Chef Rojas originates from El Paso, Texas and is a graduate of the Culinary Art Institute of Dallas. Rojas held numerous positions throughout restaurants in Florida, Nevada, and California before making his way to the Northeast. Today Chef Rojas Spearheads all things culinary as Chef Proprietor of Tallulah on Thames in Newport, RI, two Talulah Tacos, and multiple food carts.

Show notes…

Today’s Sponsor

Whats Your Purpose, or Your “WHY”?

Knowing that the people he rubs elbows with every day, are going to go on to do things that are better than what he is doing.

Your “It” Factors

• Curiosity
• Discipline
• Confidence

Career Challenge or Failure

• Chefs failure was in his first year running Tallulah on Thames. Chef failed to “listen to his restaurant”. He says that “If he listened to his restaurant better he would have been able to project that it was going to be a seasonal location, and that he would have needed to get creative to survive the slow seasons.”

Knowledge bombs

1. What advice do you have for funding a restaurant?

• Get experience so you can prove to those giving you money that you have the knowledge necessary to run a successful restaurant.
• Find a business partner who is strong where you are weak.
• SAVE YOUR MONEY!
• Be creative.
• Ask youself,  “What kind of life do I want to live?”

2. Success is so dependent on your people. Whats your advice on hiring, managing and retaining people.

• You’re only as good as your team, so you’ve got to do everything you can to make your team successful.
• Give your team the tools they need.
• Give quality time to you people.
• Find out what they’re good at and push them in that direction

3. What are some current challenges or industry challenges you see coming.

• Staffing. There is a higher demand for skilled workers than ever before, but the talent pools has stayed the same time.

4. How do you balance work and life?

• Find opportunity for running a more efficient restaurant even if it means listening to your line cooks idea on what could be done better.
• Delegate.

5. Recommended book?

• Art Culinaire– Best food and cooking magazine. Hardback. Quarterly. Oversize. The world’s greatest chefs. Food photos. Collectible.

6. Recommended tool or technology?

• Google Drive

7. With all the knowledge you have now, if you could go back in time and give your past self one piece of business advice, What would it be and why?

• Listen to your space

8. What is one question you think should be added to this interview?

• Whats your exit strategy?
• To develop a business that is so sustainable, it doesn’t matter if he’s there are not.

Contact Info

Email: JakeRojas@me.com

Thanks for Listening!

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Huge thanks to Chef Jake Rojas for joining me for another awesome episode. Until next time!

The post 217: Chef Jake Rojas | Do You Want To Be The Best Or Do You Want Like The Rest? appeared first on Restaurant Unstoppable.