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that bar. The way we work together, the way we make decisions,         culture isn’t right, that’s a pretty crappy existence to go in everyday
         the way we are empowered or even encouraged to do what’s right         to work and feel like, why am I doing this? I opened this up because
         in the moment, that all comes from the culture. And ultimately, that   I loved socializing, I loved having people around, and I loved taking
         impacts the customer experience more than anything else in your        care of people and hospitality, and then every day starts to become
         brand. It impacts the creativity.                                      drudgery. So for me, when I was running my restaurants, I didn’t
                                                                                                                     want to go to work every
         Say you’ve got a team of                                                                                    day and think, this sucks,
         bartenders and they’re working                                                                              which is where culture to me
         with you on new products. If                                                                                really happened, was kind of
         they’re not engaged and excited                                                                             selfishly. I don’t want to go
         about new drinks that you’re                                                                                to work and think, wow, this
         making, you’re leaving stuff                                                                                isn’t fun to be here.
         on the table. They’re not as
         innovative or creative as they                                                                              I’m going to go spend a
         could be. Imagine someone in                                                                                ridiculous amount of hours.
         the kitchen who is cooking, but                                                                             Restaurant and bar people
         they’re not fully there. They’re                                                                            work a lot and work more
         not fully engaged. The food is                                                                              than a lot of other people
         not going to be as good as it                                                                               do. When people talk about
         could be.                                                                                                   a 40 or 50 hour work week,
                                                                                                                     it’s like, what is that? That’s
         Nick:                                                                                                       not what we have in this
         I definitely agree with you, and                                                                            industry. We work a lot more
         I tell people all the time that                                                                             than that, so the number one
         we could do everything to get                                                                               thing is selfishly, for myself
         customers in the door. You make                                                                             and for a lot of others out
         the best offer you can. However,                                                                            there, I didn’t want to go to
         if they have a bad experience when they come in or don’t get what they   work every day and think, wow, this sucks. So it impacts the climate
         expect when they come in, they’re probably not going to come back.     of what’s going on. It impacts little interactions. Do people say “Hi”
                                                                                to each other when they come in? Do people ask about each other?
         Mike:                                                                  Do people care to say, “It looks like you’ve got a handful. Let me
         And you’ve spent all this money. You’ve spent all this money           grab some of that” or “Let me help you with your table”? Because
         marketing and all this work just to get them to come in anyway, and    it’s like I’m looking out for you. We’re here together and we’re a
         now you’ve wasted all that, which is sad to see.                       family. And if you don’t have the right culture, that’s not happening.
                                                                                And so one, it makes you happier. It makes your life better and
         Nick:                                                                  more positive if you’re going to spend all your time there. It makes
         I’m glad we’re having this interview, because I’ve heard time and time   your team’s interactions more positive, which leads them to do
         again from so many different owners, even clients, “My staff won’t     more work with each other, which gives your customers a better
         listen to me. We try to do this, but they won’t follow through.” A lot of   experience, right?
         that also comes down to you being
         a leader, which I’m sure we’ll get into                                                               Nick:
         that, but let me ask you this. How            “The way we work together,                              Right. And so this is kind of a
         does culture impact the location, say         the way we make decisions,                              common sense question, I feel, but
         on a daily basis?                                                                                     I still want to ask it because I think
                                                       the way we are empowered or                             it’s good for certain people to maybe

         Mike:                                         even encouraged to do what’s                            relate to it. What’s the impact on
         So we’ve talked about the big                 right in the moment, that all                           customers with let’s say bad culture
         picture, the brands and all of that.                                                                  versus good culture?
         But on a daily basis, if you own              comes from the culture.”
         your own bar or restaurant, maybe                                                                     Mike:
         you’re there every day. It certainly affects you if every day is a     Sure. If you think about the bar experience, you go into a busy bar
         drag. If you come in and it’s like, this is miserable every day and the   – somebody has worked with you before, Nick – and they’ve got
         team doesn’t know what’s going on, the communication sucks, and        lots of people coming in, because all this stuff works to get people
         nobody is doing what they’re supposed to, that’s going to impact       in. So the bar is full and people are coming in. The moment when
         your life as an owner, as an individual and this is your life. And if the   someone at the bar or the bartender decides how to interact with





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