Discover the rewards and legitimacies of being a career server. Being a server is an extremely rewarding and fulfilling career and Paul shares his approach and secrets to leading a happy and profitable life as a server.

Paul C. Paz has been a professional career waiter and Hospitality Consultant since 1980. He authored the books Service At Its Best and The Professional Server. He’s served on the board of Directors for the Oregon Restaurant Association and was the President of the National Waiters Association. First and foremost, Paul is a professional waiter. When Paul isn’t tending to the needs of his guest, he manages WaitersWorld.com; an online community of career servers with the mission to elevate the status of waiters in America to a professional career level, a career of Choice offering UNLIMITED opportunity.

Listen to this episode and learn about using your power for good and why what you're doing doesn't matter unless you're doing the right things for others. Also, Matt Vannini will wrap up by dropping "The Top 5 things a restaurant should be doing to be successful."

Matt grew up in the restaurant industry and has been working in it for over 20. He has: owned, operated, and sold three award winning Italian restaurants; served as General Manager and Operations Mangers for Red Robins; and is an expert on restaurant management systems and technologies. Today, he serves as Founder and Partner of Restaurant Solutions, Inc. which provides operational and financial management systems and training for owners and managers of independent single and multi-unit restaurants around the country. On top of all this Matt serves as an Adjunct Professor for Johnson and Wales University.

Robert is an “old school” restaurant pro who came up in the business starting at age 14 in Chicago, Illinois. With a dual degree in Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management, Robert has worked for some of the best in the hospitality business. His Chicago experiences, in addition to working in memorable San Antonio restaurants left him with a love of comfort food well served that few in the industry can claim. Currently, Chef is serving as the Chef/Proprietor of the Magnolia Pancake Haus in San Antonio, Texas. Listen to this episode and learn about the power of listening to mentors, failing forward, leveraging technology, developing culture in your restaurant and being yourself! 

If you've been listening to Restaurant Unstoppable, by now you've picked up on how important it is to establish a positive and inspiring culture in your restaurant. Developing that culture of greatness all starts with creating an impactful mission statements and visions of the future.

But what happens when we're a part of a great operation that hasn't taken this vital step? Many of us may join a team as a supervisor or manager and its our job to enforce that positive culture. When those missions and visions are hazy, what are we to do? I suggest you be proactive and gather that information. Listen and I'll share how you can overcome such an issue! 

Listen today to find out how David uses his systems to help the independent business owner compete with chain restaurants. Chain restaurants have already made all their mistakes and created systems and processes to avoid them.  Davids system helps independents even the odds and avoid those costly mistakes.

Having grown up in his family's restaurant and catering business, David has an intimate understanding of the needs and challenges facing the independent restaurant operator. A graduate of Northeastern University, David has spent the majority of his life studying and refining the systems that make franchises so successful. Today, as the founder of Smile Button Enterprise and TheRestuarantExpert.com, his mission is to help the independent restaurant operator compete and thrive in the sea of franchise and chain restaurants with SMART systems that increase your profits, reduce your stress and actually allow you to have a personal life.

Jim got his start in the hospitality industry at the ripe age of 15, when he worked in a quick service operation. While in college, Jim improved upon his hospitality skills, by learning the role of server and bar tender. With a degree in accounting, he began to take on more technical, operational, and financial roles such as a restaurant manager, controller and CFO. Eventually, Jim practiced as a CPA and advisor to independent restaurants throughout the U.S. regarding operational, financial, cost control, and profitability issues. Today, with an abundance of wisdom and experience, Jim serves as Founder and Publisher at RestaurantOwner.com. RestaurantOwner.com is an incredible resource consisting of business plan templates, operating systems & procedures, checklist, training manuals, and webinars.

Jim is joining us on this Authority Thursday to discuss the 3 characteristics of successful independent restaurant owners.

Like last week, this week's Talking Tuesday is discussing Danny Meyer's Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business. In his book he shares "5 A's for effectively addressing mistakes." If used,  these 5 A's can help you convert unsatisfied guest into raving fans. Look, we all know that its a matter of time before someone makes a mistake; it happens. Mistakes make us human, its how we handle these mistakes, that that will define what type of human we are. When faced with mistakes, do not admit defeat and settle for an unhappy guest; choose to recognize a mistakes as an opportunity to take action and  show the world how freaking awesome your restaurant is. If  you arm yourself with the knowledge that failure isn't when you make a mistake, but instead, its when you fail to capitalize on the opportunities that come with the mistakes you made, you and your team, will become truly unstoppable.

Hailing from Boston, MA Chef Buonagurio got his experience the good old fashioned way; by working and learning from great mentors and getting his hands filthy dirty with experience. His past mentors include. Executive Chef Paul Callahan (past guest) and restaurateur Jason Santos. Now, armed with the experience he needs for success, Chef Buonagurio is KILLING IT at Parla located in Boston’s North End. Chef Callahan Said I had to talk to you.  

Credit card security is no joke, yet its funny how little restaurant professional know about EMV and what they'll be accountable for starting 10/15. Today we have an authority on restaurant technology, Jeremy Julian. He is going to break down what we need to know and provide us with 6 actions we can take that will ensure we'll be prepared when that October deadline hits. 

Its Talking Tuesday, and that means I'm going solo! Today we're talking about how to attract, hire, and keep great people; hands down one of the biggest challenges in this industry. The advice I'm sharing in this episode comes straight from the most recommended book on the show:  Setting the Table: The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business, by Danny Meyer. I shredded through his book with the mission of highlighting all the little bombs of knowledge I could find regarding attracting, hiring, and keeping great people. Two things will happen after listening to this episode: 1) you'll have a new outlook on hiring and training your staff, and 2) you'll be one step closer to becoming unstoppable.

Chef Callahan earned his Executive Chef title, the good old fashion way; with hard work, experience and by surrounding himself with incredible restaurant professionals. Along his journey he has worked at incredible restaurants like Sel de la Terre, L’Espalier, The Butcher Shop and Herb Lyceum. While at The Butcher Shop he honed his skills for charcuterie, and picked up Barbra Lynch’s business philosophy. Today, you can find Chef Callahan heading No.8 Kitchen & Spirits in Amesbury, MA, while doing what he loves; using all the senses incorporated with cooking, being true to the natural flavors of food and mentoring others.