One Quick Question

This is a tough, competitive and demanding industry, so we asked a few pros to walk us through the hard part and get to success.

Parnell Delcham

co-founder, Ways & Means Oyster House in Huntington Beach, Calif. and Tigard, Ore.
(with additional locations set to open in 2019)

“One of the hardest parts of succeeding in the restaurant industry is that yesterday means nothing. My success has been more about now than yesterday. When I open a new restaurant, no one cares about what I did before. They care only about the success of the current restaurant. If a previous location is a success, that doesn’t mean the new one will be too, but it adds to our guests’ high expectations. This pressure is what motivates me to stay nimble and creative with every new project.”

Jason Bazdarich

chef/owner Speedy Romeo and Oxomoco, New York City

“The hardest part of being in this industry? Two words: human resources. Simply put, that’s it. The industry has changed a lot since I started and I feel like a bit the old man who says, ‘when I was in school I walked 10 miles there and back.’ Now it’s hard to fill spots. It’s competitive and not everyone wants to work their way up to a position. So we work hard to motivate the team and make them feel good about the work they do and the part they play in the strength of our brands and their success.”

William Reynolds

chef/owner New Buffalo Bill’s, New Buffalo, Mich. and former provost of City Colleges of Chicago’s Washburne Culinary Institute

“I started to say finding help is the biggest challenge, but it’s really more than that. It’s keeping people in their positions, interested in their work and on board with what we’re doing. There are great opportunities here to cross train and learn other functions, but convincing some workers to stick around and make that commitment is hard. They don’t see it as building a career. It’s as much about them not having a career plan or goals. I try to step in, support and help them see how this can work for them. When that works, it’s a great thing.