In today's episode of Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy” and Jimmy Frischling “The Finance Guy” talk to Lauren Bailey, co-founder and CEO of Upward Projects.

As head of the Upward Projects Restaurant Group, Bailey steers five brands and 30 restaurants toward profit, success, and good experiences. In her conversation with Jimmy and Schatzy at CREATE, the trio discusses how Bailey got into the restaurant industry and some of the lessons learned as an emerging restauranteur. They also chat about working in the restaurant industries and the particular joy the environments can produce, including a story about encountering Jimmy Buffet while working as a bartender in Nantucket.

Listen to this episode to learn Bailey's secrets to success with engaging with your hospitality team, navigating not having all the answers, and figuring out communication preferences in an age of chat bots.

Key Takeaways

[00:06 - 02:05] Introducing Lauren Bailey, Co-Founder & CEO of Upward Projects
[02:08 - 03:36] How Lauren got into the restaurant industry, P.F. Changs and No-Doz
[03:36 - 06:02] Lauren's lessons learned as an emerging restauranteur
[06:21 - 08:21] 30 restaurants and 5 brands, having fun in the adventure with your teams
[08:43 - 09:27] Leave your problems at the door, joking about men's and women's brains
[09:29 - 10:28] Bartending in Nantucket, a Jimmy Buffet story
[10:29 - 12:00] Schatzy and Jimmy on working in the restaurant industry
[14:08 - 15:21] Is Lauren fearless?
[15:38 - 16:33] How Lauren works with employees at her restaurants as someone who has worked every role in a restaurant
[16:35 - 17:49] What happens when Lauren tries to "Undercover Boss" at her restaurants
[17:54 - 23:49] Talking Back — Lauren tests how well Schatzy and Jimmy know each other
[23:50 - 26:53] Spice is Right — Dunkin Donuts edition
[26:54 - 28:13] Hospitality and communication preferences, restaurants don't answer the phones anymore
[28:17 - 29:11] The tech side of restaurant communications, red rage
[29:13 - 31:06] Branded Quickfire