The Heart Cut’s Post

I've told the stories of thousands of founders. But Steven Schussler might truly be one of my favorite. In its heyday, Rainforest Cafe was one of America's highest-grossing restaurant chains and even a favorite stock on Wall Street. The first location generated $15M in year 1. But just a few years before that, its founder had dumped his life savings into his house in a quiet Minnesota suburb. Not to pay off his mortgage... To convert it into a full-on replica of a jungle. This included: - 2, 600 gallon fish tanks - 3.7k extension chords - One dozen animatronic animals - A pet baboon The installations used so much electricity, the DEA came knocking one day suspecting narcotics activity. Since investors wouldn't bite on Steven's jungle-themed restaurant concept... He decided to show rather than tell. It finally worked when casino magnate Lyle Berman visited his house and agreed to invest $1M. The first Rainforest Cafe took nearly two years to build and ran well over-budget. It required special permits for exotic birds, custom software to operate the animatronics, and $1k per sq. ft (5x average restaurant). But it was an immediate hit, a sensation in fact, that soon spread nationwide. Steve would later take the company public as the chain grew to 30 locations. But sales eventually crashed when experiential dining became less popular. Steve sold rainforest cafe for $75M in 2000, but quickly returned to his zone of genius. He started a company consulting on unique restaurant concepts for other brands. Some of Steve’s work include three restaurants in Disney World that gross tens of millions of dollars a year. A few important lessons that stick with me from Steve: - Don't compromise on your vision - Be obsessed with every detail of your product experience - Understand your superpower (for Steve that was designing wild concepts, likely not operating a public co) -- Follow Michael Sikand for more business stories. #restaurants #consumer #startups

Lovely Gelato Trailer off to Galway this morning, where it will add an extra €3,000-5000 per week to an existing business, without clogging up the premises 🚎🔥🇮🇪💡🎉🍦😁🍨 We even hooked the client up with a supply of artisan gelato, a coffee machine, uniforms & more, in 7 days ⚡🔥🚀🚎 Twice this week I've heard "Your Competitor sells trailers cheaper" 😅💰🇮🇪 🚎 So, what makes us stand apart from our competition? 🧐 -We actively run our own award winning Street Food brand, and know the business model inside-out..💡🚎🏆 -I personally have worked in Mobile catering & Food Trucks for 16+ years, in Ireland and overseas 🧓😅🚎 -We have a LARGE network of contacts, event organisers, retailers, suppliers & much more, that you can tap into 🤝 -We offer a full design, branding & mentoring service 🎨🖌️ - 7-Day Turnaround time, wrapped and ready for the road (Competitor currently advertising 12-week turnaround) ⚡⚡⚡ We have no interest in a race to the bottom when it comes to price and added value 😁 Did I mention that we passed on €100,000's of business to our clients in any 12-Month period? 💰🇮🇪💰🇮🇪💰🇮🇪 Know your value, and don't back down 🤝 #irishbusiness #startups #brandbuilding #gelato #streetfood #awardwinning

📰 It was so much fun talking frozen tofu with Mary Scianna from Grocery Business Magazine. So, when I saw the July/August issue - featuring Epic Tofu - hit the stands this week, it was the icing on a truly epic summer! 👏 Thanks Mary Scianna, for sharing our start-up story and how we're innovating in the grocery space. Here are a few of my personal faves from the interview: Q: How did you come up with the idea for your business? A: "... we could see the plant-based industry taking off. While the big plant-based companies were chasing the perfect fast-food burger and nuggets, they left in their wake plenty of room for clean-label innovation. By freezing and marinating tofu, we could deliver great taste, a meaty texture, and a healthy plant-based alternative consumers would love." Q: Why is frozen tofu so innovative? A: "When you freeze tofu, it changes the tofu’s texture to become meatier, so it feels more like chicken. It creates tiny holes throughout the tofu, like a sponge, making it soak up marinade throughout for out-of-this-world taste. The best part is that it does all of this without the need for highly transformed ingredients." You can find the July/August issue and our full article here (page 17/18): https://lnkd.in/gtzUd3cU A huge thanks to everyone who has supported us along the way! #foodinnovation #CPG #startup #plantbased #grocery #retail #innovation #branding Amy Bronstetter

Every day, you face thousands of choices like these: Binge watching vs. reading books Scrolling social media vs. finding peace of mind Impulse buying vs. Saving money Luxury dining vs peaceful picnic Each choice has a compounding effect on your life. The magic lies in consistently making simple, right decisions over time to create a compounding effect. #success #choice #compounding #startup

Quick service restaurants - or QSRs - are the superheroes of the fast food world. They're designed for speed, convenience, and affordability. Think McDonald's, Subway, or KFC. But, the term "fast food" has negative connotations. QSRs want to be seen as more than just greasy burgers and fries. They often serve fresh, healthy options, with customizable menus and cutting-edge technology that caters to modern consumers. If you're looking for a quick and easy meal, a QSR is the answer. And if you're a restaurateur looking to break into the industry or expand your existing business, consider opening a QSR. With low overheads, high demand, and plenty of room for innovation, they're a smart choice for any budding entrepreneur. Want to learn more? Schedule a clarity call now and let's discuss how you can make your QSR stand out from the crowd. Book a 30-minute one-on-one free consultation with us to discuss your business needs! https://lnkd.in/grRf7dYU #quickservicrestaurant #startup #freedomfoodpreneurhub

The idea of FOUDYY is pre book or preschedule your meals. A platform to preschedule your daily meals, office lunch or weekday meals, special regional cuisines for special days, catering service for your upcoming gathering or team meetings etc. Want to assemble a killer team and efficient infrastructure for foudyy. Let's connect if you are interested to know more #startup #dubaistartup #fooddelivery #foudyy

Solo-preneurs closing when chains thriving Before I started working on HUE, I had a discussion with my co-founder, who shared a story that had become all too familiar to us. She is vegan and loved a small vegan café run by a solo entrepreneur. However, a few blocks away, a new vegan café chain opened. This chain was excellent at marketing, and slowly, the solo entrepreneur began losing customers, eventually leading to the café's closure. The primary reason a solo entrepreneur shuts down their café or restaurant is the lack of customers. My co-founder herself launched a café, and encountered services like Tabelog, which sell subscriptions with the promise of attracting more customers. Despite subscribing, she never gained a single new customer through them. She baked everything herself, and her products tasted amazing, but it wasn’t enough. Taste is no longer enough. But taste is no longer necessary and standardized… marketing is king 👑 In a few years, when my child is growing up, I hope to still find artisans to visit with them, enjoying unique craftsmanship and authentic flavors, rather than standardized chain food. However, chain restaurants are rapidly increasing, growing at a rate of 13% (up from 11% previously). The lesson learned: Today, our craftsmanship and solo entrepreneurs are in immediate danger. This is why I launched a foodie social network named DOKONI, now rebranded as HUE, A World Where Taste Matters, to give our artisans a chance of success in this tough and highly competitive market. At HUE, we provide a platform where they can be visible to thousands, soon millions, of people and potential customers around the world without needing to be marketing experts. If you want to help save our craftsmanship, support us by: 1. Like, comment and reshare this post. 2. Installing the HUE app, sharing your hidden gems, and spreading the word to your friends. (https://yourhue.app) 3. Investing in our company if you’re in a position to contribute between $10,000 and $300,000, or referring us to potential investors at jb@dokoni.co.jp. Noriko Shindo #hue #artisant #craftmanship #danger #investment #vc #angels #hue #dokoni

8 Lessons I Learned Selling 2 Startups in 12 Months #PGGaskets #refrigerationgaskets #commercialkitchensolutions #foodserviceequipment #kitchenmaintenance #restaurantrepair #grocerystoremaintenance #onsitewelding #cuttingboardresurfacing #restaurant #houstontexas

The only direct ordering system IN THE WORLD with videos? 🥵🥵🥵 “But I have no idea how to take videos for my menu!” 😤 Why not take some inspiration from Wingmans Chicken and create a TikTok, Insta & storekit-friendly video showing your customers how you plate your most popular dishes?! 😋 You already know what to do. 👇 Turn your menu into a TikTok-style feed, only with storekit. 🍋✅ #londontech #ukhospitality #startup #ecommerce #restaurants

The future of hospitality? Think again 😎 IT’S HERE! Right in the palm of your customers’ hands 📲 Get in touch with our team to learn more about how we can empower your business with storekit