953: Jesse and Scott Spellman Co-Owners of Utopia Bagels

Scott and Jesse Spellman are co-owners at Utopia Bagels. They are father and son, respectively. They have an additional co-owner as well, Anthony Panteleo, who is one of the original founders. Utopia Bagels was opened in 1981 in Whitestone, NY by Anthony and two other partners. Scott began working at the shop around 2010 and began a co-owner in 2013. They began by using the old world process of individually hand-rolling bagels, kettle boiling them, and baking them in their 1947 carousel oven. Today, Utopia Bagels is extremely popular, with lines out the door almost daily, over 62,000 Instagram followers, and wholesale. They can be found on Goldbelly, and exclusively on Uber Eats for delivery.

Unstoppables! Please consider taking this survey about our listener demographics so that we can better determine how to best serve our listeners. Less than 10 simple questions. Here is the link: CLICK HERE

Show notes… Calls to ACTION!!!

• Join Restaurant Unstoppable Network and get your first 30 days on me!  Connect with my past guest and a community of superfans.
• Subscribe to the Restaurant Unstoppable YouTube Channel
• Join the private Unstoppable Facebook Group
• Join the email list! (Scroll Down to get the Vendor List!)

Favor success quote/mantra:

• Hands on. Do it today and not tomorrow. Quality first."

In this episode with Jessie and Scott Spellman we will discuss:

• Wholesale
• Partners
• Bagels
• Helping employees grow
• Expansion
• Catering
• The best practices of building a following on Instagram
• Goldbelly

Today's sponsor:

At Popmenu, we know that in today’s world, a great hospitality experience usually begins online. Keeping the conversation with guests going beyond the meal also requires simple, powerful, fun technology capable of expression through all kinds of channels. Our team takes pride in helping restaurants put their best foot forward digitally so they can focus on what they do best. We think PDF menus are super boring, we believe 3rd party platforms have had too much say in how consumers find their next dining experience and we deeply feel that sharing your beautiful menu doesn’t have to be so difficult, time-consuming and expensive. As a listener of the Restaurant Unstoppable, you'll receive $100 off your first month of Popmenu!

Join the 60-day Restaurant Systems Pro FREE TRAINING. This is something that has never been done before. This 60-day event is at no cost to you, but it is not for everyone. Fred Langley, CEO of Restaurant Systems Pro, will lead a group of restaurateurs through the Restaurant Systems Pro software and set up the systems for your restaurant. During the 60 days, Fred will walk you through the Restaurant Systems Pro Process and help you crush the following goals: Recipe Costing Cards; Guidance in your books for accounting; Cash controls; Sales Forecasting(With Accuracy); Checklists; Budgeting for the entire year; Scheduling for profit; More butts in seats and more… Click Here to learn more.

Knowledge bombs

1. Which "it factor" habit, trait, or characteristic you believe most contributes to your success?
   • Hands on
   • Time Management
2. What is your biggest weakness?
   • Shooting for the stars
   • Taking on too much at once
3. What's one thing you ask or look for when interviewing/growing your team?
   • Simple things should come quickly
4. What's a current challenge? How are you dealing with it?
   • Keeping growth going
5. Share one code of conduct or behavior you teach your team.
   • Cleanliness
   • Make the person next to you better
6. What is one uncommon standard of service you teach your staff?
   • We get your order correct
7. What's one book we must read to become a better person or restaurant owner?
   • Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson
   • GET THIS BOOK FOR FREE AT AUDIBLE.COM 
8. What's one piece of technology you've adopted within your restaurant walls and how has it influence operations?
   • Egg mixer, tape machine, conveyor belt
9. If you got the news that you'd be leaving this world tomorrow and all memories of you, your work, and your restaurants would be lost with your departure with the exception of 3 pieces of wisdom you could leave behind for the good of humanity, what would they be?
   • Be true to yourself
   • Love what you do
   • Don't put off anything to tomorrow if you can do it today

Contact:

Instagram: @utopiabagels

Website: utopiabagelsny.com

Thanks for listening!

Thanks so much for joining today! Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post.

Also, please leave an honest review for the Restaurant Unstoppable Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them.

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates.

Huge thanks to Jesse and Scott Spellman for joining me for another awesome episode. Until next time!

Restaurant Unstoppable is a free podcast. One of the ways I'm able to make it free is by earning a commission when sharing certain products with you. I've made it a core value to only share tools, resources, and services my guest mentors have recommend, first. If you're finding value in my podcast, please use my links!