The Art of the Pivot: Iron Chef Eric Greenspan

Chef Eric Greenspan is probably best known for his appearances on big tv shows like Iron Chef America. What most folks don't know is the resilience required for Eric to carve out a place for himself within this industry. On today's show, Chef Greenspan shares his greatest successes, worst defeats and the lessons learned from each. Click to sign up for our weekly newsletter. Click here to book time on my personal calendar. Click here to download our Restaurant Recovery Guide. Want to streamline your front-of-house operations and increase sales? Head over to http://restaurants.yelp.com/fullcomppodcast to claim your free page and learn more about these powerful tools for your business. SHOW NOTES 9/11 caused Eric’s first major pivot Worked at high end restaurant in New York After 9/11, the owners told staff they will no longer pay them but they can work for free Found this to be a distasteful way of dealing with crisis Creating his own opportunities Saw two positions advertised for line cooks Offered to do both jobs for 1.5 pay Seizing new opportunity despite a major life change Was offered Sous chef position at Patina which quickly became an exec chef position From 9/11 crisis to Exec chef at Patina in 8 months How to deal with adversity Believing that there is always an opportunity around the corner Paying attention to the signals that opportunities may be on their way Taking jobs that you don’t feel ready for Not passing up the opportunity, ready or not Having confidence to figure it out Finding the right work environment Conclusion: working for other people was not the right working environment Had to find a new more autonomous working environment Eric was unable to adapt to the corporate structure at Patina imposing boundaries on his work Became a partner at another restaurant but also left quickly The value of teaching as a chef The greatest chefs are great teachers Teachers allows you to hone skills of your staff and push them to excellence Uncovering every possible avenue to get what you want Potential restaurant space needed $25k to extend the lease Did not give up on trying to save the money despite very limited time frame. Asked friends and family Sold car on eBay First restaurant was hit by the recession and writers’ strike Surviving during crisis Running many promotions per week to attract customers Bought food from restaurant depots Businesses don’t succeed because you become famous Restaurant business success keys Being well run Being in the right place Being well funded Making money in the restaurant business is having multiple restaurants Success with Cloud Kitchens Creating multiple brands with different concepts All food from the multiple brands cooked and fulfilled by same staff No front-of-house Delivery only model