Best Served

3 year anniversary of Best Served Podcast, which launched on November 18, 2019 with Chef Jensen Cummings and special guest Elan Wenzel of Element Knife Company. Nearly 500 guests have graced us with their stories, wisdom, struggles, and hope for a better future for the restaurant industry, fueling our mission to amplify the worth and work of those who feed their community!!

En este episodio de Best Served en Español, Corina Hierro de Chamba habla con Barbie Beltran y Jose Guerrero de Sacred Society sobre la transformación que puede tener en su vida tomar decisiones saludables. Sacred Society

Edwin Sandoval strives to bring his Honduras roots to his cooking at his concept Xatrucho. Born in Honduras and raised in Colorado, Edwin has spent twelve years in the culinary industry working at restaurants like Le Grand Bistro, Argyll Whisky Beer, and Telegraph Bistro. His concept Xatrucho has spanned several iterations including a pop- up restaurant and at a food hall. 6 Questions with Edwin Sandoval of Xatrucho on Honduran Cuisine, Operating In A Food Hall, Advice For New Restaurateurs Xatrucho Concepts

Melissa Yanc is the owner operator of Quail & Condor. She started baking with her grandmother at seven years old. Her passion led her to Johnson & Wales Denver and then into the Denver restaurant scene before she headed to California. In Northern California, Melissa worked at SingleThread Farm Restaurant & Inn before opening Quail & Condor. 6 Questions with Melissa Yanc of Quail & Condor on Being On Food TV, Opening A Third Restaurant, Leadership Training For Women Quail & Condor Troubadour Sando

Levi Noe is the Vice President of Brokerage at Fuel and Iron Realty. A Denver native, Levi's background in copywriting, marketing, education, entrepreneurship, and food service lend him a unique perspective into F&B real estate negotiations. 6 Questions with Levi Noe of Fuel & Iron Realty on Restaurant Square Footage, A Good Pro Forma, Second-Gen Spaces Fuel & Iron Realty Levi Noe Fuel & Iron Food Hall

Kyle Inserra is a commercial real estate professional and the host of two podcasts, The National Restaurant Owners Podcast and Commercial Real Estate School. A 15-year restaurant industry veteran, Kyle is a thought leader in the hospitality industry and commercial real estate space. 6 Questions with Kyle Inserra of Zelnik National on Restaurant Capitalization, Landlord Relationships, Lessons from Signing a Lease

Fernando and Aida Scarpati are brother and sister co-owners of Ferdi, the new Italian restaurant in West Village, New York City. Their family legacy in the restaurant industry dates back to their grandfather, Ferdinando (nicknamed Ferdi), who came to America and opened up Ferdi's, a restaurant in the Bronx. Their new restaurant Ferdi is an homage to that legacy and to Italian food. 6 Questions with Aida and Fernando of Ferdi on Growing Up In Restaurants, Italian Food, Opening In NYC Ferdi

Jim Taylor is the creator of Benchmark Sixty, a Canadian restaurant financial optimization agency that uses data, benchmarks, and metrics to increase profit margins and improve productivity. Before starting Benchmark Sixty, he worked for Cactus Club Cafe and helped them grow into the household name they are today in Canada. 6 Questions with Jim Taylor of Benchmark Sixty on Why Restaurant Employees Quit, Labor Management, Investing In People

Carlos and Victor Pedro grew up in their father's restaurant, Ipanema. Ipanema has been in their family and in New York, in one location or another, for decades. Now Victor and Carlos have taken up the mantle as they open the newest location of Ipanema. Ipanema 6 Questions with Carlos and Victor of Ipanema on Pao de Queijo, Childhood Restaurant Memories, & Working with Family

Jensen and Corey talk about the key takeaways from Denver Restaurant Tik Tok Week: restaurants lack of acknowledgement and interaction with social media posts, the importance of reaching out to promote your business, building up trust and confidence in influencers, understanding the new guest experience, and breaking down the costs of a video. 6 Questions with Denver Restaurant Tik Tok Creators on the Power Of Food, Misconceptions Of Influencer Marketing, & Tips On Short-Form Video

Jillian Brown discusses moving away from Yelp and Tripadvisor type reviews and using Instagram highlights to create a community of online customers. Denver Restaurant Tik Tok Week features eight food content creators in their own episodes to discuss topics like the power of food, misconceptions of restaurant influencer marketing as well as tips & tricks for short-form video. 6 Questions with Denver Restaurant Tik Tok Creators on the Power Of Food, Misconceptions Of Influencer Marketing, & Tips On Short-Form Video

Jesvyn Terraza talks about immigrant founded food businesses and the accountability of food content creators in the restaurants they highlight. Denver Restaurant Tik Tok Week features eight food content creators in their own episodes to discuss topics like the power of food, misconceptions of restaurant influencer marketing as well as tips & tricks for short-form video. 6 Questions with Denver Restaurant Tik Tok Creators on the Power Of Food, Misconceptions Of Influencer Marketing, & Tips On Short-Form Video

Nick Howard speaks about utensils, accessible packaging, and why he creates content about eating in his car. Denver Restaurant Tik Tok Week features eight food content creators in their own episodes to discuss topics like the power of food, misconceptions of restaurant influencer marketing as well as tips & tricks for short-form video. 6 Questions with Denver Restaurant Tik Tok Creators on the Power Of Food, Misconceptions Of Influencer Marketing, & Tips On Short-Form Video

Alana Kaufman talks about social media engagement and creating content at food festivals. Denver Restaurant Tik Tok Week features eight food content creators in their own episodes to discuss topics like the power of food, misconceptions of restaurant influencer marketing as well as tips & tricks for short-form video. 6 Questions with Denver Restaurant Tik Tok Creators on the Power Of Food, Misconceptions Of Influencer Marketing, & Tips On Short-Form Video

Haley Paez talks promoting your values and using social media as a billboard in restaurant social media marketing. Denver Restaurant Tik Tok Week features eight food content creators in their own episodes to discuss topics like the power of food, misconceptions of restaurant influencer marketing as well as tips & tricks for short-form video. 6 Questions with Denver Restaurant Tik Tok Creators on the Power Of Food, Misconceptions Of Influencer Marketing, & Tips On Short-Form Video

Kip and Chris talk about fusing the culinary and cannabis worlds. Denver Restaurant Tik Tok Week features eight food content creators in their own episodes to discuss topics like the power of food, misconceptions of restaurant influencer marketing as well as tips & tricks for short-form video. 6 Questions with Denver Restaurant Tik Tok Creators on the Power Of Food, Misconceptions Of Influencer Marketing, & Tips On Short-Form Video

Daniela Evans breaks down the costs of creating short vertical videos and the costs of being a restaurant content creator. Denver Restaurant Tik Tok Week features eight food content creators in their own episodes to discuss topics like the power of food, misconceptions of restaurant influencer marketing as well as tips & tricks for short-form video. 6 Questions with Denver Restaurant Tik Tok Creators on the Power Of Food, Misconceptions Of Influencer Marketing, & Tips On Short-Form Video

Larry connects his years of experience in the kitchen with how to create the best restaurant content on social media. Denver Restaurant Tik Tok Week features eight food content creators in their own episodes to discuss topics like the power of food, misconceptions of restaurant influencer marketing as well as tips & tricks for short-form video. 6 Questions with Denver Restaurant Tik Tok Creators on the Power Of Food, Misconceptions Of Influencer Marketing, & Tips On Short-Form Video

Reem Assil is the founder of Reem's California, an Arab street corner bakery dedicated to community building, social justice, and sustainability. Best Served learned about Reem through Sicily Sierra and Nite Yun, all members of La Cocina, a womens' food business incubator program. A true entrepreneur, Reem did this episode from her car. 6 Questions with Reem Assil of Reem's California on Arab Street Food, Cultural Appropriation, & Empowering Restaurant Workers Reem Assil Reem's California

Zuri Resendiz has been a friend of Best Served for a long time. He's been on the show twice previously when he worked at Shanahan's Steakhouse and at Cattivella. Now he's broken away from his fine dining past and has opened Luchador food truck, serving street and traditional Mexican food made daily from scratch. 6 Questions with Zuri Resendiz of Luchador Food Truck on Biggest Difference Between A Fine Dining Restaurant and A Food Truck Luchador Food Truck

The six phases of New Restaurant Opening Order Of Operations (RO4) come from something we call the Countdown To Launch. Countdown To Launch is a checklist of over 800 things you need to do along your path to opening a new restaurant. Watch this episode to learn more about RO4. The NEW Restaurant Opening Order Of Operations

Simon Tran is reopening his Spanish inspired restaurant after a tough lease and landlord situation caused him to close. Botellón Spanish Tapas is meant to be a gathering place for people to explore new food, wines, and flavors. Simon is planning to open in late August or early September after closing in the summer of 2021. Watch to learn more about Simon's inspiration behind the concept and his journey to reopen the restaurant. 6 Questions with Simon Tran of Botellón Spanish Tapas on Fusion Cuisine, Closing A Restaurant

KC Gonzalez always knew he was meant for restaurants. Growing up in the Philippines, he helped his grandmother at her store and cooked food for their multigenerational household. KC earned the moniker Chef Salty during his days as a sous chef, the name he currently uses as his Tik Tok handle. Tenmomi, his ghost kitchen ramen concept in Rutherford, New Jersey, is his newest project. Right now it's just him creating bowls of ramen but he's working on flipping the narrative and making restaurants a good place to work for creatives again as he grows his business. 6 Questions with KC Gonzalez of Tenmomi on Starting As A Dishwasher, Understanding Restaurant Financials, Chef Life Tik Tok

Chef Ji Hye Kim opened Miss Kim, a Korean restaurant focused on food inspired by Korean ancestors made with Michigan ingredients, in 2016 in Ann Arbor. Opening a restaurant was never a part of the original plan for Ji Hye. She started in hospital administration before becoming a cheesemonger at Zingerman's at 27 years old. Watch to learn more about her journey and her mission to educate people about Korean food and fermentation. 6 Questions with Ji Hye Kim of Miss Kim on Chef As A Second Career, Misconceptions About Korean Cuisine, & Prioritizing Fair Wages

Paul Arihara has used bartending to travel around the United States. Now he's on a new journey with his family on Restaurant Tik Tok. Paul, his wife Leina, and daughter Joli run the DaaFamBam, a love story where food is the supporting actor. Watch his episode to learn more about his journey. 6 Questions with Paul Arihara of DaaFamBam on Restaurant Tik Tok DaaFamBam Tik Tok

When David Witt reached out to Jensen to show his appreciation for Best Served Podcast's episodes, he could only float the possibility of being a guest on the show. As a fan of the podcasts though, he knew his story, a story of addiction and recovery, would resonate with our audience. He manifested, put in the work, and made it come true. Watch this episode to learn more about David's journey. 6 Questions with David Witt on Sobriety In The Kitchen, Restaurant Life Balance, & Becoming An Executive Chef

Jensen is serious when he says reach out to us. In his article “Where do Restaurants Go from Here?” he said, “I'm on the lookout for it, for you. What role will you play in where restaurants go from here?” Kelly Fischer answered the call when she DMed Jensen and their conversation led to this episode. What Role Will Each Of Us Play In Where Restaurants Go From Here? Kelli Fischer LinkedIn

A duo like Bob Little and Chad Urban sound like they should be in a country music folk band. Instead they're a chef duo who've opened three concepts (two restaurants and a catering operation) during the pandemic. Their restaurant Chez Nick in the Upper East side of Manhattan opened three weeks before restaurants shut down in 2020. How have they survived and had enough capital to open a new restaurant while staying true to a new, better restaurant culture? Listen to find out. 6 Questions with Bob Little and Chad Urban of Chez Nick on on Ranch Dressing, Kitchen Mentorship and Motherfucking Details 18 Things (Out of 892) You Better F***ing Consider If You're Thinking About Opening A Brick & Mortar Restaurant

In the middle of a mental health crisis, at the end of a two year pandemic, Barbie Beltran is working to create a solution. Her dream? A Whole Health Bodega called Sacred Society focused on elevating peoples' health in body, mind, spirit, and soul. It will be a one stop shop for convenience and building healthy habits. Jose Guerrero joined her to manifest that dream into reality. Working together has changed Jose's outlook on meditation and cutting added sugar. 6 Questions with Barbie Beltran and Jose Guerrero of Sacred Society, the Whole Health Bodega 18 Things 18 Things Meeting

Chef Scott Schaden's journey to open Terra started way back when he got into the industry at fifteen. Scott says, “The things that got me into the restaurant industry are the things I hate about the restaurant industry now. When I was fifteen, you know what got me into this job: easy access to drugs, late nights, hot hostess.” He's ready to make a new kind of business moving away from that model. Terra Restaurant 6 Questions with Scott Schaden Venison Ragu: A Novel

If you are considering opening a brick & mortar food concept, you need to watch this video! Jensen Cummings outlines 18 steps from his previous experience, successes and failures, starting restaurants and consulting on restaurants that he wished he would have known every time he created a new concept. From Brand Messaging to Financial Planning to Real Estate, this video covers the 18 things that save time, energy, and money in opening F&B concepts. 18 Minutes to figure out your 18 Things 18 Things (Out of 892) You Better F***ing Consider If You're Thinking About Opening A Brick & Mortar Restaurant

Chef Paolo didn't want to waste time on another social media platform. But Jensen and others kept saying he had to get more content out there, so he started making TikToks, and had a lot of fun doing it. Now his silly hotdog videos have the potential to transform into a real restaurant, because an investor reached out to him and wants to finance his vision for the Urban Hotdog Collective. 6 Questions with Paolo Neville Paolo Neville TikTok

On this episode, Jensen speaks about his personal journey starting to use social media and the most common excuses restaurants make for why they don't use social media.

Jensen speaks about how his Japanese heritage impacted his culinary career and created his food culture.

In this episode, Jensen talks about how the movie Yellow Submarine changed Jensen's perspective of time.

Jensen speaks to Mimi Lan about her struggle with public speaking, her opportunity to interview Andrew Zimmern, and how to use Clubhouse to connect with people across the world.

En este episodio de Best Served en Español, Alejandra habla con Rubén Rodríguez de Nai Restaurant Group sobre su familia en Galicia, por qué Nai es tan importante y cómo comenzó su grupo de restaurantes.

In this episode, Jensen talks about his family legacy, the day he decided to stop overworking in the industry, and the two things that restaurants offer. Once you understand the two things any restaurant actual offers, you can start to develop a new type of business model that plays to the true strengths of what a restaurant really is.

En este episodio de Best Served en Español, Alejandra habla con Diana y Zack Wangeman de Sobre Masa acerca de sus comienzos en “pop-ups” antes de emprender su negocio y de la preservación de recetas y la nixtamalizacion entre comunidades.

In part two Chef Jensen takes us deeper and bring storytelling to life with his epic Storytelling Challenge, and in this episode, you will leave impacted and inspired and ready to tell your story. You'll learn about why restaurants should become podcasters and ambassadors for their community. Let's connect back with Chef Jensen of Best Served. Voices4Chefs

In part I we follow along on Chef Jensen's culinary journey from working for Debbie Golds a Top Chef Masters award winner to working for Troy Guard as he became the Executive Chef at Tag in Denver Co. Then well switch gears and learn how Jensen launched a massive storytelling hospitality movement with Best Served Podcast. I am excited to introduce you to Chef Jensen Cummings a fifth-generation chef. His family has owned restaurants since 1900. Voices4Chefs

Jensen speaks to Andrew Parr, Corey Nelson, and Sophie Braker about the content they created which brought the team of Best Served Creative together. Gratitude and the Hospitality Industry Knead To Sleep Fire On The Mountain Big Time Babble Dominique Ansel Bakery Phil Rosenthal World Huckleberry Cafe

As we reach a historic milestone of two years from the very first Best Served Podcast on November 18, 2019, we want to bring back our very first guest, Elan Wenzel of Element Knife Company at Stanley Marketplace in Denver, CO.

In the 86 86 86 Challenge, Best Served paid hospitality industry professionals $86 for their stories. Hear from first-time writers on the struggle with impostor syndrome, how they found the story within them and how we are adding more voices to the culinary narrative. Moderators Chef Jensen Cummings Sophie Braker Katie Fisco Abbey Miller Katie O'Hara Jasmin Parks Papadopoulos Letisha Steele

In this episode of Tell Your Best Story, Jensen speaks to Katie O'Hara, an 86 86 86 Challenge Editor, about battling with her self confidence as a freelancer, how food is so important in our lives, and how she likes volatile situations: kids, restaurants, and writing.

In this episode of Tell Your Best Story, Jensen speaks to Zoe Schacht, an 86 86 86 Challenge Editor, about helping people through journalism, the relaxed editing of the 86 86 86 Challenge, and multimedia in telling stories.

In this episode of Tell Your Best Story, Jensen speaks to Sarah Carpenter, an 86 86 86 Challenge editor, about Sarah's first industry job, the history of Denver's food scene, and how the hospitality industry has always been there for her.

To Celebrate Native American Heritage Month join JBF & Best Served to discuss what “American food” is, how its impacted our foodways and how indigenous agrifood systems can solve many global issues. Moderators Chef Jensen Cummings Chef Mimi Lan Christine Chung Heather Jane Andrea Murdoch Nephi Craig Bleu Adams Hillel Echo Hawk Resources James Beard Legacy Network James Beard Open For Good James Beard Investment Fund Protect Native Elders 9 Ways to Learn About Indigenous Food Systems Indigenous Food Systems Minority and Women Farmers and Ranchers

In this episode of Tell Your Best Story, Jensen speaks to Camille Shoemaker, a 86 86 86 Challenge Editor, about seeing all sides of the industry, getting her Masters in Food Studies at NYU, and how you don't need to be an amazing writers to tell your story.

In this episode of Tell Your Best Story, Jensen speaks to Sicily Sierra, Zuri Resendiz, and Joshua Walbolt, all writers from the 86 86 86 Challenge, about the inspirations behind their articles and how they found the self-worth to tell their story.

Tune in every Friday, for a news roundup hour, as our diverse crew of industry leaders breaks down the current affairs of all things food, beverage and hospitality. We take a select few topics directly from the headlines and forums to give you a 360 degree view. Headlines from this week New York Times - Accessibility Is a Right. This Restaurant Treats It That Way. - by Pete Wells Food Dive - Tetra Pak launches accelerator program to speed product development - by Chris Casey Salt Bae's Restaurant Hiring at $16/hour Moderators Chef Jensen Cummings Shawn P. Walchef Quyenzi Pham