913: Rodrigo Souza Chef/Owner of Comeketo Brazilian Steakhouse

Rodrigo Souza is Chef/Owner of Comeketo Brazilian Steakhouse and Virtual Kitchen Hall. Originally, Rodrigo is from Brazil. When Rodrigo was in his late teens, his mother was worried that he'd get involved with the wrong crowd. To avoid this she shipped him up to Massachusettes. Upon his arrival, Rodrigo got straight to working in the restaurant industry before joining the US Military. After his service, Rodrigo was approach with the opportunity to be someone's exit strategy and to take over a turn key operation. With this, in 2009, Comeketo was born. Comekito has since relocated, going from a small counter service restaurant to a much larger, full service restaurant in Leominster, MA. Check out RestaurantSystemsPro as mentioned in today's episode. Today’s feature affiliate: Bentobox. In need of a restaurant website? Click this link to find out why so many of my guests use Bentobox! 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 success quote or mantra: "Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, don't sit at home and think about it. Go out there and get busy." In this episode with Rodrigo Souza we will discuss: Text communication in the workplace Immigrating to the US from Brazil Learning English while working as a server in the US Fundraising to buy an existing business When your business partner walks out on the first day Early-on DIY Facebook marketing Creating a business plan How to educate your community and guests about your particular cuisine Getting a second location Virtual kitchens Ghost kitchens How to hype a restaurant grand opening Today's sponsor: At Popmenu, we know that in today’s world, a great hospitality experience usually begins online. Keeping the conversation with guests going beyond the meal also requires simple, powerful, fun technology capable of expression through all kinds of channels. Our team takes pride in helping restaurants put their best foot forward digitally so they can focus on what they do best. We think PDF menus are super boring, we believe 3rd party platforms have had too much say in how consumers find their next dining experience and we deeply feel that sharing your beautiful menu doesn’t have to be so difficult, time-consuming and expensive. As a listener of the Restaurant Unstoppable, you'll receive $100 off your first month of Popmenu! 7shifts is a modern labor management platform, designed by restaurateurs, for restaurateurs. Effectively labor management is more important than ever to ensure profitability and restaurant success. Trusted by over 400,000 restaurant professionals, 7shifts gives you the tools you need to streamline labor operations, communicate with your team, and retain your talent. Best of all 7shifts integrates with the POS and Payroll systems you already use and trust (like Toast!) turning labor into a competitive advantage for your business. Restaurant Unstoppable members get 3 months, absolutely free. Real hospitality and restaurant industry veterans, the My Restaurant CFO team understands the daily frustrations restaurant owners experience managing their establishments. By partnering to create a custom solution, we streamline your flow of financial information, create a clear picture of your overall financial health, use your historical data to forecast your financial needs, and suggest ways to cut costs and increase revenue. My Restaurant CFO - Let us help you achieve your goals. Knowledge bombs Which "it factor" habit, trait, or characteristic you believe most contributes to your success? Persistence What is your biggest weakness? Believing in people more than they believe in themselves What's one thing you ask or look for when interviewing/growing your team? Ask for three things they are good at and others say they are good at Ask for three areas of opportunity Stress the importance of good people behind the product What's a current challenge? How are you dealing with it? Labor Share one code of conduct or behavior you teach your team. Selfless servers, help people without thinking you're going to get a big tip What is one uncommon standard of service you teach your staff? Integrity, do the right thing even when you're not being watched What's one book we must read to become a better person or restaurant owner? Traction: Get A Grip On Your Business by Gino Wickman Profit First: Transform Your Business From A Cash-Eating Monster To A Money-Making Machine by Mike Michalowicz GET THIS BOOK FOR FREE AT AUDIBLE.COM  Name one service you've hired. Accounting - Spinelli CPA What's one piece of technology you've adopted within your restaurant walls and how has it influence operations? RestaurantSystemsPro 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? Integrity Hard work Aim to be a little bit better every day Contact info: Instagram: @comeketo_brizilian_steakhouse Facebook: @Comeketo 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 Rodrigo Souza 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!