839: Mel Harrington Chef/Owner at Sunday...

Mell Harrington is the Chef and Owner at Sunday Supper Society in Kittery, Maine. Mel grew up working in the restaurant industry since the age of 15 & has never been happier. Most days you can find her in the garden planning dinner or in the kitchen making fresh pasta. Her love for food, travel & culture shines through in everything she does. Mel is currently working towards her sommelier certification, learning to speak Spanish & growing a garden.

Show notes… Calls to ACTION!!!

• Join Restaurant Unstoppable Network and connect with my past guest and a community of superfans.
• Subscribe to the Restaurant Unstoppable YouTube Channel
• Join the private Unstoppable Facebook Group
• Join the email list! (Scroll Down to get the Vendor List!)

Favorite success quote or mantra:

• "Bitches get shit done."

In today's episode with Mel Harrington we will discuss:

• Leaving the industry only to return
• The importance of travel
• The benefits of a financial background before entering the restaurant industry
• Investors
• Why isn’t restaurant work, especially FOH, respected more?
• The host position
• Getting fired
• Partnerships
• Transition from FOH to baking

Today's sponsor:

7shifts is a modern labor management platform, designed by restaurateurs, for restaurateurs. Effectively labor management is more important than ever to ensure profitability and restaurant success. Trusted by over 400,000 restaurant professionals, 7shifts gives you the tools you need to streamline labor operations, communicate with your team, and retain your talent. Best of all 7shifts integrates with the POS and Payroll systems you already use and trust (like Toast!) turning labor into a competitive advantage for your business. Restaurant Unstoppable members get 3 months, absolutely free.

At Popmenu, we know that in today’s world, a great hospitality experience usually begins online. Keeping the conversation with guests going beyond the meal also requires simple, powerful, fun technology capable of expression through all kinds of channels. Our team takes pride in helping restaurants put their best foot forward digitally so they can focus on what they do best. We think PDF menus are super boring, we believe 3rd party platforms have had too much say in how consumers find their next dining experience and we deeply feel that sharing your beautiful menu doesn’t have to be so difficult, time-consuming and expensive. As a listener of the Restaurant Unstoppable, you'll receive $100 off your first month of Popmenu!

 

Knowledge bombs

1. Which "it factor" habit, trait, or characteristic you believe most contributes to your success?
   • My work ethic and drive
2. What is your biggest weakness?
   • Perfectionism
3. What's one question you ask or thing you look for during an interview?
   • Positive attitude
4. What's a current challenge? How are you dealing with it?
   • Perfectionism
5. Share one code of conduct or behavior you teach your team.
   • Be welcoming and kind
6. What is one uncommon standard of service you teach your staff?
   • Attention to detail
7. What's one book we must read to become a better person or restaurant owner?
   • The Alchemist by Paul Coelho GET THIS BOOK FOR FREE AT AUDIBLE.COM 
8. What's one thing you feel restaurateurs don't know well enough or do often enough?
   • We've lost sight of the passion
9. Name one service you've hired.
   • Annie's Garden Microgreen farm
10. What's one piece of technology you've adopted within your restaurant walls and how has it influence operations?
    • Universe - website design
11. If you got the news that you'd be leaving this world tomorrow and all memories of you, your work, and your restaurants would be lost with your departure with the exception of 3 pieces of wisdom you could leave behind for the good of humanity, what would they be?
    1. Be kind
    2. Work hard toward what you want
    3. Don't take any shit

Contact info:

www.sundaysupperme.com to book a seat

Instagram: @sundaysuppersociety.me

Email: sundaysupper.me@gmail.com

Thanks for listening!

Thanks so much for joining today! Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post.

Also, please leave an honest review for the Restaurant Unstoppable Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them.

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates.

Huge thanks to Mel Harrington for joining me for another awesome episode. Until next time!

 

Restaurant Unstoppable is a free podcast. One of the ways I'm able to make it free is by earning a commission when sharing certain products with you. I've made it a core value to only share tools, resources, and services my guest mentors have recommend, first. If you're finding value in my podcast, please use my links!