560: Zane & Brandon Hunt on Treating Your Small Business Like a Big One

Zane and Brandon Hunt hail from Detroit, MI. They came to Austin, almost 10 years ago with the idea to open a pizza joint. In 2011 they started where they could, with a mobile food trailer they named Via 313 Pizza. Their vision was to offer the first Detroit style option outside of Detroit. It didn't take long for their native Detroit style pizza to take center stage within the Austin community. One trailer became multiple trailers and by 2014 the works to open their first brick and mortar location was in motion. Today. Via 313 operates 2 trailers and 3 brick and mortar locations.

Show notes… Favorite success quote or mantra:

"If you can't change your people, change your people. 

In this episode with Zane and Brandon Hunt, we discuss: 

• Approaching successful people asking to learn from them. You'll be surprised how many people are willing to share their knowledge.  
• Understanding that you do not need to be good at everything to run a successful business. You just need to know what you're good at and who is good at what you're not. 
• When scaling, offloading the things you're not good at or don't enjoy doing, first. 
• Why you need to do something if you expect people to invest in you. People don't invest in ideas. People invest in other people and what their capable of. Show people what you got. 
• Starting where you can, and scaling into your ultimate vision. 
• Creating your systems, processes and procedures while you're still small so you have something to scale into.  
• Matching your vision with a community and demographic that will support it.  
• Giving up responsibility to people who want it so you can create balance in your life. 
• Knowing your strengths and staying in your lane. 
• What you know where you're strong, look to other business owners to partner with.  

 

Today's sponsor:

EthicsSuite.com -provide a safe, secure, simple and anonymous communication channel between you and your employees to help you protect your hard-earned reputation and assets. Demonstrate to your team that you are committed to providing a workplace that operates with the highest ethical standards. Staying informed about important issues will help you resolve them internally before they spiral into larger, costly, or public problems.

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Knowledge bombs

1. Which "it factor" habit, trait, or characteristic you believe most contributes to your success?
   • Great food, attention to detail, and taking care of your people at all costs.
2. What is your biggest weakness?
   • Over expanding too fast.
3. What's one question you ask or thing you look for during an interview?
   • Hire your weakness. 
4. What's a current challenge? How are you dealing with it?
   • Staffing.
   • Higher pay. Don't ask, "What can you do for me?" Instead, ask, "What can I do for you?"
5. Share one code of conduct or behavior you teach your team.
   • Be truthful.
6. What is one uncommon standard of service you teach your staff?
   • Bring free ice cream to first time guest. 
7. What's one book we must read to become a better person or restaurant owner?
   GET THIS BOOK FOR FREE AT AUDIBLE.COM 
   1. Think and Grow Rich
   2. How to Win Friends and Influence People. 
8. What's the one thing you feel restaurateurs don't know well enough or do often enough?
   • Spend money on things that will help them make more money. 
9. What's one piece of technology you've adopted within your four walls of your restaurant and how has it influence operations?
   • Toast
10. 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?
    1. Do what makes you happy.
    2. Don't sweat the small things.
    3. Give it back to your community. 

Contact info:

via313.com

@via313

Thanks for listening!

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Huge thanks to Zane and Brandon for joining me for another awesome episode. Until next time!

 

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