Journal

Notes on the business of food

Essays on openings, food cost, kitchen systems, brand and hospitality — written from the pass, not from a textbook.

How to open a restaurant without burning your first year of cash

The order of decisions matters more than the decisions themselves. Here is the sequence I use with every new project.

Most kitchens do not have a pricing problem. They have a portioning, prep and purchasing problem.

Systems are not paperwork. They are the reason your Saturday looks like your Tuesday.

A strong restaurant is built in the kitchen, but a strong brand is built in people's minds.

Nobody recalls the garnish. They recall how they were treated in the first ninety seconds.