Anthony and Sherri Processing the Process Videocast 10

​October 20, 2021

​Internal landscape: most satisfying aspect of business = customers detailing appreciation of product and service -- affirmation that Anthony has right product, servers and family-oriented restaurant -- validation of his philosophies/approaches; self-doubt all the time -- Immediately asks "what did we do wrong?" if anything is "off"; self-blame as blessing and curse -- look at every dynamic/problematic patterns, determine causes, figure out how to get back on track/do things differently, generate new ideas to stay relevant; able to remain authentic; success = execution with minimal mistakes + retention of customers; 24/7 hours are physically and mentally overwhelming, disastrous for family life, and blur personal/professional boundaries; creates limited time to engage in other business ventures to keep sanity/divert constant focus on restaurant/have safe place to think about other ideas and be creative in other arenas; business is his passion -- loves creating opportunities; regimented exercise schedule -- must maintain good health; given that he has experienced so much adversity and manages so many details, he has learned to not allow psychological issues to burden/disable him...deals with them internally/alone; although wife Donna works full time, she handles all domestic responsibilities so Anthony can keep business afloat; when context was especially tough, downtime at restaurant could lead to drinking and going to a dark place -- vowed to to never again put himself in situation where he feels sorry for himself/drinks his sorrows away; creativity comes into play when figuring out what to do to set restaurant apart = creative dishes/entertainment/organic interactions with customers/initiatives incorporating community and students at local universities/annual customer appreciation event. Thoughts about future: fluid situation; conundrum= can't sustain current lifestyle, but difficulty walking away from successful operation -- provides jolt of energy/adrenaline -- like a high; will develop some kind of exit strategy over next 5 years -- possibly hire partner or management personnel -- but hard to relinquish control/detach self; wants to use his experiences for educational purposes so people can understand what the business is REALLY about -- learn how to deal with its challenges and what to do to develop a successful restaurant. We are grateful for Anthony's remarkable candor/insight, commitment to sharing feelings/perspectives/experiences, and providing a richly detailed glimpse into the inner workings of the restaurant business -- and his fascinating process.
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