FULL COMP: The Voice of the Restaurant Industry Revolution

Today we chat with Barrie Schwartz, founder of My House, an events company in New Orleans, Louisiana. Schwartz has made a name for herself  as an industry disruptor by democratizing chefdom, proving that chefs don't need restaurants, they simply need an audience. These efforts have garnered her accolades including PCMA’s 20 in their Twenties, Connect Corporate’s 40 Under 40 and Gambit’s 30 Under 30. The COVID 19 pandemic has inspired new challenges as she and her team now work to ensure women and chef of color are represented on the front lines of this fight.
Click to sign up for our weekly newsletter.
Click here to book time on my personal calendar.
Click here to download our Restaurant Recovery Guide.
Want to streamline your front-of-house operations and increase sales? Head over to http://restaurants.yelp.com/fullcomppodcast to claim your free page and learn more about these powerful tools for your business.
SHOW NOTES

Started her love of hospitality in college where she and friend ran a sandwich cafe
What she loved about hospitality
Making others happy
Social aspect
Entrepreneurial skills to run a business
Time management
Goal setting
Community building
Living and working by the company values
How My House became an industry disrupter
Allowing chefs to bring their voice and story to events
Making food sexy
Giving chefs an opportunity to add another revenue stream via catering whether they have a restaurant or not
Getting past major obstacles
2013 they owned a food truck business that was forced to close due to politics
Pivoted to start a food hall
Learned that being pushed to a wall forced resilience, creativity and innovation
Working in New Orleans
Equally creative, entrepreneurial, and cultural
Equally old school and present roadblocks for entrepreneurs
Initiatives during Covid
Providing chefs with other economic opportunities while restaurants are closed via small events
Pushing female chefs and chefs of color to the forefront of community work
Diverse mix of chefs feeding keyworkers in the community
Rethinking the business model
How can the business model accommodate smaller events?
Could postponed events maintain their budget but happen on a smaller scale?
Covid gives us time to pause and reflect
What aspects of the business do we want to keep doing?
Continue to bring different chefs together
Continue to introduce people to food they may not have tried before
What are the mechanics of keeping these aspects in a post-covid world?
Allowing the team to rest and pause is also important
Dealing with fear during the crisis
Prioritizing self-care
Somedays more resilient than others
Not allowing fear to dictate the next moves of the business
Not wanting to rush into things because of fear
Gentle, slow approach to rebuilding
Secrets to success
Being adaptable to feedback and evolving the business idea over time
You can’t over-communicate too much
Communicate the “why”, not just the “how” and “what”
Understanding your weaknesses and asking for help
Pitfalls to avoid

Show Notes

Today we chat with Barrie Schwartz, founder of My House, an events company in New Orleans, Louisiana. Schwartz has made a name for herself  as an industry disruptor by democratizing chefdom, proving that chefs don't need restaurants, they simply need an audience. These efforts have garnered her accolades including PCMA’s 20 in their Twenties, Connect Corporate’s 40 Under 40 and Gambit’s 30 Under 30. The COVID 19 pandemic has inspired new challenges as she and her team now work to ensure women and chef of color are represented on the front lines of this fight.

Click to sign up for our weekly newsletter.

Click here to book time on my personal calendar.

Click here to download our Restaurant Recovery Guide.

Want to streamline your front-of-house operations and increase sales? Head over to http://restaurants.yelp.com/fullcomppodcast to claim your free page and learn more about these powerful tools for your business.

SHOW NOTES

  • Started her love of hospitality in college where she and friend ran a sandwich cafe
  • What she loved about hospitality
  • Making others happy
  • Social aspect
  • Entrepreneurial skills to run a business
  • Time management
  • Goal setting
  • Community building
  • Living and working by the company values
  • How My House became an industry disrupter
  • Allowing chefs to bring their voice and story to events
  • Making food sexy
  • Giving chefs an opportunity to add another revenue stream via catering whether they have a restaurant or not
  • Getting past major obstacles
  • 2013 they owned a food truck business that was forced to close due to politics
  • Pivoted to start a food hall
  • Learned that being pushed to a wall forced resilience, creativity and innovation
  • Working in New Orleans
  • Equally creative, entrepreneurial, and cultural
  • Equally old school and present roadblocks for entrepreneurs
  • Initiatives during Covid
  • Providing chefs with other economic opportunities while restaurants are closed via small events
  • Pushing female chefs and chefs of color to the forefront of community work
  • Diverse mix of chefs feeding keyworkers in the community
  • Rethinking the business model
  • How can the business model accommodate smaller events?
  • Could postponed events maintain their budget but happen on a smaller scale?
  • Covid gives us time to pause and reflect
  • What aspects of the business do we want to keep doing?
  • Continue to bring different chefs together
  • Continue to introduce people to food they may not have tried before
  • What are the mechanics of keeping these aspects in a post-covid world?
  • Allowing the team to rest and pause is also important
  • Dealing with fear during the crisis
  • Prioritizing self-care
  • Somedays more resilient than others
  • Not allowing fear to dictate the next moves of the business
  • Not wanting to rush into things because of fear
  • Gentle, slow approach to rebuilding
  • Secrets to success
  • Being adaptable to feedback and evolving the business idea over time
  • You can’t over-communicate too much
  • Communicate the “why”, not just the “how” and “what”
  • Understanding your weaknesses and asking for help
  • Pitfalls to avoid

What is FULL COMP: The Voice of the Restaurant Industry Revolution?

What if I told you that the difference between struggling and thriving in the restaurant industry is just one conversation away?

I’m Josh Kopel, a Michelin-awarded restaurateur who’s spent decades building blockbuster brands across every tier of dining. I know the challenges you’re facing—because I’ve been there. That’s why I created FULL COMP.

Every week, I go one-on-one with the smartest minds in the game: restaurateurs, chefs, and industry insiders who’ve cracked the code. Together, we unpack their biggest wins, hardest lessons, and the strategies that changed everything.

No fluff, no filler—just actionable insights to help you boost profits, build your brand, and create the kind of restaurant you’ve always dreamed of.

So, if you’re ready to stop spinning your wheels and start seeing results, hit subscribe.