Opening Soon Presents: "The Build"

This week we’re airing an episode that starts back in January where we caught up with Ben and Kate Towil of Basic Projects and Post House Tavern & Inn on thier unique approach to design. The follow up conversation to the first was recorded at the Charlseton Wine and Food Festival in early March days before lockdowns first went into place. Today Ben and Kate have completed their renovation but have paused their opening until they better understand how to proceed in light of the pandemic.

In March, HRN began producing all of our 35 weekly shows from our homes all around the country. It was hard work stepping away from our little recording studio, but we know that you rely on HRN to share resources and important stories from the world of food each week. It’s been a tough year for all of us, but right now HRN is asking for your help. Every dollar that listeners give to HRN provides essential support to keep our mics on. We've got some fresh new thank you gifts available, like our limited edition bandanas.

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Image courtesy of Basic Kitchen.

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We’ve optimistically dubbed this season as RE-Opening soon, talking to chefs and restaurateurs impacted by the Coronavirus Crisis. We hope to get some advice, share some of the pain and find hope for the future. In the past week business owners were left with 2 losing prospects: close and lay everyone off or pivot to take out and delivery risking your health and that of your team. And 7 million people working in hospitality have found themselves newly unemployed. One bright spot is the coming together of the industry, each city has activated groups so their collective may be heard louder and non-profits like the LEE Initiative are providing aid.

On this episode:

Nate Adler, Founder and Owner of Gertie

Greg Baxtrom and Max Katzenberg, Partners/Founders of Olmsted and NY Hospitality Coalition

Camilla Marcus, Founder and Owner, Westbourne, ROAR

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"'Normal' will never be a thing until we have a vaccine.” That comes from Ali Mokdad, chief strategy officer for population health at the University of Washington. It is imperative that we look beyond our immediate community and even beyond our leadership to ensure that we are all making practical decisions for a NEW future. We all need to shake the idea that this will be over, the lights will be turned on and life will go back to normal. In that light we’re looking to Hong Kong. With a population of 7.45 million people, roughly the size of NYC, it has reported just over 1000 cases of the virus and only 4 deaths. Unlike most parts of the world they have not undergone a lockdown, rather they’ve undergone strict policies of social distancing and contact tracing to much success. As it pertains to restaurants and the businesses we plan to start re-opening, they seem to be an example of successful and operational containment. Today we’re taking a look into the future at what we can do to reopen, while maintaining team safety, customer health and a sustainable business. Joining us from Hong Kong first is Matt Abergel, cofounder and chef of Yardbird and Ronin as well as Sunday’s Spirits. He is the author of Chicken and Charcoal from Phaidon and his neighborhood restaurant Yardbird is on San Pellegrino’s 50 best restaurants in Asia. In the second half we're joined by Syed Asim Hussain, who co-founded Black Sheep Restaurants in 2012, becoming one of the most prolific innovators at the forefront of Hong Kong’s ever-evolving culinary scene. They now operate 26 successful establishments, 2 of which hold Michelin stars. His team has also created a COVID-19 operational playbook, which they’ve generously shared with the world.

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The world has gone on pause, and whether you agree with it or not, our government and our society have seemingly dealt a near-death blow to every restauranteur out there. So when all bets are off, why not try something new? Something you’ve been thinking about for years, or perhaps something you and your friend concocted in a late-night, buzz-induced brainstorming session.
Today’s marketplace is the perfect time to try something creative, perhaps super low-budget, but don’t forget to make it good. This season we’re very much into the new hustle. Collaborations, pop-ups, the scrappy, and the lean-minded. Diners, whether still at home or newly vaccinated, are in dire need of fresh food from some fresh minds.
Today we’re joined with 3 chefs from Asheville, NC. Rob Jones from The Chop Shop Butchery, Graham House of Session Cafe, and Andrew Mcleod of Ave M., who have teamed up to pop-up every Monday and Tuesday. Trashalachian is the side hustle of side hustles.

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Pizza is like religion here at Tilit NYC, and with the exception of the pandemic era, we have a tradition of enjoying Pizza with our team every Friday for pretty much the last 9 years. 5 years ago that all changed for the better when Scarr’s Pizza opened up on Orchard St. So now we don’t just have pizza, we have Scarr’s Pizza. Don’t get the wrong idea, if you’re not in NYC you may think this episode will be dedicated to some fancy overpriced 'tiny pizzas' place. Scarr’s is essentially the classic NY pizza slice, but with excellent ingredients in a well-curated space.
So this is a bit of a fangirl moment to welcome Scarr Pimentel to the show. We have watched this shop explode in popularity. They opened in 2016 and there have regularly been lines down orchard street ever since. And now there are plans on the horizon for another location, so pizza fans everywhere, rejoice!

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