The restaurant business demands more than culinary talent—it requires strong business acumen, effective systems, and a positive workplace culture to succeed in this challenging food service industry.
- Know your numbers: Track restaurant profit margins weekly and keep rent under 11% of sales while maintaining prime costs below 65%
- Document everything: Create restaurant operations systems and recipes that allow consistency and delegation
- Hire for character: Build a team of coachable people who align with your values to improve restaurant staff retention
Ever wonder what it REALLY takes to run a restaurant? (Hint: It’s not just about making tasty food!)
The latest episode of “Restaurant Talk” from Save Fry Oil brings together two amazing voices in culinary entrepreneurship. Chef influencer Waymond Wesley II (Chef Way) sits down with guest Susan Tung, the brains behind the successful Hanoi House restaurant. Their chat is packed with real-world advice on commercial kitchen management that anyone dreaming of opening a restaurant needs to hear!
Want to hear more stories and advice from the restaurant industry? Don’t miss the full episode of “Restaurant Talk” – where we get real about what it takes to be successful in the food service industry![Listen to the Full Episode]
Restaurant Business Plan: Family Roots and Industry Reality
Susan grew up watching her parents run a Chinese restaurant in small-town Ontario. Unlike fancy cooking shows, her parents didn’t use written recipes or track restaurant startup costs beyond rough guesses. They cooked “by feel” and worked incredibly hard. This pushed Susan to create a restaurant business plan that could actually run without her being there 24/7.
Restaurant Operations: Susan’s Top Success Tips
If you’re thinking about entering the food service industry, grab a notebook! Susan drops some serious knowledge on restaurant workflow efficiency:
- Know your food cost management from day one! Check your finances every week, not just monthly when it might be too late to fix problems.
- Keep your rent under control. Ideally, your restaurant profit margins depend on your rent being less than 11% of what you make.
- Watch your biggest costs. Your food costs and back-of-house operations combined should stay below 65%.
- Write everything down! Unlike her parents, Susan believes in documenting restaurant inventory control and systems so the restaurant doesn’t depend on just one person.
- Hire good people who can learn. Susan would rather invest in restaurant employee training for someone with great character who’s willing to learn than someone with tons of experience but a bad attitude.
- Build a positive workplace. As Susan puts it, “culture is what happens when you’re not there,” which is key to restaurant staff retention.
- Be clear about pay. Have a system where front-of-house management and kitchen staff can see how to earn more money as they grow.
Culinary Entrepreneurship: Chef Way’s Journey from Chef to Owner
Waymond isn’t just talking the talk—he’s walking the walk! He’s raised over a million dollars for his own restaurant startup costs and is learning the ropes of being a boss. His biggest challenge? Getting his kitchen team to recreate his fancy cooking techniques and dealing with the headache of staff not showing up (he once had FOUR people call out in one day!).
Restaurant Work-Life Balance: Beyond the Kitchen
Both Susan and Waymond get real about how running a restaurant affects your personal life. Susan tries to work only during daycare hours but admits she’s always mentally checking in on restaurant operations. They both talk honestly about the guilt of feeling like you’re never doing enough for everyone who needs you.
Menu Engineering: What’s Flying Off the Plates?
Curious what menu engineering success looks like at Hanoi House? Their beef pho is the runaway hit—comfort food that works any time of day. Coming in second are their garlic noodles, an American-Vietnamese mashup with thick noodles and a mouth-watering sauce.
About Save Fry Oil: Supporting Restaurant Success
This episode of Restaurant Talk is brought to you by Save Fry Oil, where we’re passionate about helping restaurants thrive. Our Frylow technology helps restaurant owners reduce oil costs and improve kitchen efficiency—because we know every dollar counts in this industry. Learn more about our mission and how we support restaurants like yours.
Want to hear more stories and advice from the restaurant world? Don’t miss the full episode of “Restaurant Talk” – where we get real about what it takes to succeed in the food service industry!
