Why Service Outweighs Food: Strategies for Filling Seats in 2026
Why Service Outweighs Food: Strategies for Filling Seats in 2026
Welcome to the Brand to Table Podcast — the show where restaurant owners and hospitality leaders learn how to stop guessing and start growing real revenue through proven branding and marketing strategies.
In this episode, Henry sits down with Chef Ryan DePersio of Battello and Ember & Eagle. Ryan opens up about his personal evolution from a mischievous kid with ADHD to a culinary leader who learned that you catch more bees with honey than by throwing spoons. He shares the critical lessons learned from mentors like Jean-Georges Vongerichten and how he built a kitchen culture where loyalty and respect replace fear.
Ryan dives deep into his hiring strategy (it's not about the resume), why he pays overtime when others don't, and how he uses social media to fill seats in a way that traditional reviews never could. Plus, he reveals the secret to scaling: hiring people better than you and trusting them to execute your vision.
What You'll Learn: Leadership, Hiring, and Growth:
1. The Leadership Pivot: How Ryan went from a "yelling chef" to a leader who picks up a broom, cleans toilets to set the standard, and prioritizes respect over fear.
2. Hiring for Culture: Why standard interview questions don't work and how to find true passion by asking candidates about their favorite cookbooks and home-cooked meals.
3. The Resume Myth: Why checking a candidate's social media is often more valuable than their resume for spotting true personality and work ethic.
4. Staff Retention Secrets: How paying overtime and treating staff like family (including taking them on trips to Park City and California) creates a team that stays for over a decade.
5. Marketing Evolution: Moving from the era of New York Times reviews to the power of content creators and authentic video storytelling to reach a younger demographic.
6. Service as a Differentiator: Why great service trumps great food every time, and the "flirting" mindset Ryan teaches his staff to charm every guest.
7. Expansion Strategy: How to scale to multiple massive locations (like the 40,000 sq ft Ember & Eagle) by replacing yourself with chefs who are as good or better than you.
Episode Timestamps
02:09 Origin Story: From a "Bad Kid" with ADHD to finding passion in the kitchen
07:05 Scaling: The secret to growth is hiring people better than you
10:09 Mentorship: Lessons learned from working with Jean-Georges Vongerichten
12:01 Leadership Evolution: Moving from throwing spoons to cleaning toilets to set the example
16:38 Hiring & Firing: Why you must remove toxic employees immediately ("Hire slow, fire fast")
17:48 The Interview Hack: Asking about cookbooks to find true passion
23:13 Service Philosophy: Treat every table like you're flirting with them
26:22 Marketing Shift: From NYT Reviews to Content Creators and Video Storytelling
💡 Chef Ryan's Advice: "You can't be perfect in your career unless you are perfect in your job you're doing now... Great service trumps food. If food is just very good but the service is awesome, you have the golden ticket."
CONTACT & RESOURCES:
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.brandtotable.com
Message the word “Social” to use our free AI Social Media Post Idea Generator.
FOLLOW HENRY ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
Instagram: instagram.com/h.kaminskijr
Youtube: / @brandtotable
Facebook: / henrykaminskijr
LinkedIn: / henry-kaminski-jr
TikTok: / henrykaminskijr
📢 If you got value from this episode, subscribe to the channel, leave a comment or review, and share it with someone in hospitality who needs a smarter way to grow. 💥
🔖 #brandtotable #restaurantmarketing #marketingfunnel #restaurantbookings #guestloyalty #hospitalitymarketing #socialmediastrategy #emailmarketing #smsmarketing
After listening, what is the one uncomfortable element of your business (like social media or leadership) that you need to address to achieve your next level of growth?