From Law School Dropouts to Restaurant Owners: Their 15-Year Journey | The Original Pancake House

Shawn Walchef sits down with Blake and Ryan, owners of 14 Original Pancake House locations, at the J.W. Marriott in Nashville during the Restaurant Transformation Tour Festival by Restaurant365. These two lifelong friends share their journey from childhood sports teammates to successful restaurant franchisees, revealing the challenges and triumphs of building a thriving business.

Blake and Ryan recount how their entrepreneurial spark ignited during a college trip to Europe, eventually leading them to drop out of grad school and dive headfirst into the restaurant industry. Their mentor, a local Original Pancake House owner, guided them away from their initial idea of opening a sports bar and into the world of scratch-made breakfast foods – a decision that set the foundation for their success.

Throughout the conversation, they delve into the obstacles they faced, from navigating the 2008 recession while securing funding to working grueling hours during their restaurant’s early days. Despite the odds, they persevered, learning invaluable lessons about teamwork, community engagement, and resilience along the way.

Now operating 14 locations across four states, Blake and Ryan reflect on the importance of staying rooted in their community while adapting to the ever-changing landscape of technology and consumer expectations. This inspiring story of friendship, grit, and growth is a must-watch for entrepreneurs and restaurateurs alike!

This episode was sponsored by Restaurant365:

Restaurant365 is the industry’s leading all-in-one, cloud-based accounting, inventory, scheduling, payroll, and HR solution developed specifically for restaurants. R365’s restaurant enterprise management software simplifies day-to-day management for operators, allowing them to control food costs and optimize labor. Integrations and open APIs enable Restaurant365 to connect with other systems, including POS providers, vendors, and banks. The result is accurate, timely reporting that provides a clear and complete view of their businesses. Restaurant365 is based in Irvine, California with an office in Austin, Texas.

Restaurant365 can help you -
• Increase Sales
• Control Food Costs
• Optimize Labor
• Drive Profit

https://restaurant365.com @restaurant365software3

About us:
Shawn Walchef is the founder of Cali BBQ Media and creator of the Restaurant Influencers podcast on Entrepreneur Media, featuring famous names such as Shaquillle O'Neal and Emeril Lagasse.

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Digital Hospitality:
We believe in the power of Digital Storytelling to promote your business.

Our podcast series Digital Hospitality is a weekly business and marketing podcast hosted by restaurant owner and thought leader Shawn Walchef.

The podcast and video series features in-depth — and uncensored — conversations with digital entrepreneurs, media personalities, online celebrities, and more. Subscribe online wherever you enjoy digital content.

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL HOSPITALITY PODCAST – https://content.calibbq.media

What It’s Really Like to Manage 14 Restaurants Across 4 States |The Original Pancake House