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Life of an entrepreneur, restaurateur and hotelier gives his advice to other business owners
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And I'm right now I'm so glad you're with us -- because.
You keep opening restaurants in the midst of what supposed to be an economic downturn.
Just before we used we zone in on all your -- is what what do you think is making it work.
Just great service and great quality you know there's an opportunity everybody has beaten.
And if you do it right in the lineup and couldn't wait let me get in.
-- bit the -- -- businesses so fickle though isn't it I mean here today gone tomorrow I love your place today -- -- ever go again the next day like.
What gives -- restaurant staying power.
Well I think if you don't nine out of ten restaurants are bad because they shouldn't.
The people running them shouldn't be running them they think you know my mother had a great lasagna recipe -- her spaghetti was a wonderful therefore I should open a restaurant but.
For so many more levels are running a great restaurants they're just having a few recipes in your pocket and and that's why I think you see such -- high failure rate but if you really understand the business.
That accord equality this service -- you can get all those lined up.
You know I just open another restaurant three days ago and I had a line literally 200 people are gonna get in so if you do the right concept.
And the right look there there there are customers out there.
I think it's not about the strands -- am I correct.
You are -- -- Manhattan Beach, California now and mid cap.
California here area right it it is a lot of restaurateur to open Doug and you know -- -- -- restaurant -- men and in New York City.
Manhattan Beach, California seems to be -- little stomping ground could you open a bunch right in that same area have you not Redondo Beach.
I mean you got a bunch down the street and house of course is.
Your most recent but you know -- fish there's -- -- -- now all kind of close to each other how -- work.
Well well we have most restaurants in Manhattan Beach with -- -- -- fish brand have reached out to LA live which is at Staples Center with.
The ED groups I did when there and -- I just did one in buy in Laguna Beach which is a couple hours south of LA.
What's so for the most part there -- there yet they're all in LA yeah I think so are you steal from your own clients.
No actually I did that's -- try not to do you wouldn't know by walking into a rock and fish or a mucho Rasheed Hotel.
That any of these are owned by the same guy make them all so different from the the alcohol to the beer to the food to the -- -- -- core you would know I on the mall.
That's interesting so totally totally different -- -- notion of creating a brand didn't repeating that -- brand over and over and over again -- just doing it totally different.
That way you get everybody -- -- with mucho -- Mexico on -- you got the Mexican side He got -- can -- now Nelson -- a rock and fish in Laguna Beach.
And now the -- entirely different so you just thinking.
If I put all little -- turns out and get everybody in Manhattan Beach at some point.
Well you know I just have a winning formula you know I try to really surround myself.
With great people you know I think that Ronald Reagan approach and I hire great management great vice presidents and they all make me look good every day and now I've been able to take that for -- and put it didn't a different concept so.
From my hotel I -- I never knew anything about a hotel.
And when I appreciate hotel won the top 100 hotels in the world by -- lost my first year out so if you really apply that hard work and effort.
You can be successful in any business.
Why is that -- you think because you you -- You understand the business I'd see a mean you made a great point it just could -- have a good recipe doesn't mean you have a good restaurant you need that business acumen as well so.
Is that something that you've honed over the years as well I mean -- you actually cook do.
No I don't cook I don't grow -- -- grow tomatoes that.
I cook I cook a little -- barbecue at home but I'm I'm quite a gourmet my brother and I.
We travel the world He did all the great restaurants and you know Chicago and New York San Francisco we go to Europe once a year so we do we we know food.
And we just kind of bring it down to a level that's a little bit more approachable you know.
I would love -- -- of my favorite restaurant in the whole world this French laundry but I would never open a French laundry that's just.
That's a hard business to run and there's a very.
You know maybe one point 1% of 1% would would -- French laundry and and Thomas Keller is nailed that but I've come up with something that's a little bit more of mainstream.
With those types of those types of menus.
You say he's around -- -- which -- interesting is Ron Reagan and always said you know.
Government has to stay out of my house my business my everything how is this whole economy and political turmoil affected business and the decisions -- -- -- Well you know there's definitely been decisions.
You know I'm building a new hotel right now and I've slowed it down a little bit trying to wait for the economy to turn and I think that'll happen eventually -- a few years I don't think it'll happen overnight I think it'll take.
You know a lot of will from the people to change that that that government I think that governments just.
Look the red tape to open a restaurant is ridiculous I can't tell you the agencies that I had to deal with over the last two weeks to get a restaurant over open from.
The state for an elevator inspection this one guy can keep me from opening a restaurant.
And if I -- -- that inspection I would had to wait five more weeks while before I can open my restaurant that's scary when when the government has that kind of control over you so.
From the Health Department to the -- -- there's so much bureaucracy and in in in America not not to mention just Los Angeles.
But I'm able to have jumped to those troops there a lot of hoops on the hook jumper -- -- Bernard -- honey you're a year I've been in the business now since basically 2000.
How what is -- for you I mean have been regulations gotten worse as the red tape gotten worse what do you seen.
Over these years.
You know I got to say it's it always gets worse there was there was one nice time when workers' comp was like way out of control here in California.
And Arnold Schwarzenegger was able to turn that around.
But you know bottom line is there's so much insurance somewhat frivolous lawsuits I mean I gotta tell you -- spend half my time on the restaurant floor the other half the time in the courthouse.
So you know there's always somebody suing you for some issue -- You know coastal commission.
Fishing game I mean there's just so much bureaucracy I have to fight it every day and night and then at the end of the day I have to work the floor with a real positive attitude because.
You know -- you put out to be guess what makes them wanna come back over and over again --
