Merlina Rodas

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01:01It is inexpensive and will save you a ton of money. Every single restaurant in the city needs this product. There are two types of business owners, those who are busy and those who want to be busy. Toast is designed for both, with tools to keep you humming and help turn grind into growth. That's how you turn busy into business. Toast, built for busy. Welcome to Nashville Restaurant Radio, the tastiest hour of talk in Music City. Now, here's your host, Brandon Styll. Hello, Music City, and welcome to Nashville Restaurant Radio. My name is Brandon Styll, and I am your host. We are powered by Pepsi Cola, which is, of course, is poppy and Pepsi and Mountain Dew and Crush. So many amazing brands under the Pepsi umbrella. We love them being our title sponsor here. We are excited today. We have got an episode today with a woman named Merlina Rodas. She is on Instagram at F-O-H-ology. I ran across her, and I thought I loved her content. I just thought it was really good stuff. We haven't done a front of the house episode in a long time where we just talk about, from the time they make a reservation to the time they leave, things you need to be doing, little details. A lot of you know this stuff. A lot of you do this stuff really, really well. But every once in a while, it's nice to hear a refresher.

02:48She worked for Denny Meyer at the Union Square Hospitality Group. I messaged her, and she said, yeah, let's do it. So she was super nice, really excited to put this episode out there. There's a couple little ... The robots got involved with the sound. Obviously, she's in the Midwest, so we did this via StreamYard. So there is video out there as well. And yeah, that's what we've got going on. That's your episode today. We are three days away from our independent restaurant show at Fat Bottom Brewery. This is going to be epic. We have the Downriver Collective. They are going to be playing music throughout the event. It is awesome. We also have 38 vendors, 38 different vendors. This is not like a food show. This is a restaurant show. So what I wanted to ... I've been to 100 different shows. You've been to GFS shows. You've been to Cisco shows. You've been to PFG shows, U.S. food shows, and they all try and make them really special. This is not like a food show. But essentially, it's a bunch of brokers selling fried food. How many different ways can you cook pizza or have some new way to serve carnitas without actually having to cook them? That's not what we're doing here today. What we are doing is up and down your P&L. We are trying to help you succeed. The last episode with the mayor went crazy. Everybody talked about it. Property taxes, it's really hurting people. This is our answer to that. This is every vendor up and down your P&L. We have C&B Linen going to be there.

04:31Robbins Insurance is going to be there. Wright Dickinson Attorneys. They're a liquor attorney. So if you want to get THC into your building and you don't know how to do it, I don't know if it's going away or whatever it is, but you know what? Rachel's going to be there to answer your questions. There's going to be an attorney there. This is awesome. Twine Graphics is going to be there. We have a really cool custom t-shirt for the event. To get one of those t-shirts, all you have to do is make a donation to The Giving Kitchen, a minimum $10 donation to The Giving Kitchen. You get a t-shirt. They're going to be screen printing them there live, right there. It's going to be awesome. You know what I haven't mentioned is Joe Offitagado. This guy has Sicilian olive oil that is better than any olive oil you've ever had. He's going to be there tasting it and he distributes it. If you are somebody who uses a lot of olive oil, you need to be at this event to try this product because it's not distributed by anybody else. Pliny Crane, our marketing company, is going to be there. They're going to be taking headshots, doing social posts for you. We have got Kitchen Guard and Icon Fire. They're going to be giving away a free hood cleaning and free fire suppression service. We've got AirPods to give away. Jason Ellis from SuperSource is going to be there. Toast is going to be there. They're giving away three pairs of custom Toast Dunks. We've got Pepsi is going to be there. They're going to be giving samples as well as they're going to be raffling off a pair of Pepsi Dunks.

05:59We're giving away two pairs of Nara Dunks. So that's one, two, three, four, five. That's six pairs of shoes we're going to be giving out. All kinds of giveaways. Adams Keegan is unable to be there. They have a big event in Florida this week, but they have bought a special chef's knife from Horn and Heel and they're going to be giving that chef's knife away. So many giveaways. So many giveaways. If you want Nara merch, we're going to have a table there. We're going to have our hats. We've got three different kinds of hats. We've got four different kinds of shirts. We're going to have them all there. If you're a member and you don't have one, we're giving them away. Otherwise, they're going to be 20 bucks. Help support us. Help bring some stuff in. This is going to be a show unlike anything you've ever seen or experienced. It's going to have a ton of restaurant owners there, but you need to register. Go to naranashville.com. Immediately, a pop-up's going to come up that's going to say, hey, you want to come to this show? And if you work in a restaurant, you are welcome to come. We've put a max of 200 tickets. We have about 20 tickets left. We've got 180 people coming right now. And that's just people. If you don't register, I guess we'll probably still let you in if you work in a restaurant. But there's going to be a max capacity. So register to make sure that you have your spot at the Nashville Area Restaurant Alliance Independent Restaurant Show. Oh, did I mention that the mayor, Freddie O'Connell, is going to be speaking at this event? Love him or hate him, you'll get to see him, meet him.

07:28And he's going to be taking questions. You'll get to hear about his new plan for independent restaurants and legacy restaurants. Lots of great things going on. We cannot wait to see you there. We are going to be getting to everybody on our wait list. We've got about 15 restaurants right now that I know you're waiting out there, waiting for us to come get to you so we can start saving you money. I'm excited to see you all at the event. But if you come to the event, you can join the wait list. We're going to be starting to get to everybody starting on Wednesday. The day after the event, we're just going to be hitting them hard, onboarding new restaurants into the Alliance. I'm just so full of gratitude. The people, the way that we're able to help, the things that we're doing. This is just a blessing. And we're so excited to be able to help you guys. We love being able to help you guys. And this is just great. So we're really excited about seeing you. The best part about this is you're going to be at this event and you're going to be seeing other restaurant owners, connecting, meeting people.

08:33It's going to be awesome. There is an after party also. So make sure that you are ready from 7 to 10. When you get to the event, I will tell you where it is at. It is right down the street at a really cool restaurant, 7 to 10. It's going to be brought to you by Chef's Deal. So Chef's Deal is a equipment facility right there in East Nashville, and they are going to be hosting our after party. And so be ready for that. Be ready to be invited to that because this thing isn't just going to end at 6. It is from 3 to 6 at Fat Bottom Brewery. It is going to go from 7 to 10 is our after party. Hey, I want to give a big shout out to the Hermitage Oral Surgery and Maxillofacial Surgery. Is that a thing? I guess that's where you get your wisdom teeth taken out. They reached out to me and said, hey, look, we want to really work on our hospitality and our building. And they do an amazing job over there. So I went and spoke to their entire team yesterday. And I want to tell you, they're awesome. Those guys are awesome. And, you know, I love doing stuff like that. I love talking about hospitality with people who are not necessarily in the hospitality business. So if you work, I think real estate's a big one for that. But like, man, there's so many reels out there about rude receptionists. You ever go to the dentist and they're just like, what's your name? Oh, I can't find your reservation, whatever it is.

09:56There's so many opportunities for hospitality outside of your traditional restaurant or hotel world. We got to bring it back. We got to bring hospitality back to everywhere. And Nashville is known for that. Nashville is known for our kindness and our hospitality. And I would be remiss if I did not talk about Dolly Parton. Dolly Parton passed this week and my wife's just been crying every day. Did you see that at the Opry? The Opry, a butterfly came through while the woman was singing coat of many colors. It gives me chills thinking about it. And, you know, I've seen a million butterflies this week. They're just butterflies everywhere. And I don't, maybe, maybe they're always there. And maybe this week I've just noticed them. I don't know. But my kids are imagination library kids. They had every book and we read to them every single night. And it was such a big deal when that came there. And Dolly was just, we have a dog named Dolly.

10:58I mean, our dog is named after Dolly Parton because we just loved her so much. And I don't think I'm alone. I think the entire world loved Dolly. If there's anybody that I would shoot to try and be like, to try and emulate, it is Dolly Parton because she was an absolute angel. And now she gets to be a literal angel. So I know a lot of you are sad out there and I wouldn't be remiss to say that I am absolutely sad with you. I've never known a world without Dolly Parton. We go to Dollywood every year on New Year's day. It's been kind of a tradition of ours and her hotel is about to open downtown. She had her run over there at the Belmont Fisher center while I was at Chagos. Just an amazing opportunity and just amazing things. She's just, she's just, she was an amazing soul. And, uh, we're definitely going to be, um, we're, we're at a loss without her. So on a, on a brighter note, we are going to jump into this episode. We have, um, Merlina Rodas.

12:04She is F O H ology. She is on Instagram. She is amazing. We're excited to bring this episode to you. We will see you on Tuesday. That sounded bad. We will see you this coming Tuesday. You are listening to Nashville restaurant radio. All right. We're super excited today to welcome in Merlina Rodas. Did I say that right? Yes, you did. Thank you. Thank you for having me. She is the, uh, the mind behind F O H ology. How do you say it? F O H ology. I say it F O H ology. Yes. Where'd the name come from? Just came to me, honestly. I mean, um, you know, I was just telling you before we got started recording, um, a few weeks ago, I went to a restaurant and the service was subpar to put it nicely. And, um, I, I was like, I really just have to tell somebody about this.

13:08I have to talk about it. I decided to create a piece of content talking about three things that I think would have improved, um, my experience as a guest and it just kind of took off. Um, and yeah, F O H ology, just the study of the front of house and how to make it better. I love that. So we here at Nashville restaurant radio talk to a lot of back of the house, but we talked to a lot of chefs, a lot of operators, but I think the idea of service is really important. And I saw a video that you did where you talked, I think it was you talking about the pandemic and what it did to our industry. And I want you to talk about that a little bit, but I wanted to just kind of get a little bit of an idea of who you are and what you're doing also. But I think that the pandemic, um, killed service. I think also the idea that you tip everywhere, you know, you go to a football game, a basketball game, and you get a Coke and they're asking you for tips. You go get a cup of coffee. They're asking you for tips. I, I saw a, uh, self-service coffee robot. It was a robot that was making coffee. And it asked if you wanted to leave a tip. And it was like for a robot. No, I'm not leaving a tip for, I think people are exhausted with how much they're being asked to tip. And it pisses me off because people who are really good at their craft at actually serving is a art. And I think that some of that art is going away with just the, everybody gets tipped. It's just a thing you clock in, you clock out your order takers. And I think what you talk about is a lot about the art of service. And I wanted to get into that today. Yeah. Sounds something like you're down for. Absolutely.

15:02So tell me a little bit about your background. So kind of a long story, because I have a bit of a lifelong background in service and hospitality. I, my dad's been working in restaurants since before I was born. Um, when I was around six or seven, he got an opportunity and my family got an opportunity to open up his first place. And so I remember, uh, you know, being picked up from school, taken to the restaurant. I would sit in the corner doing my homework and my mom would be, you know, they're getting everything set up. They don't have staffing yet. My mom is hosting, trying to seat people. My dad is taking orders. And I was always very drawn in by this idea that everybody there was there to enjoy a meal. Right. And some people are on dates and some people are in business meetings and somebody is just having a crappy day and they're here for a drink, you know, and I think it was one of the first times that I really experienced this sense of sonder, right? Which for anyone who doesn't know is kind of that feeling that, or the recognition that other people are living a life just as intricate as your own. Um, and it was just fascinating to me. So I grew up in that environment. Um, when I was old enough to work, I started working with my dad. I was a host. I was a back server. I was a server. I became a manager at some point. And then I decided to branch out and I started working at USHG. So Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group. And that was, I mean, it just opened up my eyes to a whole other world. Was there something, I'm going to interrupt you. What was it that just opened your, was there something immediate? Was there a moment when you got in there at Union Square that you were like, Oh, this is a different level. Like, I don't know what I'm doing. I, I'm a student now. A hundred percent. And the thing is with USHG is you walk in to, it's not a mom and pop shop, right? It's not, you walk into their corporate offices

17:03and there's a whole team. They hand you a playbook, they hand you a copy of setting the table and you're just like, Oh wait, what is this? I thought I was here to be a server, you know, or they start you off as a back server, but it was just so different. My dad was a fan of Danny Meyer since before, you know, I ever even thought of applying. So I had a little bit of background on what he did and his view on hospitality, you know, the 51% rule, et cetera. But walking in there was just, like you said, it's, it's just a different level. Um, and it was really cool. So, so you got bit by that bug and some people that can be a turnoff because I don't want to put this much into it. You went the opposite, like me, I went the opposite direction. I was fascinated by it and not just all of the little things that when a guest came into a building, when they left, they could be nourished by the level of service I was able to bring. I could, I couldn't make somebody's anniversary that much better because of what I could bring to the table.

18:16I could be the tour guide for their entire experience, especially if you had something to offer. Uh, it would have been really cool. And that to me was, was everything. What was your kind of thing that bit you? What was it about that atmosphere that you just fell in love with? I think it's like the kind of controlled chaos or something about the rush of, like you said, you know, being able to give somebody that experience and being part of it with them, right? You get these little bits and pieces of conversation that you're overhearing and maybe you, uh, hear a little joke and it sticks with you or, you know, just a business. There's just so much. I think that it just gives you this little insight into people's lives. And like you said, the fact that you can be a part of that and make it that much better and elevate it just a little more, um, you know, they think they're coming in for just a meal and they end up with a memory or an experience or something. So, um, it's just kind of, uh, all of that put together creates this very unique, um, experience for you as somebody who's getting to see it from a sort of, you know, you're standing external to the table, but you are also getting to be a part of it.

19:26Yeah. Do you, do you have a, this is a random question and you don't have to answer it, but I have ADHD. Um, do you have ADHD? I'm not diagnosed, but, uh, you know, I have a theory that most people who come to work in restaurants and that get bit by that organized, you sit with the thing that got me with the organized chaos is that my brain feeds on chaos. Like when it's my favorite moment is either three deep behind the bar or when it's Friday night and you're on a two hour wait and it's just hair on fire and you're, you're the general manager or whatever. That's like my best moment in my, I love that. And that's part of being an ADHD person. I didn't know if that was a thing. I have a theory. I agree with your theory. I think that it's a good hypothesis. Uh, not sure how accurate it is, but I feel the same way. So I can definitely kind of, you know, speak to that feeling of I have a hundred things going on in my mind and I am able to keep up with all of them. I think there's this very, it's almost like a hyper focus when you're in the middle of a busy service where you're like, I know exactly what I need to do and I'm going to do it efficiently and to the best of my ability. Um, and I, I think, you know, I always say, I think ADHD is a strength if you know how to use it. 100%. All right. So what I want to do with you today is I want to walk through a typical dining experience and I want you to help me break down what you should be doing and why. Okay. Does that make sense? Yeah, I think so. Somebody gets out of their car. Let's just say I'm going to go, I'm taking my wife on a date to this new restaurant that supposed to be awesome, right? Let's talk about the things that you want to see and don't want to see and why, because I think you do a really good job of articulating some of these steps of service. And I want to just share this from my audience, right? I get out of my car, I'm looking at the restaurant, all lights are burning,

21:28it's clean. How important is that? I think first impressions are everything. Uh, I, you know, I think the experience starts from the moment somebody either makes a reservation, right? So for example, I've tried to make a reservation at certain places and maybe it's not easy to find on their website or you call and no one picks up, right? So I think the experience really starts before you even get to the parking lot. Um, and that comes down to having, you know, an accessible website, having a website or, you know, contact information where you can get to the restaurant in a way that's easy, right? Nobody wants to have to search for a little reservation button at the bottom of your website. And that would even deter me from going in the first place, right? So first impressions even before you're there is, I think, super important. And then once you arrive, cleanliness, making sure that, you know, everything is... The parking lot is clean. The parking lot is clean. You know, the parking lots, maybe, I mean, it's great for you as a restaurant, I think if it's packed, but maybe if you don't have enough spots, that's already an inconvenience, right? I mean, working in New York and growing up in New York, that was always a challenge. You know, sometimes you're driving around looking for parking, or I remember going to eat sometimes and my partner having a park around the corner, you're like, I'll meet you in the restaurant. It's already just like a huge kind of barrier to entry almost. I think that every little detail, even if it's subconscious, plays into that experience, right? So the best thing to do as a restaurant, obviously, there's things you can control and things you can't control. But I think that just keeping in mind that every little thing from even before they walk in your door is part of the experience is key and just kind of recognizing that in the back of your mind.

23:17I think the word I like to use is frictionless. We want the whole experience from the time that they decide that they want to eat there to the time that they leave to be gliding on rails. I don't want anything that if you can't find the reservation button, friction. You call, they don't answer the phone, friction. There's dirty parking lot, friction. Will Godera, I think, in Unreasonable Hospitality said it best that perfection is felt. It's not always something that you're going to recognize until maybe afterwards. Nobody's going to notice, not nobody, but a lot of people won't notice if there's a little spot on a fork, but they'll notice if everything at the table is perfectly set and that the parking lot is perfect and all the lights like all those things you can feel perfection. You just kind of know it at the end. It's not like, oh, the lights, of course, they're burning. They're supposed to be, but you'll notice if they're not. So anyway, most important thing, walking in the front door, that initial greet. Tell me about that.

24:19The initial greet. This is so funny because it's so simple to an extent, but a lot of places just get it wrong. I mean, I think it's a very common trope to have like a hostess or a maitre d' who is just rude. I think you see it a lot on social media where people just make fun of that and maybe a little stuck up or whatever the case. They're the gatekeeper. I'll never understand, right? And I get that. But at the same time, it's like, why? When you could so easily just crack a smile, acknowledge the guests. If you don't have any tables, that's fine. But at the very least, leaving the door open. So just acknowledgement and recognizing somebody's walking into the door and again, recognizing that they're already paying attention to these things. So if somebody's looking down and not acknowledging me at all, I'm going to be like, am I welcome here? Should I go somewhere else? That's kind of the first thing that runs through my mind. Hello and acknowledgement is, I think, important. And it sets the tone for your experience, that initial greet. If you get an attitude and you first are greeted, it starts a negative trend and they start looking for other things. But if you're really kind and you welcome somebody into your restaurant and you're gracious and you use their name, wow, what a pause. I'm excited to eat here. All of a sudden, now they're continuing to look for things that are great, right?

25:48Yes. Everything you're doing is planting seeds. Yes. So going to a table, you do a great thing where you have service and hospitality, right? How important is the first greet? And give me some examples of what service looks like versus what hospitality looks like. I think the best way I like to explain it is that anybody can carry a tray and anybody can take an order, right? And I call them order takers versus hospitality professionals. But the way that somebody makes you feel while they're doing that is what makes hospitality, in my opinion. I was actually listening to the episode with Mark Waldo because I love Waldo's chicken and beer. And he used that Maya Angelou quote, right? Like people will forget what you said, what you did, but they'll never forget how you made them feel. And I think that's really just what it comes down to. It's anyone can take an order. Anybody could come up to a table and be like, hey, have you looked at the menu and put something into the POS system?

26:50But not everybody can make it feel like a personalized experience, right? Like we were talking about earlier, just elevating it that much more to the point where you thought I'm here having my anniversary dinner and you leave thinking like, holy crap, that was an awesome anniversary dinner, right? And so I think it starts from greeting the table. This is up for debate, I think. And I noticed that in some of my comments, because I made a video about this earlier, where my favorite thing to do is ask the guests, have you dined with us before? Is it your first time here? Or, you know, that kind of thing. So the way that every server says it might be a little bit different. But to me, that is the biggest thing, because it gives you an idea of how to lead and guide that table through the meal, right? Because if they've been here before, they probably have an idea of how the menu works, how big your plates are, you know, the pacing of the meal, etc. And if they haven't, then maybe walking them through the menu and asking them what they like, what they don't. And really just starting asking those questions to start personalizing the experience as much as possible. Now, a lot of back in the I feel like back in the day, where you had somebody just walk into the restaurant, if it's a walk in, you don't have this information. But a lot of times people now now we have lots of guest management software, you've got resi, you've got open table, you've got talk, you've got these different ways.

28:14And they keep track of these things. So at our restaurant, we had these little chits, when somebody would come in, they would print up and it would give you like their order history. So you don't necessarily need to walk up and ask somebody, if it's their first time here, if they've been there 20 times, you want to walk up and say, Welcome back, Dr. Johnson, it's great to see you again, are we doing the chemist today, and you know, whatever it might be. So there is a little bit of a, I think the proactive idea of learning who's going to be sitting at your table before they sit down, can can change the way that you greet a table. Yeah, I agree completely. We definitely, you know, there's, I remember at my Alino, which is where I started working with USHG, we had those little printouts, like you said, and we often had, especially for VIPs, right. So like, for example, if Danny Meyer was coming in, the printout was like, like all this information that people had put in about, you know, the guests and stuff like that. And so I think little details like that, of course, not every restaurant has the ability to do that. Maybe not every restaurant has the infrastructure, right. But like I always say, it comes down to the details. And just in whatever way you can, making someone feel seen in that way, I think that's a really excellent way to do it. But even if you don't have the infrastructure, and this is something that I've been wanting to sort of express in my content is that you can do these things, even if you don't feel you have that infrastructure. Like a lot of people say, well, I don't have the staff to do that. Or I don't have the tools to do that, or the means or the resources. But it really is about what is the best you can do with what you have, right. And using those as examples to really, again, personalize the experience and make somebody feel just that much more special. How do leaders train their teams? You talk, we talk about points of service, and there has to be, I think I would hear a lot of restaurant managers go,

30:16it's too hard. Kids today, people today won't do these things. It's hard. It's hard to train them. What are some ways in which a leader can get their service team to greet a table in a specific way? I think the biggest thing is understanding how people learn. I really do think actually, it starts with hiring, right. So hiring people who are genuinely open to learning your service philosophy, to learning your steps of service. Obviously, you know, there's that question in job interviews, like, why do you want this job? Well, I want the money, right. But at the same time, just when you're interviewing somebody, making sure that it's somebody who's gonna want to learn, and somebody who is willing to take those extra steps. Now, when it comes to the actual training, I think that staff should always come first. And this is something that a lot of operators and managers kind of overlook, where it's like, you know, just do your job, without recognizing that, you know, a happy staff is really key. Like, if you don't have people who, if you have people who are overworked, underpaid, who, you know, you maybe don't treat them very well, or whatever, of course, they're not gonna want to do what you say. They're going to be burnt out, they're going to be stressed out. And that doesn't make for a good employee, right? It just doesn't make for a good, happy staff, which then in turn doesn't make for a good, happy guest.

31:44So I think the biggest thing is recognizing that the staff, the way you treat your staff, the way you, again, personalize their experience. So if somebody's struggling to learn your steps of service, why? What are they struggling with? Where do they need support, right? And really just, I think it comes down to personalization. Like, everybody's different, everybody's unique. And yes, you can have these operational frameworks, but the way that you implement them to each individual kind of matters, especially if somebody's struggling. And you know, like you said, somebody might come up and say, Oh, this person's just not doing their job. Well, why? Right? And just digging deep a little bit to figure out what exactly is holding them back from learning or understanding what they're supposed to be doing. I thought you had a really good point. We talked about COVID very briefly earlier and kind of my take on COVID. You had a different take on COVID. Mine was dipping in people that just the service is going away and you can do less and still get, you're just, people are just expecting to tip. Your take was, and I'm going to paraphrase, and I would love for you to expand on this. A lot of the OG people that have been in the business for a really long time went away during the pandemic. And so we've lost a lot of mentors.

33:02We lost a lot of people who are teaching this younger generation, some of the standards. Will you talk about that a little bit? Hey guys, today we're talking about Pliny Crane. What is a Pliny Crane? Pliny Crane is a full service marketing and social media creative management company, right? So what they will do is they will help you create a strategy. They will help you with organic marketing. Real relationships really are the way of the future, but there's still a place for traditional marketing. They have access to every form of marketing in the field. They can create, distribute content and campaigns with speed and efficiency, keeping your brand and company visible at all times. And then also in a world of streaming, content streaming across the globe, the only way to stand out amongst the noise is through creativity. They have a full team focused on being the best in their craft. You will have access to the most dedicated and inspiring creatives in the industry. If you have that team working for you, making a schedule, posting, you can't lose. Guys, you got to contact Pliny Crane. Let me tell you their phone number.

34:08It's 865-850-7809. You can email them at info at plinycrane.com or you can visit them at plinycrane.com. That's P-L-I-N-Y-C-R-A-N-E.com. Fill out the contact form and they will get back to you ASAP. Hey guys, we are talking today about Twine Graphics and I'm talking about people who maybe have multiple locations. One of the headaches I get is, man, the manager at this location buys our shirts from this company and it's not consistent from the next guy who buys it from his buddy who runs this shop. Twine Graphics does all of your custom apparel including screen printing, embroidery, staff uniforms, branded teas, or retail merch your customers actually want to buy. Beyond apparel, they also produce drinkware, decals, branded goods, so your brand stays consistent across every touchpoint. That consistency happens because they will build a website for your company. At each location, the manager will be able to go into that website and order the branded merch that you have selected to make sure that it is consistent across all of your locations. You can keep them consistent with each location so you know who purchased what. It is unbelievable how these guys partner with local restaurants.

35:27If that sounds interesting to you, you need to give them a call. Call Brandon Hagan. His number is 629-281-0838 or you can email him at Brandon at twinegraphics.com or visit him online at www.twinegraphics.com. I don't think I could be more excited to introduce you to OneTapFix. OneTapFix.com is where you need to go and they have any service provider that you need as far as equipment failures, plumbing issues, HVAC problems. Any of these problems that happen and you have to get on the phone and call somebody, there's an app. You can type in what's wrong and it will find you a person, give you an estimate, and they can come out that same day. Guys, this is revolutionary. Everybody is going to be on this before you know it and you're going to say, oh I heard about that on Nashville Restaurant Radio. This is one of those meetings where I was just over the moon excited to learn about this. Now Eric is the CEO and I'm going to have him on the podcast to explain the history behind it, why it works, how it works, all that stuff. But in the meantime, go to OneTapFix.com. You will send me an email and say thank you. This is absolutely amazing. A lot of people who are teaching this younger generation some of the standards. Will you talk about that a little bit? I remember the day that we shut down the restaurant. I think it was March 20th. We were having family meal. We didn't know what was going to happen that night, whether we were going to be doing service or not. Our manager came up and said, go home.

37:11We're not sure when we're opening up again. After that, I really thought about, and I know a lot of my colleagues did too, about what's next. What if the restaurant industry isn't the same when we reopen in what we thought was two weeks or whatever. We didn't know what was going to happen at all. Everything was so up in the air and the question was, what are you going to do afterwards? Are you going to go back to the restaurant? What if it doesn't reopen? People started really freaking out. I'll put it that way. They saw the vulnerability in the industry. Yeah, it really did. Then when it did open back up, I continued to work in the industry for a couple of years after COVID, once everything opened back up. It was just so different because operators were struggling to even figure out what to do. There was six feet between tables, so you could seat maybe 50% of your usual capacity. We had all these weird, I would make shifts. Plexiglass.

38:11Outdoor seating. It was crazy. I think it became even more stressful in that you're focusing on all these little new rules that were just confusing for everyone. It was very overwhelming, I think, for everyone. A lot of what I think are foundational basics got pretty lost in that chaos. It's like what? What are some examples of foundational basics? I think even just greeting people with a smile because you're wearing masks and you're like, let me take your temperature. It was so weird. People walking in the door, you were standing far away from a table trying to take an order because of the six feet and people were eating under their masks. It was just such a- It was weird. It was weird. Weird experience. I think for the guests and the staff and management and the owners who had no idea if they were even going to be able to keep their doors open in a week. It's just little things like that where I think we lost touch with what really makes the guest experience.

39:27It was just about make sure that everybody's wearing their masks. Make sure that you're recording them just in case. Make sure people have their vaccination cards. There was just so much focus on those weird logistics. I don't even know to what extent they were super helpful. That's not my area of expertise. It is what it is. But at the same time, it really just ruined service. I think it ruined the guest experience. For some reason, I don't think it came back in a lot of cases. I think it got lost in translation. Like I was saying, a lot of people decided to leave the industry even before all that just because there were so many- Everything was just so up in the air. I know a lot of people who went into corporate. I know a lot of people who left the industry altogether or moved out of the city to go live with their family, be closer to family and all that. Everything just shifted so drastically that I think it completely shook the foundation of the industry and is still affecting us today, I mean, all these years later. It really is.

40:40Okay. Thank you. I thought it was interesting you were talking about the people who left the industry, who went to go sell real estate or go get their corporate jobs. These are people that- Well, in Nashville, it's a big deal. Real estate was pretty damn hot in Nashville during that. A lot of people moving to Nashville. I think a lot of these OG people who would hold the line, who would say, you're in a side station, they go, hey, you didn't walk in with full hands or you didn't do- You're not walking- You're holding your tray wrong or don't- You just bumped into a guest. You need to move a guest right away. Little things like that that were just kind of standards, the people who would kind of hold the line, the leaders in the restaurant that would make sure that that happened kind of went away. Then you've got even some of the managers who went away and you're kind of rebuilding that, but you don't have- I think it's important to have those key people in the building that you can rely on during the shift to hold other people, the leaders. When you lose a lot of leaders, it makes it more difficult because you have to almost start from zero and rebuild it. You have to have the right management team to do that as well. I think we lost a lot of that and I think we're still in that rebuilding time.

41:57I think I always like to remind managers and operators is that when you just let somebody new shadow your servers, they are not only picking up on their good habits, they're also picking up on all their bad habits. If somebody takes a shortcut, if somebody is bumping into a guest and not giving them right away or not apologizing or whatever the case, your new hires are picking up on that and being like, oh, I can cut corners here. Even if it's subconscious, there is just- If there's no organization, if there's no framework, if there's no structure, I think it's very difficult to continue to maintain high standards when you're just having people who don't know. What we've talked about is those basic foundational rules of hospitality. You can't teach something you don't know. All your new hires are picking up on these bad habits and then they form their own habits or maybe they come in with their own and there's just so much that ends up being out of your control just because there is no structure.

43:02Probably the best meal that I've had, not best meal, but the best service I think I've had was at a restaurant here in Nashville called Folk, F-O-L-K. It was right before the pandemic started and I had just quit drinking. It was my first time to go out to a dinner after I quit drinking, which was a challenge for me because I liked wine and you go out to dinner. This server came to the table and she asked a bunch of questions. First time here, are you allergic to anything? What do you typically like? Then she walked through the menu with us and then said, what would you like to drink? I said, well, I don't drink alcohol. Can you see me? No, you just disappeared. I'm like, I don't know what just happened to my screen. I can still hear you, but you can't. This is weird. Hold on. Can you hear me still? Hold on.

44:08No worries. Can you hear me? Hi. There you are. Hello. I don't know what the heck. All of a sudden, I'm talking. I just went black. She went through this entire menu with me and then I said, I don't drink. She goes, that's great. No problem. We have these different mocktails. We offer this kind of beer. She walked through it. I think I'm so conditioned to saying, I don't drink. Then there's like, well, do we have Coke or we have Pepsi? It's almost like there's a preconceived notion that a server has as to what you should order or else you're just some cheapskate. That's not hospitality. This person did not care. She walked through it. The food was amazing. She was attentive. I just remember that feeling that I had of feeling like, hey, it's okay that I don't drink. I can still go out to eat because I'm not being judged and all these other things. How important is it in training? When you go to a table to read your table and to not, I think there's this, it's a job and you need to make money, but focusing on tips and what you're going to make and what you're going to sell because I'm going to get 20% versus the focus on the guest experience. I think the guest experience plays into that.

45:40If you're really that worried about the money, just recognizing, first of all, I think, of course, money's important. We need money to live. We need to pay our bills. I get it 100%, but if you're just looking as service as just a job, where I hear that a lot, it's just my job. I don't care that much. I'm just here to get my paycheck. Then I don't think that you're cut out for hospitality, or at least not good hospitality. I remember when I was serving tables, of course, I wanted to increase my check averages and all that, but I almost thought of it as a side effect, a positive side effect of giving the guests a good experience. People are going to want to spend more money and spend more time at a restaurant where they feel like they're being treated well. They're either going to want to spend a little bit longer and get another round of drinks, or maybe if they trust you and you build that trust with the table and you are personalizing the experience, giving something that they enjoy, of course, they're going to trust you when you say, actually, you know what? I love this mocktail, for example. I think you're going to really enjoy it. I told this story recently where I went out to eat with my husband and my father-in-law and there was a lemonade on the menu. My father-in-law goes, how's the lemonade?

47:04The server was like, it's good. Do you want one? That raving recommendation. Yeah, exactly. But he said yes. Then it was just lemonade from a soda gun. It was like Minute Maid. It was Minute Maid, literally. I was sitting there and I'm thinking, I think he could have had just one much better experience because he actually didn't like the lemonade on top of it all. He drank it because it was already there, but they had a full bar. What if she had said, I can get the bartender to make a delicious fresh lemon mocktail. I think it would be much better than this Minute Maid lemonade that we have. But if you want the Minute Maid, that's fine too. But just offering that, I think he would have said yes. I think the check average would have gone up, the tip would have gone up, and he would have enjoyed his experience more. That's just one drink. It's little things like that, just paying attention to the details and actually caring about what the guest is asking you. I don't think he's really asking, is the lemonade good? I think he's asking, what is a drink that I'm going to really enjoy? He's telling you, I like lemonade. Is your lemonade a lemonade that I'm going to like? If it's not, then do you have something that I would like? If you really break that down, that's what he's asking in that moment. You've just got to be trained. If your mindset is, I want to get you something that you're going to love, then you're going to think outside the box.

48:33You're going to go, hey, wait a minute. Let's try this. Another aspect of something I've heard you talk about was desserts. There's a theory here that if I skip desserts, hey, the dessert's only $7.99 or it's $12, and there's four people. If I sell a dessert for $12, I make $3. They're going to be here for another 45 minutes. I could just skip the dessert, drop the check. If I just come by and bring the check, they didn't ask for it. I'm just going to drop the check, and then they're going to pay, and then they're out, and I'll get another table that I can sell steaks to. What's your take on that? I always joke that maybe it's because I just have a huge sweet tooth and I need dessert every time. It's just part of the meal, but it's really not a joke because at the end of the day, it is part of the experience. It's part of the meal. Maybe you want a little coffee after your meal. I hate when I'm done with a nice meal, and I'm like, all right, I just want my little cappuccino. They're like, all right, thanks for coming in. I'm like, all right, I guess whatever.

49:36They want me out of here. Do you immediately think that? There have been times where I'm like, actually, can we see the dessert menu? But again, there's that friction. It's like, well, they've already handed me the check. Do I really want to ask? We could just go get ice cream somewhere else. It's like they're putting the chairs up in the other room right now. It's not even that. If it's happening, for example, in the middle of a service and you see that they're not super packed, they still have other tables, they don't need the table right away. I understand needing to turn a table. I've been there, and I have people sitting there with, I'm like, can I get you anything else? They're like, no, we're good, and they're there for another 40 minutes. I get that. But if you're pacing the meal and the guest just wants a little dessert, I don't think it's make or break. And on top of that, like we said before, if you're really trying to give the guest the experience, you might offer them something else to go with the dessert. It doesn't just have to be a $7 or $12 dessert or whatever. Maybe that goes along with coffees. Maybe that goes along with if somebody drinks an after dinner dessert wine or something like that. I personally don't drink either, but I love having my cappuccino. I might even get a second cappuccino. I don't know.

50:51And so it's just that experience, I think would also, if it's tip you're worried about, would lead me to tip a little bit more. I'm not somebody who likes to punish servers, but I usually don't tip under 20%. I'll put it that way. But if it's really stellar service, I will give an extra tip. And so if that's the thought process, if it all comes down to the money, I think that you're just in it for the wrong reasons. I think that's where I'm getting at, is identifying whether or not people are there for the right reasons or the wrong reasons. And I think we're so frazzled as an industry that we're just hiring warm bodies to get in there. And you're like, hey, you can cover a section tonight. But I think it's important to delineate that that's costing you business. I mean, what can I do to make every guest a repeat guest? You treat them really, really well to where they want to come back. And if you're just putting a warm body in there, the cost of getting somebody in the building, we're talking business now as an owner, getting somebody in the building is like $12 a person. What it costs is to get them in there and marketing and all the things. And if you're not spending the time and energy to ensure that that guest is getting the dream that you had set out when you opened this restaurant for how guests are going to feel when they leave, then you have to prioritize that. You've got to prioritize that.

52:24And there are steps here. You've got to start, like you said earlier, it starts with hiring. And then you've got to train and not to half-ass train. You've got to train the right people training, training to do the right things. And then you have to have a leadership team that's going to hold people to these. And I don't necessarily like the word accountability. I like to create impeccable agreements because I believe in explaining everything, what my expectations are on the front end so that everybody has a full understanding of what is expected of them. And I call those impeccable agreements that we have an impeccable agreement based on what you're supposed to be doing here today. And then I can either let you know if you're doing it or not, or you should be able to know if you're doing it or not. And then it's a conversation. It's not I'm an authority figure holding you accountable to something. I like that verbiage better. But if you can do that and you have a team of people who are there for the right reasons because they want to make this guest experience wonderful, guests will come back. But it's so expensive as a business owner to hire a warm body because they're missing all of the things we've been talking about so far today.

53:35Yeah, they are. And at the end of the day, you end up being more of a babysitter. I think you're fixing the stakes, putting out fires. I think that it really ends up costing you a lot more than people think, unfortunately. I think if there's one thing I want to get out of this, and some people don't have that option. Nashville's growing like crazy. What city do you – where are you living? Where are you at? I live in Indiana. Indiana? Yeah. Nice. So I'm originally from New York, as you know. So I mean, the big city is – I grew up in the big city. I moved around a little bit. So I lived in Auburn, Alabama for a little while, which very different, obviously. But now, yeah, in Indiana. Nice. Is there a plethora of people hiring at restaurants? I think that one of the issues people listeners are going to say is, yeah, I don't have the option to hire great people. I'm just hiring anybody who walks in the door at this point because we have so much saturation.

54:41How do you get people to stay working in a restaurant to reduce turnover? You mentioned it earlier, but let's get back into how to treat staff. Yeah. I mean, I think treat them like humans is kind of the first thing, right? You said it yourself. If you're sort of sitting on your high horse as a manager or an owner and kind of being this authority figure pointing fingers and then maybe not really helping out on the floor at all, right? I think one of my biggest pet peeves is having a manager who like wags a finger but will always be hiding out in the office when it comes down to a busy service or something. I'm like, your staff just needs to know that you have their back for one thing and that you're somebody who cares as well. I think care is one of the biggest things. I think a staff member should be able to come up to you and say, hey, I've had some really great managers. I've been very lucky and blessed to have people in my life, managers, bosses, who I've been able to go up to and say, honestly, I know we're low on staff right now, but I'm so exhausted. This week has been just too much, right? They'll take over a shift themselves if they have to. You know what I mean? I'm not saying sacrifice yourself or your peace of mind or your life for your staff, but just even knowing that I have the option, I will go out of my way as a server, for example, to help a boss like that rather than somebody who is going, you know, F you, this is your job. I'm paying you to do this kind of thing. What do you think of the theory that the guest is the most important person in the restaurant? As in, we're here to serve. That's what you do. The guest is the most important thing. We're at the bottom down here. The guest is number one. If you're an owner or a GM and you're teaching your staff, whatever the guest, the guest is everything. What message does that send to the actual people that work there? I tend to subscribe to the fact that your people

56:48are the most important thing. I've seen guests be misogynistic, racist, sexist, all these things, and the owner will go, they're the guest. It's okay. They're paying. Just suck it up. Don't worry about it. I'm not there for that. I'm not there for guests misbehaving in that manner. I think there's definitely some deal breakers. I have zero tolerance for some of that stuff, all that stuff. A hundred percent. Yeah, a hundred percent. I think to your point, disrespect is just never allowed. I mean, people say like, oh, well, what if we lose the guest? There's this fear of what if they don't come back? Or if they leave a bad review. Back to your restaurant, right? Yeah. A bad review. That's another one. I would rather have a bad review. I would rather have somebody like that not come back to my restaurant than to lose a good staff member because I wasn't there to support them or because I allowed that to happen. You asked me if the guest is the most important person in the restaurant. I would argue that it's your staff. They come first. Because like I said before, you know that saying, happy wife, happy life? I think it's kind of the same thing. It's like, happy staff, happy restaurant. Happy restaurant.

58:06I think just recognizing that those are your people. That is your team. Again, knowing that your manager or the owner has your back. I would much rather work in a restaurant where I feel respected and taken care of and make less money, for example, than a restaurant where I take home a ton, but it's toxic. It's toxic. Yeah. I think that's so important. I think that we focus a lot on the guest. We focus a lot on what kind of food we're serving, but the culture and how you're leading these people and what experience they have inside the building is really, really important. When you're a happy person because you love what you do and you're happy, it shows at the table. If you're pissed off and crying in the walk-in going at your table, what's wrong with you? You're not emotionally regulated. That anger comes out somewhere. For sure. I think we need to normalize emotional regulation and having these conversations with people and saying it's okay not to be okay. Also, do we have support? Is there a support system there? Most restaurants, I think, do have a great support system. That's why people go work there. Yeah. I think you'll see restaurants where people have worked there for 15, 20 years, and you've got these people, these long-term people, and you're like, what is going on here?

59:38I think you can look at core values and what their systems are there that they work really well versus the ones that have a ton of turnover. They don't have systems, and there's usually a toxic boss somewhere. A hundred percent. Yeah. Somewhere. Yeah. Somewhere on the totem pole there. I think there's this conversation that came up the other day about disagreements between owners and managers. I think that's also very common where there's a little tension there. The manager is the one who's on the floor, and then maybe the owner doesn't agree with implementing certain things or just doesn't want to take the time or put in the energy or whatever the case. It really does start at the top, and I think it just bleeds down into the rest of the team. If there's any disagreement at the top or if there's just one little kink in the chain, it's always going to affect everyone. It's this one team dynamic that I think some places are missing. Everyone for themselves mentality or again, do your job because I said so because I'm paying you or just do what the guest wants because they're paying us. I really think it comes down to that mindset of we are a team. We are kind of like this system, and if there's one cog that goes bad, it's going to throw everything off. Okay. I'm going to probably throw you off with this one, but first of all, thank you so much for joining us today. This has been great. I love talking service. This is my passion. I think I read Unreasonable Hospitality and I was just like, this is everything. I loved it. I'm actually in the middle of reading Unreasonable Hospitality. I love that it's the second time you mentioned it. I started reading it recently and I was sitting there. It's so funny. This is kind of off topic, but I was reading. I was like, man, I haven't made that impact. How do I change the conversation? There was just this energy of it really just lit a fire under me. I can't wait to continue reading it, but I'm glad you

01:01:43brought it up. Taking a restaurant that was doing okay and then turning it into the best restaurant in the world and the team behind it, it's just the most motivational, exciting because everybody wants to make other people feel good. It makes you feel good. The idea of an entire team that's bought into it's cool to care and everybody cares. Do you watch The Bear? Did you watch The Bear? I haven't actually. It's on my list. I'll have to. Season two is basically that book. Season two, Will Godera came in as an executive producer and wrote a lot. Episode six is called Forks. It's basically Unreasonable Hospitality. It's how they execute it in the restaurant. It's pretty cool to see. I would definitely watch the show. Some people get PTSD from it, but I think it's good. I'm in the camp of I enjoyed it. Okay. Okay. I'll check it out. I'll keep you posted. Okay. This is my throw. I'm throwing you off now. We're starting a shift. We're going to do lineup or premium, whatever you want to call it. I say, all right, guys. I'm going to bring in Merlina. Merlina wrote us. She is an expert on front of the house service. She's going to give us a motivational speech. She's going to talk to us about some things we need to be focusing on tonight. What are you going to say? This is an upscale, casual restaurant. It takes reservations.

01:03:21It's a full service restaurant. It buys good quality meat, quality seafood. They have an executive chef. It's a nice restaurant. You're coming in to talk to the team. What's the most important thing you want to get across? The most important thing I want to get across is that idea of how you make someone feel being the goal for the service. The way that I would approach that is one, I wouldn't say that outright. I would just ask for a little bit of a raise your hand sort of session if anybody wants to participate. What is your goal as a server? And I think most people would say something along the lines of to make sure I get the order right and the food comes out on time or maybe just to increase that check average, make sure that I'm upselling or something along those lines. I think that I would hope that somebody would raise their hand and say it's just giving the guests a great experience when they come into the restaurant from beginning to end. But I've been in enough pre-shift meetings where I know that in many places that's not the case. And I love doing that little exercise because I think it helps you see where the priorities are. When at the end of the day, like we've been kind of talking about this entire conversation, the priority should be what is this person going to leave feeling? Will they want to come back? Will they leave with even a better experience than they expected? And how as a server can you make that happen? How can you make this person's birthday or even like a business center, right? Can you read the table in a way that you know

01:05:25exactly what they need and you can anticipate those needs without being intrusive, right? And there's a lot that goes into it. These like these minor micro details that really make an experience, keeping those things in mind. I think if there's anything that the staff walks away with after this meeting, it would be that like what can I do in this moment to make this experience better for the guests and kind of keeping that in mind throughout the shift. The steps of service, the order taking, the menu, you should know that stuff like the back of your hand if you've been working at a restaurant, right? So you don't even have to think about it. It's kind of second nature. And so really just then starting to focus on, okay, I know my steps of service. I know what I have to do, hopefully, right? Hopefully the staff is well trained in how to actually do their job, I guess you could say. So what is the next level, right? What can you do to again bring that almost idea of perfection into the shift as best you can? Obviously nobody's perfect, but asking yourself, what can I do to just make this experience that much better?

01:06:38And oftentimes if you're somebody with high EQ, somebody who, you know, and if you're in a people industry, hopefully you are somebody who has, you know, good one emotional regulation, like we said, but also just emotional intelligence, being able to read people, being able to see what your table needs and communicating. I think that it really does start to become second nature as you go, right? What can I do to make this experience better for the person? Oh, maybe I can, you know, offer them a little complimentary dessert because they're celebrating a birthday or something like that. Or, you know, the person looks a little embarrassed, so maybe we won't sing out loud or whatever, but we'll bring them a little candle, whatever the case. Just that would be the biggest takeaway I'd want somebody to have after that meeting is how can you make the experience better for the guests? Guys, if there's some area in your restaurant that you can do things at a less expensive way, you want to be kind of cheaper because you're cutting costs. I understand there are many opportunities for that. One of the areas you do not want to do that is when you have your hoods and exhaust cleaned. A subpar job in that regard could cause a kitchen fire and then you're out of business for a long time, not to mention people could get hurt. That is why we recommend Kitchen Guard. They've been operating since 2009 and are the trusted experts in the kitchen exhaust industry. They service Nashville and Middle Tennessee and they will come in and do a free consultation and they will check out your entire system and make sure that you have everything clean. Your kitchen hoods, your filters, your exhaust cleaning from hood to fan. They can exchange the filters, they can clean the filters, they can do repair and maintenance services, and they have clear and consistent communication with every single service. Guys, you got to get the best when it comes to kitchen hood cleaning and that is Kitchen Guard. You need to call Kurt Kowalski. His number is 734-344-2010 or email him at kurt.kowalski, that's k-o-w-a-l-s-k-i

01:08:40at kitchenguard.com. Very excited to be partnering with C&B Linen. If you know me, it's my number one topic of conversation is linen companies and how shady linen companies can be. I am just disgusted with how the business practices work in this industry, which is why I was so excited when I found C&B Linen. They're out of Waynesboro, Tennessee and they don't charge any fees. So the linen price that you have, whatever that first linen price is, that's your price. And so you may say, well, every year they must raise the price on this seven-year contract, right? No, because they don't do any contracts. There's no gas fees, there's no clean green service fees, there's no replacement cost, there's nothing. The only price you pay is the price that you pay for the actual product. I know it's too good to be true. No contracts. They do floor mats.

01:09:41They'll make custom floor mats for you. They do fresh linens, cleaning supplies. And guys, I just did a tour of their facility and it is immaculate. It is state of the art. I'm going to post pictures on my Instagram. You can go find them and you can see how absolutely gorgeous this is. To the point that they even wash and sanitize every one of their used laundry carts. It's just absolutely amazing. If you're looking for a linen company you can trust who wants to earn your business every single week, go back and listen to our episode with Jason Cruz, the owner of CMB Linen. Hear it from his, straight from his mouth, exactly what they do. Or you give him a call at 931-722-7616. Or you can DM me at brandonstill on Instagram for my exclusive pricing through the Nashville Area Restaurant Alliance. Sharpie's Bakery is a locally owned and family operated wholesale bakery providing bread to Nashville's best eateries. They have operated in Nashville since 1986. Yes, next year will be 40 years. They're providing high quality fresh bread daily for restaurants, catering companies, hospitals, and universities.

01:10:53Their bread is also free from any preservatives and artificial flavors. They're right off of White Bridge Road. Erin Mosso and her team have been doing this for a long time. You know what I love about them is that they're local and they care. They care about your business. That's like the number one thing you're going to hear me talk about is, do they care about your business? And I 100% believe that they do. If you would like to be working with the bakery that cares about your business, give them a call. 615-356-0872. That's 615-356-0872. Now you can always visit them at sharpiers.com. That's c-h-a-r-p-i-e-r-s.com. And they have pictures of all of the bread that they can have for you and contact information. Go check them out. Sharpie's Bakery. If you're a restaurant owner looking for a new low risk way to drive traffic and incremental revenue, you need to hear about Shared Spirits. Shared Spirits is a marketplace where guests purchase drinks online and then come into your restaurant to redeem them. Think of it as a prepaid beverage demand that shows up at your door. New guests, repeat guests, and zero guesswork. For restaurants, this isn't discounting or deal chasing. You control what you offer, how it's redeemed, and when it's available. Shared Spirits helps turn online purchases into real butts in seats, giving guests a reason to choose your place next. It's especially powerful during slower periods, off nights, or as a way to introduce new guests to your bar program without changing your menu or compromising your brand. If you want a smarter way to bring people through the door, increase bar traffic, and create moments that convert into loyal regulars, Shared Spirits is worth a look. Meet your guests before they even walk in with Shared Spirits.

01:12:43Sign up at SharedSpirits.com. We don't know if they are having the worst day of their life. A lot of times, people won't tell you those things, but they're going to your establishment for an escape from that moment. The last thing that somebody with that mindset needs is an arrogant, you know, you're not ordering alcohol kind of mentality because we have no idea the mental state that people are in when they walk into the building. If you have a mentality that I'm going to do everything I can to make your experience amazing when you leave, you never know when you could just save somebody's entire day. That's kind of the fun part. You know when they're celebrating. You don't know when they're not and how much they need your hospitality.

01:14:03People have been down on somebody just yell at them in their car and they feel terrible, but I'm here and all of a sudden my day is completely changed because of what you were able to provide for me. That's a special moment that we in the service industry get. They don't always tell you and it's kind of too late if you go the opposite path towards the end of the meal, but if you can take that experience for somebody and make it amazing, it's pretty special because they'll usually tell you at the end of the meal. They usually go, you know what, today's been terrible. You've been amazing. I put my dog down today and you've really been, this is the thing I needed and that is better than any tip to me that I could ever get. Knowing that they're leaving there and I was able to salvage a really tough day for them and that I did something that was special for them. I think that's the mindset you've got to have going in, right? Yeah, I think so. Like I was saying at the beginning, we talked about how when I would sit at the restaurant and just observe everything and I think I was very lucky to have that unique perspective of being able to just sit in a restaurant. I still love to just people watch. I always do it, but I think I was very lucky to have that perspective from a young age where I would just sit there and be like, everybody's just going through their own lives and their own things. Like you said, we don't know what that person at the bar is thinking or how their day went or what that couple over there has been. You just never know, right? Maybe they're talking about getting married or maybe they're talking about- They just had a miscarriage.

01:15:43A miscarriage, right? And so there's like these just little, again, it comes down to the little details and just recognizing. Like you said earlier too, it's just like it feels good to help someone feel good whether they were feeling really badly or already feeling great. If you can just bring them up to that next level of maybe not happiness, but maybe just like helping them crack a smile today or whatever the case. I really think that if more people were hospitable, not just in the restaurant industry, I think it would just, at the risk of sounding a little corny, it would be a better world. The world would be a better place. So I think hospitality applies everywhere. Be kind, people. That's what it's about, right? Yes, it is. All right. Well, Merlina, it's been an absolute pleasure talking with you and thank you again for coming on the show. I think that we don't talk enough about some of these just general standards and mindsets that it takes. This is a hard business. It's a hard business and nothing goes as planned. There's always curveballs and I think if you're a seasoned veteran, you're ready for the curveballs. You know that they're coming and so they kind of roll off your shoulders a little bit. Being kind to your guests and being kind to each other at work means everything and it will make your shift go so much better. It's not always possible.

01:17:21I mean, there's always extenuating circumstances, but I just think a quick refresher where we just kind of talk about this has been good and I really appreciate you taking the time to do it with me today. It's my pleasure. My pleasure. Thank you so much for inviting me on and for having me. It was just great to connect with somebody who's so passionate about it as well because I just love talking about this stuff and you said it yourself, I don't think it gets talked about enough, especially lately. So yeah, it was really a pleasure chatting with you. Well, please go follow her. She is at F-O-H-ology. That's literally F-O-H-O-L-O-G-Y. Is there a dash in it? It's just F-O-H-ology. Go follow her. She has these 60 second videos, maybe a little longer, maybe a little shorter, but it just highlights some really good basic and complex things when it comes to service and how you're serving your guests. Definitely a great follow. I love your content. Thank you. Keep it up and we'll check in with you again. I'll be following you and liking and commenting and all of the things and keep doing great work, Merlina Rodas.

01:18:36Thank you so much, Brandon. I really appreciate you. I'll keep you posted on Unreasonable Hospitality as I move through the book as well. Yes, definitely do so. And then go check out, we had Will on the show. I will, yeah. March of like point two. We have so many episodes. I was looking through them. I'm like, oh my God, I want to listen to half of these. Well, you go back and do that. And hang tight because I want to take a photo of you on here because I have to have some cover art. Yeah, sounds good. Merlina Rodas, thanks again. Thank you. All right. Big thank you to Merlina Rodas for joining us here on the podcast. Hopefully that was informative and fun. I know I had a good time. She had never listened to the podcast before, didn't know anything about it. So if there's stories you heard in there that I told that you've heard a bunch of times because you're a regular listener, I am sorry, but hey, you know what? All of this stuff is really good refreshers. Focusing on service is a big deal and we get in the grind every day. And sometimes it's nice just to go, yeah, you know what? That first initial, even when people are making the reservation, if it's difficult to make a reservation, that is the first friction. Frictionless experience is what we're shooting for.

01:19:48Again, big restaurant show coming up in three days. Did not mention Justin Cook will be there. He is an EOS facilitator. And if you don't know what that is, that is the Entrepreneurial Operating System. This is leadership development, your entire team, how you operate. The best restaurants in this town run on EOS. And I'm telling you, you need to go by Justin Cook's booth and set up a 90-minute conversation with him. He is absolutely amazing. Matthew Clements from Robbins Insurance will be there. I don't care who you use for insurance. It is free to get a quote. Stop by, give him your information, let him give you a quote. That is free money. Save it. Insurance is going up and he writes the most insurance for society. They have a bunch of other brands that they work with. He can save you money and it's always good to have a guy who does a fantastic job. Somebody else who's going to be there is Christine Miles. She is with The Repeat Guest. The Repeat Guest is an absolutely amazing company. She takes the guests that you currently have and helps you specifically market to them. All these chains are doing this. She helps independent restaurants do that. Another Christine that is going to be there is Christine Wheatley with Distillworks. She works on SEO optimization as well as your websites. She's absolutely amazing and she's going to be there too. We're going to have a couple of THC brands. We're going to have North Canna is going to be there. North Canna does just amazing things. Their prickly pear and lime THC drinks are really, really good. We're also going to have Wild THC. Andy Herrera is going to be there and he has been such an amazing supporter of NARA and National Restaurant Radio. We are just absolutely in love with what Wild does. They're like the largest THC brand out there. They've got gummies. He will have lots of samples so you will be able to get your THC on at our event. Of course, I'm going to finish off with Supersource.

01:21:51Jason Ellis, he's one of those guys. Tons of NARA members already use him. He is the best for dish machine and chemicals. Everybody loves him. You've heard him on the show a ton of times when I have restaurant owners in here talking about, hey, they see the Supersource behind me and they go, hey, we love Supersource. Jason Ellis is the best, man. If you don't feel that way about your current dish machine and chemical person, come to the show, meet Jason. He usually brings his wife and daughters and the whole thing. It's been absolutely a family thing. He cares about what you do. I'm just excited to see all of you give lots of hugs, shake lots of hands and introduce you to some of the greatest brands from people who actually care about your restaurant. We will have a couple of brokers there. Joseph's Gourmet Pasta. We're going to have Southern Seasonings will be there. B&A Brokers will be there. Lots of people, guys. It's just going to be an absolute blast. We look forward to seeing you. Thank you again to our title sponsor, Pepsi, and we hope that you are being safe out there. We'll see you on Tuesday. Love you guys. Bye.