Problems at EMP, The Bear, Changes at Momofuku Ko and My LA Meetup
28.2022 Edition
Editor: Justin Khannaβ
Hey Reader,
Yes, I watched The Bear on Hulu. I hope you have, too!
In fact, I made a 45+ minute breakdown of the first 2 episodes on YouTube and the response has been WILD. But not with the results I anticipated:
- I submitted the video to r/thebear on Reddit and it's one of the most up-voted posts on the almost 3,000 person subreddit.
- I'm approaching 1,000,000 views on the clips that I've posted on my TikTok about the show.
- I'm ranked #1 on YouTube when you search "The Bear Hulu"
I was coming off of a week of inspiring talks at Craft + Commerce in Boise and just decided to carve out time to make it. The conference was a weekend full of advice to serve-the-audience, identify high-leverage-opportunities, and pursue growth.
We live in a world with permission-less options. I could've watched the show and just made a post on my IG story with a funny quip or witty comment. Instead, I saw an opportunity that aligned with my perspective and skill-set, and now I've 10x'd my following on TikTok (from 200 to 2,000 in just a week).
This post isn't to brag (even though I'm pretty stoked on the results so far), but rather to push you to think bigger with your output this week. It can be lonely to pursue something you care about, and for those of us that thrive with external motivation, it's often difficult to push yourself.
One way this might look is to take the project you're working on and ask: what would be required to see 2x or 5x or even 20x the results?
If you had to bring in double the revenue this weekend, what would you do?
If you had to sell out of tickets to your pop up in 2 days vs 10, what would you change?
If you had to write 20 new dishes instead of just 1, how would you approach it?
Inside your answers are lessons π
PS - Next step is to get Matty Matheson to notice me π
Top Highlights π‘
βMomofuku Ko Ditches No-Tipping Model β
βMomofuku Ko in the East Village put an end to service-included pricing. The set menu will remain at $280, but since that price will no longer be inclusive of gratuity, dinner will now cost $361 after tax and tip.
Ko has hiked back of the house wages by about 15 percent to roughly $25/hour, too. The developments at Ko are tied to larger company efforts to improve its suite of benefits, which includes four-day work schedules, parental leave, and the possibility of sabbaticals.
James Parry, vice president of restaurant operations at the group says Koβs front-of-the-house hiring has been the βmost challengingβ of any Momofuku restaurant, and that service staff turned over completely when no tipping went into effect in 2018. Parry also says that service-included pricing didnβt help much to bridge the gap between lower paid cooks and higher paid servers. The latter group also benefited from an optional gratuity line.
Our Take: It's through these experiments, executed at scale, in real-world environments, that we learn. Throwing around "hypotheticals" and "pipe-dreams" don't actually give actionable data. Business models are also drastically different from place-to-place, and the idea that "all restaurants should/shouldn't include tipping" might be too broad of a brush to paint with. As I've also shared before, "compensation" isn't always monetary, and it's great to see them including other employee benefits.
However, it's unclear how the numbers worked in the previous system. Was the additional revenue just logged as profit for the business? Why weren't back-of-house wages increased when service was included? What's the ratio of FOH to BOH at a place like Ko where chefs present & explain 80%+ of the menu at the counter?
It's frustrating to hear that the "pricing didn't help much to bridge the gap" in wages, because isn't operations partially responsible for managing that? In other words: if you raise menu prices, but don't raise wages for chefs, I wouldn't consider that an effective experiment.
If you work at Ko or have friends who work there, I'd appreciate the insight if you're willing/able to share!
βCheck out the video from my latest meal at Ko where the menu was $255, including serviceβοΈ
βNYC's Eleven Madison Park Went Vegan. Then, Things Fell Apart.β
After Chef Daniel Humm relaunched Eleven Madison Park with an entirely vegan menu, employees say that the restaurant has become a βshit showβ (article behind pay wall).
Employees are tired of long shifts, being yelled at, and low salaries. (While the vegan tasting menu cost $335, employees were paid $15 an hour as a commis, or junior prep cook.) 80-hour working weeks became the new norm. Overworked chefs also lacked support and proper meals.
All of these led to a new problem that Eleven Madison Park had never dealt with before- understaffing. New hires would burn out quickly and leave, and the restaurant struggled to get new staff members. Many employees also quit to work at βlesser restaurantsβ, because that allowed them to earn more money.
"It's probably never going to be the same restaurant as it was before, just because you can never rebuild that culture and get those people," - said a former employee.
Our Take: Oof, what a blow. It's difficult to not look to Daniel Humm in this scenario and ask questions. When leadership changes (his business partnership with Will Guidara formally ended in 2019), summits get reached (they achieved the #1 restaurant in the world ranking from World's 50 Best in 2017, never to be granted again after the change in 2019), and pressure to innovate from the industry at large continues to build, this change seems to have face-planted.
It weirdly is giving me Adam Neumann vibes with the lavash parties, drug use at work, "mission-driven" approach to a seemingly un-related goals, and not-okay treatment of staff while the owner walks around in designer clothes...
The question I'm asking from here is: what's Humm gonna do?
Does he rise to the occasion through this public embarrassment and have a "waking-up" moment to address the issues? Does he leave the helm entirely and fade into the background, hosting private dinners, becoming a consultant, or opening a wildly exclusive place? Will he dig his heels in even deeper?
Same deal with this story: If you work at EMP or have friends who work there, I'd appreciate the insight if you're willing/able to share!
Quick Hits π₯
βSpyderco Blunt-Tip Z-Cut - If you've been frustrated with your bread knife - allow me to suggest an alternative.
βHow Restaurants Can Win the Delivery-Only Game - Delivery-only menus are here to stay. Learn how to treat off-premises guests with the same level of care and attention as those who dine inside.
βWhat's Flynn McGarry Up to now? - How he went from "child chef" to navigating a restaurant through COVID.
ICYMI π€³
βHow to Actually Buy Time and Obtain Skills (at the Same Time)β
In this bonus episode, I share a mini-essay on 2 key mental models I used before starting Repertoire and how one decision snowballed it all. Special shoutout to Yusef and Jonny for this entertaining, yet insightful conversation! Listen to the audio-only version here, or watch the full episode on YouTube.
To Peep π
βComplete Prep Tool Set by Misenβ
Save $53 NOW - Found this wild discount that makes each piece less than $8. Some might not work great for professional gear sets, but a few of these pieces look great. They've got extra stuff on sale, too.
βAngler is Hiring a Chef-de-Cuisineβ
Would you folks like to see a "job opportunities" section of this newsletter? I'm torn between including one because...
π€On one hand: I want to share opportunities with you that I see on Culinary Agents, Instagram, or in email newsletters I follow.
βOn the other hand: I often don't know the culture of places (EMP story above), and these positions can often come and go quickly (don't wanna waste your time).
βI'm hosting an LA Meetup!
For those that missed it, I'm heading to LA for MAD's talk on July 18th. Before the event, I'd like to meet you if you're interested/available. I know it's not the most organized way to do this but I want to keep it small (probably 4-5 spots left) - send me a DM on IG saying that you'd like to come and I'll send you the details!
Quote I'm Pondering π
Thanks for reading,
πJustinβ
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