David Kirschner is the Founder, CEO and Executive Chef of dineDK Private Dining. New Jersey native and Johnson and Wales graduate, Kirschner knew from a young age that he wanted to work in restaurants and he set out on a very traditional path working for successful restauranteurs, building his skills, reputation, and network. Kirschner work for acclaimed restaurateurs such as Thomas Keller, Michal Mina, David Drake, and Daniel Boulud before leaving the traditional restaurant scene for a more non-traditional business model with the Tasting Table. The Tasting Table gave chef Kirschner a whole new set of skills like food media, dealing with gatekeeps, hosting special events, and staffing for special events. With these new skills, he launched dineDK in 2015 Unstoppables! Please consider taking this survey about our listener demographics so that we can better determine how to best serve our listeners. Less than 10 simple questions. Here is the link: CLICK HERE Show notes… Calls to ACTION!!! Join Restaurant Unstoppable Network and get your first 30 days on me!  Connect with my past guest and a community of superfans. Subscribe to the Restaurant Unstoppable YouTube Channel Join the private Unstoppable Facebook Group Join the email list! (Scroll Down to get the Vendor List!) Favor success quote/mantra: "Make it happen 24/7." "Hold the line." In this episode with David Kirschner we will discuss: Culinary school Profitable restaurants Private dining Catering Opening vs. operating restaurants Structure and process Tracking progress Running a kitchen in an event space Creating experiences The private chef world Today's sponsor: At Popmenu, we know that in today’s world, a great hospitality experience usually begins online. Keeping the conversation with guests going beyond the meal also requires simple, powerful, fun technology capable of expression through all kinds of channels. Our team takes pride in helping restaurants put their best foot forward digitally so they can focus on what they do best. We think PDF menus are super boring, we believe 3rd party platforms have had too much say in how consumers find their next dining experience and we deeply feel that sharing your beautiful menu doesn’t have to be so difficult, time-consuming and expensive. As a listener of the Restaurant Unstoppable, you'll receive $100 off your first month of Popmenu! Join the 60-day Restaurant Systems Pro FREE TRAINING. This is something that has never been done before. This 60-day event is at no cost to you, but it is not for everyone. Fred Langley, CEO of Restaurant Systems Pro, will lead a group of restaurateurs through the Restaurant Systems Pro software and set up the systems for your restaurant. During the 60 days, Fred will walk you through the Restaurant Systems Pro Process and help you crush the following goals: Recipe Costing Cards; Guidance in your books for accounting; Cash controls; Sales Forecasting(With Accuracy); Checklists; Budgeting for the entire year; Scheduling for profit; More butts in seats and more… Click Here to learn more. 7shifts is the team management platform for restaurants. From hiring to scheduling, training, and retaining, they’ve got the tools you need to help you run your business with ease. Better understand your restaurant, hit your labor targets, and keep your entire team connected. Plus, 7shifts integrates with POS and payroll systems you already use and trust! Join over 30,000 restaurants using 7shifts today. Restaurant Unstoppable listeners get 3 months for free. Sign up here: https://www.7shifts.com/unstoppable Knowledge bombs Which "it factor" habit, trait, or characteristic you believe most contributes to your success? Following up What is your biggest weakness? Overthinking What's one thing you ask or look for when interviewing/growing your team? Service-minded? What's a current challenge? How are you dealing with it? Sustainable growth Share one code of conduct or behavior you teach your team