POWERS brings you inside the minds of world-class leaders who have built, battled, and succeeded at the highest levels.
POWERS digs beyond the surface with questions driven by curiosity, uncovering stories and insights rarely shared publicly. Each episode delivers timeless wisdom and hard-earned lessons that apply across business and life.
The show has earned a reputation for asking the right questions at the right moment. The focus is on timeless principles, proven through years of discipline and risk, not on shortcuts. Each conversation is direct, deliberate, and designed to leave listeners sharper than when they arrived. The aim is simple: to deliver insights that matter and can be carried into business and life.
Since its launch, POWERS has drawn a high-caliber audience of builders, investors, and decision makers. Past guests have represented companies such as Starwood Capital, JLL, Hillwood Capital, Chick-fil-A, Morning Brew, Founders Podcast, Tiny Capital, Permanent Equity, Fort, Matthews REIS, Bonobos, and ConvertKit.
At its core, POWERS is a celebration of leadership, of work that matters, and of the American spirit that makes it possible.
All content for POWERS is the property of Chris Powers and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
POWERS brings you inside the minds of world-class leaders who have built, battled, and succeeded at the highest levels.
POWERS digs beyond the surface with questions driven by curiosity, uncovering stories and insights rarely shared publicly. Each episode delivers timeless wisdom and hard-earned lessons that apply across business and life.
The show has earned a reputation for asking the right questions at the right moment. The focus is on timeless principles, proven through years of discipline and risk, not on shortcuts. Each conversation is direct, deliberate, and designed to leave listeners sharper than when they arrived. The aim is simple: to deliver insights that matter and can be carried into business and life.
Since its launch, POWERS has drawn a high-caliber audience of builders, investors, and decision makers. Past guests have represented companies such as Starwood Capital, JLL, Hillwood Capital, Chick-fil-A, Morning Brew, Founders Podcast, Tiny Capital, Permanent Equity, Fort, Matthews REIS, Bonobos, and ConvertKit.
At its core, POWERS is a celebration of leadership, of work that matters, and of the American spirit that makes it possible.
#383 - Hunter Pond - Founder @ Vandelay Hospitality Group - The Hottest Restaurateur in America
POWERS
1 hour 21 minutes
6 months ago
#383 - Hunter Pond - Founder @ Vandelay Hospitality Group - The Hottest Restaurateur in America
Hunter Pond is the founder of Vandelay Hospitality Group, one of the most recognizable restaurant portfolios in Texas. From dropping out of law school mid-exam to launching East Hampton Sandwich Co. with no industry experience, Hunter shares how a love for restaurants kickstarted a hospitality empire.
We dive into the creation and evolution of VHG. Hunter breaks down the art and science behind successful concepts, why restaurants fail, and how his team approaches everything from vendor relationships to tip pooling and fraud prevention.
This episode covers:
- The impulsive moment that launched his restaurant career
- How a $20K investment and Craigslist chef shaped East Hampton’s early days
- The balance of creativity and discipline in full-service dining
- Building menus for flavor, efficiency, and profitability
- Lessons learned from private equity and selling his first concept
- Why restaurant success is often more about square footage than food
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Links:
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Topics:
(00:00:00) - Intro
(00:03:20) - Dropping out of law school to pursue a career in the restaurant industry
(00:10:31) - Lessons learned from working the back of the house
(00:14:01) - Developing and opening East Hampton Sandwich Co.
(00:23:47) - How to build a menu
(00:29:44) - The importance of seat count
(00:34:57) - How DoorDash killed the fast-casual restaurant
(00:37:02) - Service vs. product in the success of a restaurant
(00:42:21) - Blocking and tackling in the business
(00:44:06) - Where people fail in the restaurant industry
(00:49:56) - Selling East Hampton
(00:52:56) - Cloud Kitchens
(00:54:43) - Developing Hudson House
(00:58:01) - Determining seat count ratios
(01:01:03) - Lessons from working with PE
(01:05:29) - Sources of turnover in restaurants
(01:06:49) - Why certain concepts don’t work in different cities
(01:08:48) - The impact of real estate on restaurants
(01:12:02) - Creating new concepts vs. acquisitions
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The FORT is produced by Johnny Podcasts
POWERS
POWERS brings you inside the minds of world-class leaders who have built, battled, and succeeded at the highest levels.
POWERS digs beyond the surface with questions driven by curiosity, uncovering stories and insights rarely shared publicly. Each episode delivers timeless wisdom and hard-earned lessons that apply across business and life.
The show has earned a reputation for asking the right questions at the right moment. The focus is on timeless principles, proven through years of discipline and risk, not on shortcuts. Each conversation is direct, deliberate, and designed to leave listeners sharper than when they arrived. The aim is simple: to deliver insights that matter and can be carried into business and life.
Since its launch, POWERS has drawn a high-caliber audience of builders, investors, and decision makers. Past guests have represented companies such as Starwood Capital, JLL, Hillwood Capital, Chick-fil-A, Morning Brew, Founders Podcast, Tiny Capital, Permanent Equity, Fort, Matthews REIS, Bonobos, and ConvertKit.
At its core, POWERS is a celebration of leadership, of work that matters, and of the American spirit that makes it possible.
