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Apr 2024
29m 18s

Raf's Revolution: Creating a Safe Space ...

Rebecca Minkoff
About this episode

Enjoy this video podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!


The restaurant industry is notorious for being highly stressful, extremely competitive, and still primarily dominated by men. Owners of the critically acclaimed Raf's New York, sisters Jennifer and Nicole Vitagliano, along with their female chef partners, have created a safe space that raises women up and challenges the status quo.

Just celebrating their one-year anniversary, Raf's has become an iconic neighborhood restaurant “where everyone wants to come and no one wants to leave." Following a romantic idea of opening an old-world style bakery near Jennifer's first restaurant, Musket Room, Jennifer and Nicole established a female “forever team” to align their values and vision. As they have created a space for each other to be themselves, they have been able to offer grace to each other during stressful circumstances. This has largely translated into the restaurant's vibe and the community they have built around it.


Thanks for listening!  Don't forget to order Rebecca's new book, Fearless: The New Rules for Unlocking Creativity, Courage, and Success


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Guest Website:

rafsnewyork.com

Social Media:

@rafsnewyork


Big Ideas:

  • Being in business with your sister
  • The challenges women face breaking through in the male-dominated restaurant industry
  • Establishing a safe space for women to rise together in the restaurant industry 
  • Having confidence to make decisions and the importance of a true partner
  • Establishing a female forever team and communicating boundaries
  • Staying afloat during the pandemic and following romantic ideas
  • Working with people who have your back and extending grace in high stress situations
  • How younger generations teach us to prioritize ourselves
  • The unglamorous realities of running your own restaurant
  • Building a community of people around your restaurant
  • Valuing your own opinion and choosing opportunities that you really want to do
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