S15 E06: Richard Sandoval, Founder and Executive Chef at Richard Sandoval Hospitality
You're listening to the luxury item, the podcast on the business of luxury and the people and companies that are shaping the future of the luxury industry. Here's your host, Scott Kerr.
Speaker 2:My guest on the luxury item is celebrated chef and global restaurateur Richard Sandoval. Richard Sandoval has made a significant mark on the culinary world with his innovative approach to contemporary Latin cuisine. From the chef's beginning as a graduate of the Prestige Culinary Institute of America, Sandoval has become a global pioneer in the fusion of Latin ingredients and modern culinary techniques. With an impressive career spanning multiple roles, his contributions extend beyond the kitchen. He has excelled as a restaurateur, entrepreneur, television personality, cookbook author, brand ambassador, and philanthropist.
Speaker 2:Richard Sandoval's restaurant group, RSH, has built some of the most successful Latin restaurant concepts across the globe. His culinary empire now boasts over 60 locations across four continents, each renowned for its award winning flavors. Some of his partners are globally trusted luxury hospitality brands like the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, the Ritz Carlton's, International Hotels, and others. Throughout his career, he has received numerous accolades. His work has also been acknowledged with an honorary doctorate for culinary arts from Johnson and Wales University.
Speaker 2:Welcome to the luxury item, Richard.
Speaker 3:Thank you.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much for joining me. You know, many top chefs grew up in environments heavily influenced by food, often with family members who were chefs or involved in the food industry. Others developed their passion for cooking through personal experiences like learning from family members or exploring their local cuisine. You grew up around the flavors of Mexico as the son of a Mexico City restaurateur. And as from what I've read, around a grandmother who had a knack for turning meals into full throated celebrations.
Speaker 2:Could you talk about the culinary environment that you grew up in?
Speaker 3:Yes. Absolutely. Yeah. So so, you know, as a young kid, I grew up in my grandmother's house and you probably know it, but, you know, in Mexican culture, you know, everything kinda evolves around food and family gatherings. Mhmm.
Speaker 3:And so my parents were separated and I and I was, you know, living in my grandmother's house. And for some reason, I always gravitated, you know, to the kitchen. I remember vividly, you know, the the the cooks, the ladies that were cooking at the house would, you know, lift me up, you sit me on the counter. And I was kinda always watching him, and I was watching him taste food and add this and add that. Little did I know, but at a very young age, my palate was starting to get formed.
Speaker 3:Yeah. And then, you know, every Saturday and Sunday at my grandmother's house, there was, you know, at this table that had about, I don't know, 20 people, and it was all uncles, cousins, aunts, and the whole family would get together every, you know, every weekend. And my grandmother being the matriarch of the family, she'd sit at the head of the table and the cooks would just bring platters of food that, you know, they would place them in front of her and then she would serve. And then the plates would start to go around and it was, you know, course after course. And, you know, in the middle of the tail, you always had tortillas, you had, you know, panella cheese, you had, know, beans, avocados.
Speaker 3:I mean, it was it was it was a a full experience. Yeah. So I I think that was probably the most impactful thing that I look back now in my career as a young kid, not knowing I was gonna become a chef, but my palate, you know, being formed. My my grandfather was also, you know, he was a banker, and so they did a lot of entertaining at their house and always having parties. So they were always importing cheeses and butters and all these things that most kids would normally never see at such a young age.
Speaker 3:But my grandmother was saying, hey. Look. Come here. Taste this this this, you know, Gouda from Holland, you know, or taste caviar. So I was already experimenting with these things that, you know, I would have never had the opportunity if it had not been for my grandmother.
Speaker 3:And like you said also, you know, my father was a restaurateur. And later in in in my life, around 13, you know, I was living with him, and he had an iconic restaurant. And so I grew up around, you know, that restaurant. And again, I always migrated to the kitchen, not knowing this is what I was gonna do in my future, you know, in my life. But, you know, again, I was always talking to the chefs in the kitchen and kind of watching kind of what what what they were doing.
Speaker 3:So, yeah, I think that's without me knowing that was that was what was was inspiring me for what my future life was gonna hold. Right?
Speaker 2:Yeah. But the culinary world wasn't your earliest passion. It was tennis and traveling the world with hopes of becoming a professional tennis star. In fact, you played professionally on the ATP satellite circuit for several years after college, including against, you know, the likes of Sampras and Agassi. At some point, you decided to swap your tennis racket for a chef's knife and enrolled in the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park here in New York.
Speaker 2:What was the motivating factor to set a course for following your father's restaurant based footprints?
Speaker 3:Well, you know you know, I think I would you know, I was in my early twenties, I was at Crossroads. I was, you know, playing the circuit, like you said, you know, tennis was my my, you know, my my my true love. I, you know, started playing at a very young age, you know, you know, played through high school, you know, through my, you know, teenage years, did the circuit, played college. At at some point, I realized that, you know, playing the circuit, I was not gonna probably, you know, be able to make a career out of that. And but, you know, let me when I was traveling playing tennis, again, I was always migrating to the market.
Speaker 3:And I always felt that to understand the culture and people, the food was a great way to do it. I was always interested in all these different foods that I was traveling the world. So at one point, I said, well, I'm not gonna continue to do it. I can't afford it. I'm not gonna make money out of it.
Speaker 3:So I have a couple of options. I can either go teach tennis and, you know, people who know me, know you know, I have two gears, you know, park or drive. I don't have, like, a middle gear. Right? I I everything I do, do, you know, full on.
Speaker 3:And so I said, you know, I I can't teach tennis. So, you know, I you love food. You've always been around food. You've always gravitated towards kitchen. Your father owns a restaurant.
Speaker 3:So it's only natural that, you know, you know, you you try doing something with food. And I said, you know, let me, yeah, let me enroll at at at CIA and then, you know, come work with my father and kinda follow. You know, he was not a chef. He was more of a businessman. So I was very fortunate that when I chose this path and I went to work with him is I learned the food being in the restaurant, you know, but I learned to be a businessman.
Speaker 3:And that luck luckily, and because of that, you know, I've been able to be successful as a, you know, chef restaurant tour and succeed at this, you know, very difficult, you know, industry.
Speaker 2:Do you still play tennis?
Speaker 3:I do. Unfortunately, as I said, I have two years park and drive. So last time I played, I, you know, I hadn't played in fifteen years, you know, made it to the finals of a tournament. And on Monday, you know, I had torn my rotator cuff. My glasses were gone.
Speaker 3:Know? I can't do anything, like, you know, no earlier.
Speaker 2:And, you know, like many such graduates of the CIA in in early nineteen nineties, you started cooking French food. And so coming from a household where preparing traditional Mexican dishes from scratch were meshed into your upbringing, what was your first impression of French cooking techniques when you first got to CIA?
Speaker 3:So so obviously, I mean, you know, the the the basis for for for cooking, you you know, is Escoffier and all the cooking techniques, you know you know, from, you know, from from France. Right? I mean, the the history in in in culinary, I mean, it it, you know, it goes, you know, many centuries back. Right? So Mhmm.
Speaker 3:When I started seeing, know, I went to CI to learn all the all the all the all the techniques, and my goal was to eventually, you know, translate that into using Mexican ingredients. So once I, you know, graduated from CIA, went back to Mexico, worked for my father, then I decided to, you know, move back to New York to open Savan and Savan Savanes. The reason I I dabbled in in in kind of French speaking is is kind of what I knew, and I want I did not wanna dabble into into the New York market, not understanding it. Right? So with this small restaurant, I was able to understand, you know, how the industry worked, you know, that, you know, Ruth Reichel was a reviewer that, you know, it was very important that, you know, you couldn't bribe people, you know, maybe like you did in Mexico to get good reviews.
Speaker 3:Right? This was truly based on on on on merit. So and and then Savan, I I I started to play around with, you know, it was French American, and I started to, you know you know, put in some, you know, Mexican ingredients. I started to play and and and and work you know, test people's palates, you know, as I introduce some of these Mexican ingredients. So, yeah, mean, for me, was very important to understand how New York worked.
Speaker 3:You know, it was the, you know, the toughest food city for me in in the world. And as they say, if if you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere. But I didn't wanna go straight into Mexican, not not understanding how Mexican was perceived in New York. And why was I, you know, was I challenged once I realized, you know, what you know, how people, you know, viewed Mexican food.
Speaker 2:And, you know, before you opened Southern Est, after graduating from culinary school, you went back to Mexico to work for your father's restaurant and learned the finer points of running a business to being an actual owner right away, a very different path from most culinary school grads. Do you think that worked to your advantage?
Speaker 3:A 100%. I I think, you know, sometimes as chefs, you know, we don't understand that at the end of the day, you know, it is a business. Right? And that, you know, you do have to have costs, you know, know, labor is important, you know, inflation, you know, you need to understand all these, you know, aspects of of how you run a business to be successful. Mhmm.
Speaker 3:And you can be the greatest chef, and we've seen a lot of, you know, great chefs fail because they don't understand, you know, the business side of it. And it's more about, you know, their I shouldn't say this, but their ego and and and executing these amazing dishes, you know, and having a 50% food cost, it's not gonna work. Right? It's gonna it's gonna go for, you know, for a few months, maybe a year, and then, you know, it's not gonna you're not gonna be able to, you know, to continue because you're not turning a profit. So absolutely, you know, working with my father and understanding, you know, it's funny because in his in his, you know, he was he was obsessed with the finer details of running a business.
Speaker 3:I mean, I and you'll probably laugh at this, but, you know, he he almost knew, you know, how how many sheets of toilet paper were used per year based on the cover counts of how many people he did. So he was very intricate on on counting everything and and and really understanding, and and he, you know, instilled that in me. And and a 100%, I'm successful, you know, because I I understood both sides, how to run a business, but also understood, you know, that, you know, the the culinary side. And I and I like to say, you know, I have a good, you know, good palate and people like, you know, the way I play with, you know, food profiles and ingredients.
Speaker 2:Yeah. And after Sabanese, when you opened your third restaurant, Maya, on the Upper East Side Of Manhattan in the late nineteen nineties, contemporary Mexican restaurants were far and few between in New York City. There was, like, Rosa Mexicano, Cinco de Mayo, Zarella, and a few others that had their own takes on authentic Mexican cuisine. But Maya tapped into a whole new modern approach to the culinary traditions of Mexico. Was it difficult at the outset to get people's heads wrapped around the idea that Mexican food isn't just about fajitas, tacos, nachos.
Speaker 2:It's also about grilled cactus leaves and quesadilla stuffed with zucchini blossoms. Was it hard at first to for people to understand that?
Speaker 3:Yes. A 100%. I mean, I said, I mean, I was probably two months from closing until Ruth came in and gave me two stars and gave people different perspective. I think the first reviews that I would have, the restaurant would get people would say, well, why should I spend $50 at Maya when can go to Margaritaville and spend $12 on a combo plate. Right?
Speaker 3:So that that was like the connection that people were making. And and until I was able to explain and say, listen, I mean, don't compare me to Margaritaville or Taco Bell or these places because they're bad. I mean, they're good at what they do, but that's not what I'm doing. Right? Compare me to, you know, some great Italians, some French, some Mediterranean because I'm using similar techniques.
Speaker 3:My ingredients are different because I'm using, like you said, with La Gocha, zucchini blossoms, crema fresca, cotija cheese. So I'm using these Mexican ingredients with similar techniques, but I'm also using the same proteins. I'm using rack of lamb. I'm using fillets, I'm using sea bass, I'm using Branzinos. And I think when people started to make those connections and understand what I was doing, I think that was a turning point in how people started to realize that, this is not Margaritaville.
Speaker 3:This is not a a Taco Bell. Mhmm. You know, view it for what it is from that lens and try and once they understood that, then, mean, then we were off to the races. I mean, once that review came in, I mean, we were doing 250 covers every night. Wow.
Speaker 3:You know, for the next, I don't know, 10. Was, yeah, it was it it was an amazing run.
Speaker 2:And in the decades since Maya success paved the way toward a hospitality group, Global Empire, over 60 restaurants across four continents, 13 countries, and 10 of them in The US. You've said in interviews that your passion for introducing Latin cuisine to the world continuously inspires you to bring new things to different markets and regions, and you've done that with restaurant locations in Greece, Malta, Serbia, Qatar, and elsewhere. Latin cuisine's popularity has exploded worldwide across demographics and geographies. What have been some of the biggest rewards and challenges of introducing Latin cuisine to new cultures and regions?
Speaker 3:I think the most important thing for me and and and I just, you know, tell you a little a little Taco story. It's it's interesting because it kinda marked, you know, what my path was gonna be. You know, I was about 13 middle school playing tennis in California, you know, very nervous, new country, you know. My mother's Canadian, so I spoke English, but I still it was everything is very different to me. And I remember going to, you know, seeing the menu for the cafeteria, and they say we're having tacos today.
Speaker 3:I was like, oh, wow. You know, so they do something they do know something about Mexico. That's that's spectacular. So I kinda kinda just want I got a little warm feeling and and different sensation. I go into a cafeteria, and I see this, like, taco shell, you know, with ground beef, sour cream, and lettuce.
Speaker 3:And then I go, oh my god. You know? What is this? I've never seen this before. You know?
Speaker 3:This is what they think is Mexican. And, you know, Mexico, it's a handmade tortilla with al pastor, with marinated pork, you know, fresh cilantro, you know, you know, onions, salsa verde. And I said and at that point, said, you know, how I wish that one day I could have people see Mexico from a different perspective, a different lens. And so to answer your question, you know, that's kinda what I was able to accomplish. Right?
Speaker 3:I think, you know, not just by myself, but like you said, you know, Zarela started it, you know, Josephine Howard at Rosa Mexicana, you know, Rick Bayless. So all these great chefs started that path and I kinda continued and I, you know, took it, you know, you know, globally. And today, you know, you can go to Serbia in the market and find avocados. Right? Before they didn't even know what Mexico what a a chili was.
Speaker 3:You you can go into Marrakesh, you know, and eat, you know, al pastor tacos. So, yeah, for me, it was very important, you know, for people to see different you know, see Mexico from a different lens, from a different perspective. And I think through food, I've been able to accomplish that, as you said, you know, have, you know, over 50 restaurants around the world and, you know, Dubai. When I went to Dubai, I mean, there was one Mexican restaurant. Today, there's 40 or 50.
Speaker 3:Right? Yeah. So, yeah, I mean, I think, you know, I think we're just starting to see, you know, the curve of Mexican food, you know, how it's growing and and how, you know, how much farther it's gonna go.
Speaker 2:So what other far flung regions are you looking to break ground in?
Speaker 3:I don't think there's many left. Maybe the moon. No. I'm just kidding.
Speaker 2:Antarctica. Have you done that?
Speaker 3:Antarctica. No. I think Australia, you know, I'm I'm still not there. You know, Asia, you know, I did some stuff in Hong Kong, but I I think it was a little it was it wasn't early because it was actually just a bad partnership because there's a few that are thriving. One that I opened, you know, still doing very well, but I had a difference in in vision for my partner, I walked away.
Speaker 3:So I think Asia still has huge potential. I think The Middle East, like Saudi, you know, I think they're just starting to, you know, dabble into, you know, these you know, into tourism. So I think it's gonna be great opportunities there. But even more than Mexican, think, you know, with one the restaurants that I created, know, Toro, I think it's also an opportunity to showcase, you know, foods from, you know, Colombia, Venezuela. I think, you know, there's still a lot, you know, of of foods and things, you know, from South Central America that people are still not even aware that that exist.
Speaker 2:You know, in many ways, chefs are food philosophers. When one of your dishes goes out of the kitchen and into the dining room, obviously, it's your philosophy on a plate. I was reading an article about recent your recent opening of your Toro restaurant in Chicago, and you said the primary vision for Toro is deeply rooted in your mantra, which is old ways, new hands. Could you talk about that philosophy and how you communicate it to your guests through your cuisine?
Speaker 3:Right. Yes. The mantra, old ways, new hands, I was trying, I don't know, fifteen years ago. And it was kind of, you know, taking all of my, you know, grandmother's recipes and flavors that I experienced as a young kid into my new hands, right, with, you know, French technique and all that, know, your different ways of cooking things, you know, lightening things up a little bit, you know, and and and kind of evolve it, All the cuisines have evolved, you know, French, Italian from, you know, classical to, you know, you know, Italian went to pizzas and pastas to some of the best, you know, restaurants in the country. So, yeah, so I wanted to evolve and my mantra was that always new hands.
Speaker 3:I was taking, you know, these recipes, you know, from one generation, you know, to me, you know, with new techniques. Now it's my goal to transfer it into, you know, to my kids and we also have a program called, you know, in a cohort program called Always New Hands. And so this is kind of going full circle. Now it's, you know, downloading, you know, my thirty years of business into these newer generations to these to this program. Right?
Speaker 3:You know, as as I, you know, you know, right off into the sunset in the next, I don't know, five five to ten years, you know, how do I take all this information and and and pass it on to these newer generations? So it's through this cohort program. So I think it's gone full circle from all the ways new hands, you know, my vision to now, you know, through this passing it on to the newer generations.
Speaker 2:These days, there seems to be a trend towards fine casual restaurants. The shift isn't just about cutting costs. It really reflects a change in consumer expectations for high quality food in a more approachable setting. We're seeing more chefs blending luxury and convenience, creating dining experiences that feel both elevated and accessible. So when developing a new restaurant concept, do you first think about what type of dining experience it should be like fine, casual, fine casual, etcetera?
Speaker 2:Or do you start with how can I create a new and memorable dining experience for guests?
Speaker 3:I think both. I think, you know, first, I mean, first, I'd say, know, you know, how can I create a new experience? Right? I mean, are always looking for newer, you know, newer, but new new things. I mean, trends are always changing.
Speaker 3:I mean, the way people eat habits are always changing, you know. People eat a lot more healthy than than they they did. People are more concerned, you know, if it's sustainable or not sustainable. So I think all these different things that that people look at kind of impacts, you know, what, you know, you you you you create. So first, do, you know, I do look at, you know, how I can create.
Speaker 3:I'm a chef and and, you know, I like, you know, to create things and and new things. So first and foremost, chefs, how do I make something different, you know, from all my experiences, from all my my travels, you know. And then, yeah, and then two is, you know, how do I create an experience that, you know, blends with what's happening in in in in today's world? And like you said, I mean, I've always believed and I've always, you know, had had a saying to everybody said, I mean, no matter what you're doing, if it's a sandwich, make sure it's the best sandwich. Right?
Speaker 3:Mhmm. I've said, I mean, I don't know anything about Russian food, but if someone told me to cook Russian food, you know, I'm gonna study it. I'm gonna go buy the best ingredients possible, and I'm gonna make sure that it tastes good, that it's balanced well, that it's seasoned correctly. I I don't think people sometimes take the time to to really go through all the steps to make something great. And so to answer your question, I mean, I personally, you know, I like casual dining.
Speaker 3:Right? But I like great casual dining. I mean, so, you know, just because it's not fine dining does not mean it cannot be great and have great ingredients. So yeah. I mean, I don't know if that answers your question.
Speaker 2:Like, when you did when you thought about creating Thanh, the Tulum inspired restaurant here in New York City, how did you approach that?
Speaker 3:You know, it's funny you asked that because, you know, when when I was gonna do Tulum, you know, I we had to we're just coming out of COVID, and, you know, everybody in New York, you know, spending a lot of time in Tulum. And I and I said, well, you know, people love Tulum. You know, it's it's a it's a lifestyle. Mhmm. I mean, it's fun.
Speaker 3:It's casual. You know, you're you're you're on the coast. So, you know, it's it's it's impacted by seafood. So I said, you know, let me know, you know, COVID's over. People are not gonna so let me bring Tulum now to New York.
Speaker 3:And so that was my thought process. And then, you know, how do I create a cuisine? And I did what I called Tulumese cuisine. Right? So kind of, you know, went to see kind of the style of foods that they were doing, you know, in Yucatan, you know, the Mayan Riviera.
Speaker 3:And I partner up also with a friend of mine. His name is Jonna Tangomes Luna, who, you know, was a Michelin star chef in a restaurant there. And I and I said, you know what? Let's collaborate. You know?
Speaker 3:Today, I like to do a lot of collaborations. And so him and I kind of, you know, collaborate on what, you know, what I call kind of Tulumese cuisine, coastal cuisine.
Speaker 2:In the restaurant industry, diversification helps navigate the high risks and costs associated with it. Aside from restaurants, Richard Sandoval Hospitality Group also provides services like consulting, brand licensing, operations, and marketing strategies to partners. And on the licensing side, luxury hotels like the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Ritz Carlton, inter Hotels and Resorts, and others hire RSH to develop a destination restaurant brand within their hotels. That gives you increased brand recognition, expanded reach, and control over the brand story. When did you start seeing the opportunity to elevate the experience for your guests by forging strategic alliances in the luxury hospitality sector?
Speaker 3:Right. Well, I'm not I think we start we start seeing this happen probably twenty years ago in Las Vegas, right, when Wolfgang Puck and some of the famous chefs started doing licensing deals Mhmm. Within the hotels. And I think at that time, it was more about, you know, you know, taking care of their what they call the whales, right? The big gamblers and they wanted to have, you know, the best chefs cook for them because they were spending hundreds, millions.
Speaker 3:And so, you know, they wanted to just really enhance their experience, their dining experience. So they so they made they made these alliances. I think, you know, when I saw that and, you know, my first licensing deal happened in in in Las Vegas. So they asked they reached out to me and said if I would do a restaurant, you know, they were repositioning the Treasure Island. Mhmm.
Speaker 3:And I agreed to and I and I think what what what what was happening is I think, you know, in Europe and Asia, you know, the the that culture, you know, looks to going into hotels for dining and eating because it's not so safe to be in the streets. Right? But in The US, we never had a culture of going to hotels. It was always independent restaurants. And I think that slowly started to change and and and hoteliers, you know, realized that, you know, partnering up, you know, co branding with, you know, well known chefs, not only enhance, you know, their their their hotel experience, but people that could capture the guests, not just in their room, but also go to the restaurant if they if it was a named chef, you know, being down there, but also attract people from the community.
Speaker 3:So I think before restaurants and hotels were just amenities because they had to have them and people were were staying there. But now they realize that if they brought a a brand, you know, they could, you know, on multiple levels, increase their revenue, you know, co brand, you know, for it's good for great for for group business, for average daily rate, they could they could ask for more if it was a very well known restaurant that was busy. And I think today more than ever, you know, people, when they look to book a hotel, you know, they look at, you know, do they have a good bar? Do they have a good restaurant? They don't just look at the room anymore.
Speaker 3:Right? They look at all make sure they have all these elements. So I think both both myself and and and the hotel industry realize that together we could, I could be successful expanding my brand, but they also they could also, you know, again, at the end at the end of the day for them, it's it's it's revenues. Right? How do they, you know, increase, you know, that and and with with with having great restaurants, you know, they were able to accomplish that.
Speaker 2:Do you see the licensing part of your business playing a bigger role in the coming years?
Speaker 3:Yes. A 100%. So I think about five years ago, I decided to, you know, go more in the licensing direction. And and if you see at the 60 restaurants, I think 45 are licensing and Mhmm. You know, I think 10 or 14 are, you know, company owned.
Speaker 3:And and, yes, I mean, I I think it's if you're gonna be if you're gonna go global, you know, I, at an early time, realized that if I wanted to go open in in Dubai, I mean, I couldn't go by myself and do do a freestanding restaurant, you know, for for multiple reasons. Right? First, I don't understand the laws. Right? And, you know, how how often am I gonna be there, you know, when you're, you know, fourteen hours away?
Speaker 3:So having a local partner really made a difference because they were investing their money in you, so they were going to protect their investment, spend time at the restaurant and make sure they watched the operation. So yes, I think, yeah, for me as a global company thriving in different markets, for me licensing is probably the best way to go. But just to add to that a little bit, I still continue to open my own restaurants because I think that's kind of my farm team, right? Yeah. Where I create new ideas.
Speaker 3:And I think owners of hotels also like to know that I also know what it's like to open a business because a lot of chefs sometimes, you know, licensing you get paid regardless of, you know, whether, you know, the restaurant makes money or not. But for me, I've always said, you know, if it's not successful, it's not making money, you know, doesn't work for me either. Right? You you you you have to make it successful. And owners like that that I that I understand, you know, what it is to, you know, to make to make the restaurant successful.
Speaker 2:An initiative that's been getting a lot of buzz, pun intended, is your mission to highlight the vital role that bees play in in our food cycle. And this spring for the fourth year running, you're back with Viva Abeja's dinner, which translates into long live the bees in Spanish. Could you talk about your initiative to bring awareness to the importance of bees to our food system?
Speaker 3:Right. So, I mean, so not many people know this, but, you know, almost, you know, almost three out of every four bites that we take are impacted by pollinization. Right? So the bees play a big role in our food cycle. And after COVID, their habitats were dwindling.
Speaker 3:I mean, lost almost 60%. We didn't know exactly why. So when I you know, was made aware of these things, you know, as a restaurateur or as a chef, you know, I thought it was my responsibility to try and do something about it and and create awareness. So for me, you know, the best way to do that was, you know, younger generations, right? If you impact them, you can impact the future.
Speaker 3:So we wrote a children's book called, Viva Bank Has Long Live the Bees. So yearly we do book readings, the books, it's for sale in Amazon. And then we do these dinners, I did one last night, I'm doing one today, which some of the money gets donated to the WorldBee Foundation. And then through AI and chips, that they planted through a habitat. We learn more about the bees and how and why they are where we're at.
Speaker 3:So, yes, it was through partnerships, through dinners, through you know, book readings. Yeah. I think we're we're we're making some you know, getting some grounded and educating people on, you know, why the bees are so important to to, you know, to our habitats and our world.
Speaker 2:I wanna say about plant based cuisine. It's no longer just an alternative, but a standard in fine dining. Renowned chefs are innovating with plant and laboratory proteins, creating sophisticated dishes such as beet tartare with seaweed caviar or mushroom ravioli with black truffle responding to the growing demand for a healthy and sustainable options. Have any of your restaurants started showcasing more plant based dining options?
Speaker 3:Yes. A 100%. And I think as I said earlier, I think, you know, people's, you know, way of eating has evolved. Right? And people have realized you have to have a more of a balanced diet diet.
Speaker 3:I mean, you cannot just eat, you know, beef or, you know, certain proteins. You know, you need to be more balanced. I think plant based give you some of these vitamins and elements that you need for your body to thrive. And so, yeah, I mean, at some restaurants, we've had at Zango, we used to have vegetarian menu tasting. Now when we do our menus, we try to at least have two or three plant based items in our appetizers and entrees.
Speaker 3:I personally have gone almost to an 80% plant based diet. I have more energy, I sleep better. I think as we get older, it becomes harder to digest certain things and plant based obviously because of the way that their proteins and the way they're made up, it's easier for your system to digest. So absolutely, I think that plant based is only gonna continue to grow. I think a lot of these proteins now that are made in labs, you know, have actually very nice flavor profiles.
Speaker 3:They have very nice textures. So I think I think we're gonna see that, you know, to continue to, you know, to grow. I've seen some studies where they say that eventually, you know, beef will flatten out and plant base will continue to grow.
Speaker 2:Technology is also transforming gastronomy with artificial intelligence, three d printing, and nanogastronomy to personalize experiences. Have these type of advanced technologies entered your world yet?
Speaker 3:Yes. A 100%. And and, know, I'm I'm 58, and I I'm I'm not technologized. Right? That's, I'm embarrassed to I'm embarrassed to say that.
Speaker 3:But
Speaker 2:Well, you're certainly not artificial intelligence. You're the real thing.
Speaker 3:I'm I'm I'm the real thing. But, yeah, I mean, we we use AI for a lot of things now. Right? But to give you an example, I mean, my my marketing department, I mean, it's one of the biggest departments in our office. I mean, we have about seven to 10 people.
Speaker 3:And, yeah, through technology, I mean, you're able to impact, you know, people's habits. I mean, you're able to drive business to your restaurants. So there's so many things. And for me, the most interesting aspect of it is that now it's measurable. Right?
Speaker 3:Before with advertising and things, it is measurable, but not not to the point where it is today where, you know, my my Mike and my director Mike tells me, you know, so Richard, if I do this this activation is programming, know, they get into the website, they click, they reserve, and now we know they came into the restaurant. So so it's it's very measurable. And for me, it was always very hard, you know, when I can't measure something. And and so technology, yeah, is is for sure entered the hospitality. And I think we're we're not using it to as much as we will in the future because it's a it's a great tool, you said, I mean, in in many ways, not just marketing advertising, but, you know, how you impact people and their habits and what, you know, what they like to eat and how they're gonna eat.
Speaker 3:So, yeah, I think it's I think it's an amazing tool.
Speaker 2:So, Richard, my final question is the luxury item question, which I ask all my guests. So if you were stranded on a deserted island and you could only have one single luxury item with you, what would that luxury item be? It can't be any form of air or water transportation to get you off that island or anything that requires mobile service, so you can call somebody to get you off that island. It's just you on this lonely island all by yourself. What would that one single luxury item you would like to have with you?
Speaker 3:That's a hard question.
Speaker 2:Mhmm. And
Speaker 3:it it's it's and it's and there's nothing in the island. Right? It's
Speaker 2:Yeah. I mean, it's sand and palm trees and, you know, lots of ocean, but that's it. It's just you.
Speaker 3:Right. What would I need to be happy in that island? Well, I mean, Scott, I'm a very simple person.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 3:Yeah. I mean, for me, I mean, you know, I look to live in an island. Right? I mean, once I'm I'm retired, I mean, I'm I'm I'm building a house in Kowan, off the beaten path, but I don't see anything. So, yeah, I mean, I just I I think the sand, a nice hammock.
Speaker 2:So a hammock?
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 2:So a nice hammock.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 2:Yeah. I thought it was gonna be one of your chef's knives, but that's
Speaker 3:Once I'm retired, the last thing I wanna see is a knife and a restaurant. Don't don't don't put that on the air. Richard
Speaker 2:Sandoval, founder founder and executive chef
Speaker 1:at Richard
Speaker 2:Richard Sandoval Hospitality, thank you so much for joining me on the luxury item.
Speaker 3:Thank you for having me. Really enjoyed it.
Speaker 2:That's it for this episode of the luxury item podcast. Thank you so much for listening. If you found this useful and entertaining, I would be really grateful if you can share it with a friend or colleague. I would love it if you subscribe so you never miss an episode. And while you're there, be sure to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts.
Speaker 2:It really helps other listeners find us. The luxury item podcast is a production of Silver Tone Consulting. I'm your host, Scott Kerr. Until next time.