS Leadership Institute and Restaurant was founded in 2007 with the belief that every human being, regardless of their past, has a right to a fair and equal future. The program gives formerly incarcerated adults a foundation in the culinary and hospitality industry, teaching skills in the culinary arts, empowering willing minds through passion for hospitality management, and providing life skills training to support their transition back to home. Edwins, recognized as one of the midwest's best French restaurants, has been the proving ground for these students since 2013. EDWINS Leadership and Restaurant Institute graduates nearly 100 students a year.  After finishing the program or after release from prison graduates have gained employment in Cleveland’s finest restaurants and are sought after by other restaurateurs. More than 95% of graduates find employment and fewer than 1% go back to a life of crime. I talk to Brandon about the Edwins training philosophy, the institute's expansion which now includes a butcher shop, bakery, and a business incubator, and the annual fundraiser event, La Bastille. We also talk about the nuances of exceptional service and hospitality, the landscape for restaurants coming out of the pandemic, and why people love that Edwins burger.