On this episode of the Growing with Purpose podcast, host Paul Spiegelman talks with Dan Sachs, a professor at DePaul University Kellstadt School of Business, where he teaches classes on Restaurant Entrepreneurship and Service Leadership. Dan is also the founder and owner of the BIN36 restaurant and wine brand. Recently, Dan published his first book, The Million Dollar Greeting: Today’s Best Practices for Profit, Customer Retention, and a Happy Workplace.
Dan Sachs started out with a push broom on the factory floor of his dad's manufacturing business. Not long after, he started working at Union Square Cafe, one of the restaurants owned by the famed, purpose-driven restaurateur Danny Meyer. Dan's time at the restaurant made a huge impact on him: the owners genuinely cared about each and every employee, and Dan felt inspired to treat every customer that walked in the same way. When Dan went on to open his own restaurant in Chicago years later, he took the same principles he learned there and used it to build a high-end, informal restaurant experience that people would love. Today, Dan is taking his lessons learned building a service-oriented, purpose-driven hospitality business and teaching it to students, emerging entrepreneurs and peers in his field.
In this episode, learn Dan's principles for building a great culture and why he believes it to be universal across industries. Plus, hear Paul and Dan discuss Paul's own recent venture into the restaurant business and Dan's practical advice for building a sustainable business in the tough restaurant industry.
Tune in to Dan's story below:
Show Notes:
[3:00] Starting Out on the Factory Floor
[6:28] Developing Consistency in Hospitality
[11:08] Creating a High-End, Informal Experience
[17:28] Is Customer Service Universal?
[21:16] The Competing Factors Against Culture
[25:44] Build a Community with a Clear Vision
Books that Influenced Dan's Leadership:
Setting the Table by Danny Meyer