Finding the right restaurant: Part II

So last month I told you about the spreadsheet, walking missions, and taste testing. I had a short list but now I needed to figure out how to meet these owners when they weren’t busy…and in a good mood (never go after 4 PM). Through my contacts, around twenty restaurant owners and GMs were willing to hear me out. So now I had to figure out my angle.

I learned fast that every restaurant owner cares about completely different things. Some led with numbers. Some led with brand anxiety. Most wanted to understand operations—where will you store the milk? who cleans the espresso machine? what if someone breaks something? I learned to read the room fast. I also learned to have answers for all of it (cue a 20 page Q&A document complete with a photoshopped layout of the cafe inside their specific restaurant).

The Disasters

Some meetings were spectacular failures.

The owner who wanted to take over my entire program—What about eggs? Or I want to run your (Asano’s) tea service?

Some had clear design principals: “The nighttime chi of this space is not the same as the morning chi.”

Then there was the one who told me, completely seriously, that I was wasting my life. That no one in their right mind would ever come to this café. The meeting lasted a short but highly memorable twelve minutes. I made my exit—head held high. Except I couldn’t get the door open. Pushed, pulled, pushed again. Eventually escaped. Walked confidently down the subway steps. Wrong station. Had to turn back around—and walked directly into the owner, who had stepped outside for air. We made eye contact. I have yet to go back to that restaurant.

The Five That Felt Different

But a few conversations felt completely different. Those owners kept inviting me back. Actually read what I sent them. The kind of people who, when they say they’ll follow up, actually do.

And then slowly, some fell away anyway. Timing. Lease complications. Terms that didn’t work for either of us.

Why Sandro’s and then The Noortwyck

What made Sandro’s click was almost immediate. Sandro Jr. had just taken over from his father—fresh energy, genuine appetite to try new things. He’d already run a panini program that was consistently sold out. He knew his space had morning potential. He’d seen it with his own eyes.

So when I pitched him, he didn’t look at me like I was crazy. He leaned in.

The fact that the introduction came through mutual friends—well-known caterers who’d been dining at Sandro’s for years—didn’t hurt either. I wasn’t some random person off the street.

With Cedric, Chef Andy, and Jodi at The Noortwyck, the energy was the same although it took a little longer to convince them. I dropped off many goodie bags of my pastries and coffee (found out Cedric had a dog…so high end doggie treats entered the goodie bags). But they were always the right type of people for this concept. They were already using Loyalist, the AI data platform my friend Maggie founded—people who embrace new models. And their timing was perfect: they were expanding to a second restaurant. The Noortwyck was stable, established, thriving—and they could use fresh energy at the flagship while their attention shifted to the new project. So many goodie bags later, we decided to open the second Asano.

Most importantly? Both their staff actually likes working there. High retention, communicative leadership, a team that seems genuinely happy to be there. That tells you everything about how an operator runs a business. Everything.

Both of them pushed back on things. Both made ASANO better. That’s exactly how I knew.

What the Spreadsheet Couldn’t Measure

All my analysis was crucial. The data got me to the right conversations. But ultimately, this came down to instinct. To chemistry. To sitting across from someone and feeling: This could work. This person gets it. And we communicate well.

You can find a beautiful space anywhere in this city. Finding owners who actually become partners—that’s the whole game. And somehow, I found a few of them.

1. To watch: Mexodus the Musical. Saw it last year at the Audible Theatre and thought it was incredible. I guess so did others as it’s back with an extended run.

An untold journey of the Underground Railroad heading south to Mexico – but with sick beats.

1. To drink: My friend Liam brought me to a new cocktail bar called Kees by Jeff Bell (Please Don’t Tell alum). I trust Liam’s taste and he didn’t disappoint. Excellent cocktails and the decor was pretty impressive (love the nooks).

   Tip: It’s underneath Mixteca, so do not walk confidently into the neighboring Tacos 1986 and end up in the kitchen.

Until next month!

Kate