928: Katie Dixon Head Chef/Owner Birdhouse Cafe

Chef Katie Dixon is the Head Chef and owner at Birdhouse Cafe in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. When she was a kid, Katie was served "love on a plate" by her grandmother at large family gatherings where food was always the center of the proceedings. When she got older, she studied marketing and business in college. In 2015, Katie started Shine Cafe, a small health-conscious pop-up operating out of a Vitamin Shoppe. There she focused on meal prep and making sweet treats healthier. Today there are four Shine Cafe locations. In 2016 she was a contestant on Master Chef with Gordon Ramsey. Upon returning to Mississippi, she created Birdhouse Cafe. In 2017 she competed in The Next Food Network Star and finished in the top 5. She again returned and created Birdie's in Jackson, Mississippi. She has since taken on catering, in addition to teaching cooking classes. She has also just released her first book, titled Be Nourished: From My Heart To Your Table.

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!)

Favorite successes quote or mantra:

• "The wind is against the plane when it flies."

In this episode with Katie Dixon we will discuss:

• Being "scrappy" in this industry
• Meeting the needs of the customer
• Stay true to yourself
• The importance of travel
• Meal prep programs
• Being on Master Chef
• Keep it simple
• Mentors
• Meal prep best practices
• Catering
• Cooking classes

Today's sponsor:

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?
   • Gratitude
2. What is your biggest weakness?
   • Saying yes to everything
3. What's one thing you ask or look for when interviewing/growing your team?
   • A huge heart to see people succeed
4. What's a current challenge? How are you dealing with it?
   • Spreading myself too thin
5. Share one code of conduct or behavior you teach your team.
   • Always see the best in others
   • Make people feel better when they leave than when they arrived
6. What is one uncommon standard of service you teach your staff?
   • We employ people from the ARC - special needs adults
7. What's one book we must read to become a better person or restaurant owner?
   • The Art of Living by Epictetus
   • The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
   • 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?
   • Zoom call every day between all locations
9. What is one thing you feel restaurateurs don't do well enough or often enough?
   • Forget to slow down and reset
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?
    • Don't take anyone or anything for granted
    • Smile every day and remember the little things
    • Enjoy each day as if it's your last

Contact:

Instagram: @chefkatiedixon

Website: https://www.chefkatiedixon.net/

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 Katie Dixon 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!