You Don't Own Your Business. The Community Does: Rabih Yanni on 33 Years in Hospitality

Rabih Yanni has spent 33 years in hospitality.Nine venues across nine different postcodes. Currently runs Botanical Hotel in South Yarra — the iconic Melbourne pub he's brought back to life since 2019. Founded South Yarra Deli during COVID and took it national.He's the kind of operator who can walk into a venue, look around, and tell you in five minutes what's broken and how to fix it.But the line that stopped Tim in this conversation was this:"You never own a business. The community does. Your role is to navigate that community expectation."In this episode, Rabih breaks down 33 years of hard-won lessons — the standards he refuses to compromise on, the way he holds team for 20+ years, why he's never bought a business from a good operator, and the one mindset shift that separates owners who survive from owners who scale.This one's a masterclass.You'll hear:00:00 – "You either win or you learn. You don't make mistakes."01:00 – Why a 10K week venue is harder than a 100K week venue02:00 – The line that changes how you see ownership forever04:00 – Walking the guest's path — how to read what your community actually wants07:00 – How to stop being store-blind in your own venue09:00 – Why your suppliers are part of the team, not just service providers10:00 – Holding staff for 20+ years — what actually creates loyalty12:00 – Non-negotiables: fingerprints, dog-eared menus, dust on bottles13:00 – "The standard you walk past is the standard you accept"15:00 – How Rabih's "intent" shifted from working for himself to growing his team19:00 – Why hospitality is one of the safest industries to be in right now20:00 – Never buy a business from a good operator — Rabih's rule for acquisitions21:00 – "You make your money when you buy"42:00 – Weekly stocktakes and why most owners avoid them45:00 – "If you're at $2M with aspirations to grow, do the work or concede you bought a job"46:00 – Act quicker, fail fast — the lesson Rabih wishes he'd learned earlier50:00 – The difference between an opportunity and a distraction51:00 – Advice for anyone thinking about buying their first venueKey takeaways:- You never own a business. The community does. Your job is to navigate the community's expectation.- Secondary can never become primary — but you can't get primary right if you don't get secondary right.- Everyone needs to share in the heavy lifting. Suppliers, service providers, team — not just the owner.- The standard you walk past is the standard you accept.- If you're going to fail, fail fast. Procrastination is the most expensive habit in hospo.- You don't get a second chance at a first impression.If you're ready to build something worth being proud of — and stop being a stranger to your own numbers — book a free call with the Foodie Coaches team at foodiecoaches.comFollow Rabih and Botanical Hotel:@botanicalhotelFollow along:@[email protected] episodes every Wednesday.