Episode 7 : Navigating Customer Expectations and Reviews

Join Rachel Smalling and Susan on the Restaurant Talk podcast by Save Fry Oil as they delve into the realities of running small businesses, from managing customer expectations to the intricacies of partnerships. Rachel is the owner of 1854 Cocktail Bar & Lounge (a Cookeville TN Speak easy), a Dale Hollow Tn fishing lodge, and an Inn on Dale Hollow Lake, TN as well. Discover how they balance personal and professional lives, the importance of setting boundaries, and the value of hiring based on character over experience. Key Takeaways: The impact of customer reviews and how to handle them. Differences in managing motels versus restaurants. The importance of clear communication in partnerships. Strategies for hiring and retaining the right team. Balancing work-life dynamics in the hospitality industry. Chapters (00:00:00) - Restaurant Talk(00:01:04) - Interviewing Rachel Smalling from Cookeville, Tennessee(00:02:17) - Where Everything Clicks: Rachel's Motels(00:04:39) - Where Everything Clicks: Cookeville's First and Only Prohibition Bar(00:08:57) - Opening Day at Cookeville's First C cocktail bar(00:10:56) - Drunk on Fire: Staying True to Yourself(00:18:27) - Restaurant Owners Need to Connect with the Community(00:25:31) - How Do You Respond to Reviewers? Motels vs. Restaur(00:31:30) - How To Manage Money in a Married Marriage(00:35:51) - On the Partnership aspect(00:43:47) - Bar Owners: Setting Boundaries(00:45:23) - How Small Bar Can Be With a Small Team(00:49:45) - How Do You Find Good Talent?(00:54:22) - Gen Z and the Workplace(00:59:05) - Independent Business Owners on the Challenges(01:00:07) - Small Businesses and the Small Business Community(01:02:39) - Want to start your own business? Here's What to Know(01:04:29) - A Lifetime Supply Of Towels