Raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Jason Berkowitz is a hospitality veteran dedicated to team development and operational excellence. Jason credits his Psychology degree from Michigan State University for helping shape his unique approach to hospitality and team management.

His career spans more than 40 restaurant openings from fast-food to fine-dining. He's held a number of posts, including VP of Operations for Umami Burger and COO for Tocaya Organica. Today Jason serves as CEO and Founder of ArrowUp Training, a stylized safety, anti-harassment training and supervisory coaching n program for restaurants.

Check out Harri - Talent Technology Software for the Needs of Hospitality - as mentioned in today's episode!

Catch Jason's book Please Don't Sleep With The Host: And 49 Other Tips For Managing A Functional And Profitable Restaurant

Show notes…

Calls to ACTION!!!

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Favorite success quote or mantra:

"Show up. For your team. For yourself. The hustle is real."

In today's episode with Jason Berkowitz we will discuss:

Emphasis on community
Taking responsibility
The psychology of managing others
Going deep with training
The importance of empathy
Impose your values on those around you to be consistent in operations
Be humble
Keep kitchen work in perspective; you're not saving lives on the operating table
Give your team the tools and attitude to thrive and then get out of their way
Attention to detail in all aspects of the restaurant experience
Lean in and listen
Be yourself when dealing with guest, don't be fake
Take a step back and coordinate
Efficiency in the dining room
The restaurant is an art installation
Importance of confidence when leading
Quarterly reviews vs quarterly reviews
HR
Positives of online scheduling
Accountability
Being sustainable

Today's sponsor:

BentoBox empowers restaurants to own their presence, profits and relationships. The hospitality platform disrupts third-party services that come between the restaurant and the guest. BentoBox puts the restaurant first and offers tools that drive high-margin revenue directly through the restaurant’s website. BentoBox is trusted and loved by over 5,000 restaurants worldwide including Union Square Hospitality Group, Eleven Madison Park, Gramercy Tavern, Lilia and more.

Restaurant365 is a cloud-based, all-in-one, restaurant-specific accounting and back-office platform that seamlessly integrates with POS systems, payroll providers, food and beverage vendors. It generates accurate real-time reporting and analysis in user-friendly dashboards, facilitating immediate, data-driven decision making. Restaurant365 eliminates manual, error-prone processes and is designed to help restaurant businesses grow with functionality that helps optimize labor costs, reduce food costs and increase revenue.

P&G ProfessionalTM offers innovative total foodservice solutions featuring trusted brands such as Dawn® Professional, Cascade® Professional, Spic and Span® and Comet®. We are unique in that our total solutions are founded in customer and patron understanding, superior products that help save time and cut overall costs, and a five-star service group that is compensated based on customer satisfaction, not commissions. Visit www.pgpro.com for the latest information about P&G Professional's solutions and services.

Knowledge bombs

Which "it factor" habit, trait, or characteristic you believe most contributes to your success?
- "My energy" "use it like a tool, not a weapon."
What is your biggest weakness?
- "Get lost in the office. Need to be in the weeds more."
What's one question you ask or thing you look for during an interview?
- "Passion" Question about something they love
What's a current challenge? How are you dealing with it?
- California laws changing unexpectedly
Share one code of conduct or behavior you teach your team.
- Understanding
What is one uncommon standard of service you teach your staff?
- Be authentic, don't say things you don't mean
What's one book we must read to become a better person or restaurant owner?
GET THIS BOOK FOR FREE AT AUDIBLE.COM
- Traction: Get a Grip on Your business by Gino Wickman
- Please Don't Sleep With The Host: And 49 Other Tips For Managing A Functional And Profitable Restaurant
What's one thing you feel restaurateurs don't know well enough or do often enough?
- Side work sheets, addressing when things aren't being done properly
Name one service you've hired.
- Aaron Colby at Davis Wright Tremaine LLC Also, check out Episode 702 with Aaron Colby
- ArrowUp Training
What's one piece of technology you've adopted within your restaurant walls and how has it influenced operations?
- Harri - Talent Technology Software for the Needs of Hospitality
- Plate IQ - Automate Your Restaurant's Invoice Processing
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?
- Laugh first, laugh at yourself
- Hold the door open for people more often, literally and figuratively
- Say thank you more often

Contact info:

www.arrowuptraining.com

Email: jason@arrowcertificztion.com

Social handle: @jdberko

Thanks for listening!

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Huge thanks to Jason Berkowitz 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!

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