San Francisco Examiner’s Post

There’s this restaurant my family loves that serves only two things… French fries and ice cream. I know what you’re thinking — it’s not the most intuitive combination — but hear me out: creamy and sweet, crispy and salty. When you bring them together in one basket, you get the benefits of both worlds. My dining experience fits the definition of “boundary spanner,” a term I came across during my dissertation literature review and immediately identified with. It’s the idea that there are university researchers and there are practitioners in the field, each with their own area of expertise. And as a consultant and an action researcher, I function as an intermediary between the two: • I make academic research more accessible for practitioners. • I bring the reality of the practitioners’ work and ideas to academia. While their worlds connect, sometimes they need a helper in the middle. This is a big part of why I am on the board of the Network for Research and Jewish Education. I see myself as a boundary spanner of academic and practitioner spaces. In Fryce Cream terms, I’m the basket that brings the fries and ice cream together. If you’re in Nashville, let’s go together — it’s brilliant. #teaching #leadership #education

Here’s Where Your Political Leaders Dine Across Manhattan

One of our incredible leaders, Rose Ann Garza, discussed her career journey, experiences, invaluable insights, and the impact that she has had as a member of our Kerbey Lane Cafe family with SHRM! Check out the article here: https://lnkd.in/d-mdKaN8

Chicago People Leaders - check this out 👇

The closure of City Club Raleigh after 45 years marks the end of an era for private and social dining clubs in downtown - it is happening all across America. While COVID played a role in business challenges, the broader decline of private dining clubs stems from various factors. The rise of for-profit restaurants in downtowns has reduced the demand for exclusive dining venues like private clubs. Keeping up with innovative dining entrepreneurs, including The James Beard Foundation winners, poses a significant challenge for traditional clubs that require periodic refreshing, demanding substantial investments. Moreover, the reputation and negative perception of discrimination have plagued many private dining clubs, contributing to their decline. Fortunately, City Club of Raleigh has been free of the discrimination issues. Transitioning from this setback, the City Club's space will now be occupied by the growth-focused law firm Smith Anderson, symbolizing a move forward for Downtown Raleigh. Raleigh's proactive efforts in reinvigorating the Fayetteville Street District post-COVID reflect a promising future. Source: [WRAL](https://lnkd.in/eKaATQj3) Highwoods Properties Downtown Raleigh Alliance Avison Young | US Capital Markets WRAL #PrivateDining #UrbanRevitalization #DowntownRaleigh #PostCovidLife #Investments #FayettevilleStreetDistrict #DiningClubs #RestaurantIndustry

Last month, our industry reached a significant milestone 🎊 . The recent law allowing direct-to-consumer delivery of spirits in New York is a major win for our industry. This victory wasn’t achieved overnight—it’s the result of years of collaboration, persistent advocacy, and strategic partnerships driven by the New York Distillers Guild and its allies. For distillers, this new opportunity means greater consumer reach and business growth. Moreover, this success highlights something bigger: THE POWER OF COLLECTIVE EFFORT. As a member of the New York Distillers Guild, you’re not just part of an organization—you’re part of a movement that amplifies our industry's voice, influences policy, and opens doors for everyone. Together, we’ve shown what’s possible, and there’s still more to achieve. Want to be a part of this progress? By joining the Guild, you’re aligning yourself with the future of New York spirits. Let’s continue to build on this momentum and shape what comes next. Join us, and let’s keep pushing forward—together.

I will start this with a disclaimer that I am not a huge fan of Red Lobster. However, I find this an intensely interesting case study. While the blame for their financial woes has been thrown only at the pervasive "all you can eat shrimp" promotion, the company was already on the decline when it decided to make this a staple menu item. I believe that the crux of the issue was a July 2014 sale of property owned by Red Lobster that netted them $1.5 billion. It also gave them a permanent rent cost that did not exist before that time. Rent costs that they most likely could not control and increased over time. In fact, by 2023 the rent cost was $200 million for the year. Comparing that to the $11 million lost from the shrimp promotion, it seems clear what the real culprit was. I suppose it may not have been an issue had the money been put back into the company. Instead, they went for asset stripping even though this strategy had destroyed other companies (Sears for example). I am interested to see how this new CEO will create a plan to address the bigger issues at the company. Though I'm sure the shrimp will be missed. #CaseStudy #RedLobster #AssetStripping (Source: NBC News - https://lnkd.in/eqzf5K2i )

Is here the right place to write an essay about octopuses, John Steinbeck, optionality and what leaders can learn from old school Italian restaurateurs?