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Tom Colicchio is a James Beard Award-winning chef and owner of Crafted Hospitality, a restaurant group with restaurants across the U.S. He’s also a judge on “Top Chef,” Bravo’s Emmy-winning reality cooking competition show. Tom has seen and accomplished a lot since entering the culinary scene in 1980s New York City. He joins the podcast to talk about what he’s learned along the way, why people today are so food obsessed, and what goes into mastering the business and creative side of food.
Listen to this podcast to learn:
- A brief history of the rise of today’s food-centric culture
- Lessons from a career that spans opening the iconic Gramercy Tavern in NYC, to starting Crafted Hospitality, to being a Top Chef judge for 16+ years
- Why the restaurant experience (and any customer experience) must always push boundaries, even if it’s already exceptional
- How to manage a culture and creatives, ensuring they embody the same core values
- How success atrophied Tom’s creative “muscle,” and how he re-trained it (on Tuesdays and in the garden)
- Are food halls where Americans are dining out next?
- Advice for those looking to enter and/or move up in the restaurant industry
