In This Episode
- Brennan shares insights from his 13-year restaurant industry experience, highlighting how owning a restaurant requires genuine passion and creativity – from menu design to team culture – though he notes that with pizza specifically, there are some natural limitations to innovation.
- Traditional brick-and-mortar restaurants face significant challenges, with Brennan discussing how some establishments are still struggling to profit after 4 years despite large initial investments ($500,000+ buildouts), leading him to prefer the more flexible popup/supper club model.
- Current restaurant industry trends show a shift toward collaboration between establishments (especially post-pandemic), though Brennan emphasizes the importance of being selective with partnerships and ensuring they have meaningful intentions behind them.
- Customer service remains crucial in the restaurant industry, despite the increasing presence of kiosks in fast-casual establishments, though Brennan notes that some customers seem less interested in personal interaction, often being absorbed in their phones during pickup.
- For those considering restaurant ownership, Brennan strongly advises seeking a second-generation restaurant space rather than building from scratch, maintaining proper systems (like POS), and ensuring you have adequate support staff – he credits his girlfriend’s help with menu development, design, and front-of-house operations as crucial to their popup’s success.
