723: Jason Dady on Scaling Organically & Opening a Restaurant With $50K

Nebraska native and Texan raised, Jason Dady has deep roots in the restaurant industry. He studied Hospitality Management and culinary in Texas and California respectively. After graduating he sharpened his skills in Napa Valley before returning to TX where he opened his first restaurant, The Lodge Restaurant of Castle Hills in 2001.  When one restaurant wasn’t enough to hold all of his ideas, Chef Dady opened a second in 2004. Today, Chef Dady's Restaurants include Tre Trattoria at the San Antonio Museum of Art,  Two Bros BBQ Market and sister restaurant, Alamo BBQ Co, B&D Ice House, The Range, and Chispas Tacos and Margs.

Check out the book Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine by Michael Michalowicz as mentioned in today's episode!

Check out episode 437 with David Scott Peters about Menu Engineering as mentioned in today's episode.

Show notes… Calls to ACTION!!!

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Favorite success quote or mantra:

• "Make it happen and finish strong."

In today's episode with Jason Dady we will discuss:

• Hard work equals sacrifice
• Chef competition
• Work-life balance
• Learning through your treatment how NOT TO treat your team
• Chefs starting out in FOH
• Standing up to bad management
• Respect and dignity in the kitchen
• The energy you bering to your workplace
• Should you attend culinary school?
• Menu engineering
• Financials in the restaurant
• Accountability
• Opening a restaurant at 24 years old
• Business partnerships with family
• Organic scaling
• Do not believe projections on paper
• COVID-19

Today's sponsor:

 

QuickBooks for Restaurants a Bookkeeping and Accounting Guide. The back-office restaurant accounting guide you’ve been searching for! Zac covers the accounting fundamentals, including sales tracking, purchasing, bill paying, invoicing, managing day-to-day liabilities, gift certificate tracking, cash management, detailed reporting, and more. Ultimately, Zac show owners and operators how to create the accurate financials and reporting that will enable them to make better informed, data-driven decisions.

Toast - A POS built for restaurants by restaurant people Adapt fast with Toast's cloud-based restaurant POS system that updates to evolve your POS along with changing industry trends and guest expectations. Toast is built exclusively for restaurants of all shapes and sizes, with over 2/3 of our employees having restaurant experience to serve you better. Online Ordering - Let guests easily order directly from your restaurant for pickup or contactless delivery to keep revenue flowing during these uncertain times. Toast Delivery Services Dispatch local drivers through an on-demand network to keep your community fed and revenue coming in.

 

Knowledge bombs

1. Which "it factor" habit, trait, or characteristic you believe most contributes to your success?
   • Drive
2. What is your biggest weakness?
   • Trust
3. What's one question you ask or thing you look for during an interview?
   • What's the best meal you've ever had?
4. What's a current challenge? How are you dealing with it?
   • Finances - COVID exposes this
5. Share one code of conduct or behavior you teach your team.
   • Ask for help
6. What is one uncommon standard of service you teach your staff?
   • Over-season
7. What's one book we must read to become a better person or restaurant owner?
   • Tools for Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers by Tim Ferriss
   • GET THIS BOOK FOR FREE AT AUDIBLE.COM 
8. What's one thing you feel restaurateurs don't know well enough or do often enough?
   • Take time off
9. Name one service you've hired.
   • Haute in Texas - Aquila Mendez - social media photography
10. What's one piece of technology you've adopted within your restaurant walls and how has it influenced operations?
    • Toast POS delivery systems
11. 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 genuine
    • Find a hobby
    • Party

Contact info:

www.jasondady.com

Thanks for listening!

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Huge thanks to Jason Dady for joining me for another awesome episode. Until next time!

 

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