Guest: Andrea DeSimone
Topics: Spinnaker Restaurant, restaurant management

Transcript:

Chris Ressa 0:00
This is retail retold the story of how that store ended up in your neighborhood. I’m your host, Chris ReSSA. And I invite you to join my conversation with some of the retail industry’s biggest influencers. This podcast is brought to you by DLC management. Welcome to retail retold everyone. Today I’m joined by Andrea De Simone. Andrea is the co owner of Spinnaker restaurant in in. She’s also a commercial real estate pro for the last 15 years. I’m excited for her to be on the show today. Welcome, Andrea.

Andrea DeSimone 0:36
Thank you, Chris, my pleasure to be here coming to you from beautiful sunny Cape Cod today.

Ressa 0:42
Amazing. How long are you planning on being in the cape?

DeSimone 0:46
So I moved down here five years ago in Boston prior to that, and yeah, we’ve got a great 10 year plan and we’ll see what happens after that.

Ressa 0:57
Do you winter on the cape.

DeSimone 0:59
So we’re here year round, we’re open year round, which is great. So we get to know the year round locals, which is really fun. And then we have a whole nother round of restaurants reservations, guests that come in that are just summer only. Or people will come back and say hey, I’m back. And you know, maybe they’ve had a little bit of work done or they look nice. And can they’re coming back from Florida. So we get our have guests that come every single week Thursday at six o’clock. So we get the whole gamut.

Ressa 1:30
Well, I’m excited to learn more about it. Before we get started, I’ve got three challenging yet fun questions for you. Okay, we call this clear the air. Are you ready? I’m ready. All right. Question one. Yes, Chris. What is one skill you don’t possess but wish you did?

DeSimone 1:53
I wish I could lose 10 pounds instantly.

Ressa 1:58
So I will tell you this. I used to wrestle. I still so not healthy, but I’ve lost on numerous occasions. I think my top was like 17 pounds and 18 hours, something like that. So not instantly, but in the most unhealthy manner possible. And I had to cut weight to make weight for a competition. It’s the most unfun thing to do in the world. I’d rather be in the most intense pressure filled business negotiation and have to do that, but I feel your pain.

DeSimone 2:40
It’s not helpful that I’m in a restaurant and bar doesn’t really help

Ressa 2:45
to shed. Okay, question two. All right. When is the last time you tried something for the first time?

DeSimone 2:54
Okay, so, as an entrepreneur, literally every single day, you’re trying something new every single day, like, you know, last weekend we had a rehearsal dinner we had oysters brought in they brought in a raw bar to start the party. The oysters became late and I’ve never shucked oysters. And so I put on an of glove which we had around which is you know, that like protective, kind of thick layer glove, not even an oyster glove and of glove from like Walgreens, put it on and learn there are two sides to an oyster, there’s a curvy side and a flat side and you shove the knife in and then twist it and then it kind of comes unglued. And then you pop it open. And then I did it and I didn’t lose a hand. So

Ressa 3:41
can I write are you at the level now where I can hire you to come to my house and shucking oysters for absolutely summer barbecue?

DeSimone 3:48
Oh, bring my glove? Yes, the trick although I have a great trick for you that my husband the chef taught me after when you’re shucking them, you if you don’t have like a fancy ice bath or whatever prepared, you can crinkle up foil on a cookie sheet. And that will hold the oysters in place while you’re working through all your shucking and that keeps all the juices in the shell which is you know what everybody loves to slurp and so you can kind of do it on a crinkled up foil as a bed for a staging area. All right. I was learning every single day you try something? I didn’t

Ressa 4:25
think I was learning about oyster shucking today, but we can stop right here and learn something new every day. Okay.

DeSimone 4:33
Last question, a hard question.

Ressa 4:36
What is one thing most people agree with but you do not.

DeSimone 4:39
Ah, okay. So it’s kind of a two fold. But I would say it’s a combo of if it’s a combo of the customer’s always right. And if there’s an empty seat, that means it’s available to the customer. So it’s kind of that people will walk in and see an empty seat and it’s reserved for someone else, we have a whole, we’re running a real business like I’m in the to our real estate business with my tables. So I only have 49 seats, I have to maximize how much money we make each night from them, I have to maximize the guest experience. So they want to come back for more. And so I’m running a real business with these tables and chairs. And it’s not just throw another two and throw another two in. Because we order you know, our lobster, our oysters are beautiful, you know, fresh ingredients, counting on how many guests we’re going to serve that night. And likely, how many are going to order the chicken or the lobster or the salmon or, you know, whatever we’ve got going on. And so if I go in seat someone, a walk in at six o’clock, well, the seats gone for the night, the pacings gone for the night, and they might order the lobster that the person that called for 730 reservation won’t get because I gave it to a six o’clock walk in. So it’s it’s my job to very diplomatically. Say I’m so sorry, we’re fully reserved for tonight, and not have them freak out and go on Yelp and yell at everyone and storm out and be angry that they didn’t get dinner when they’re just hangry. It’s really not me. It’s really not, you know, they’re dying to come to Spinnaker on Cape Cod. They just are starving and hungry.

Ressa 6:30
Yeah, that is an interesting one. I think it’s hard for the general person to walk into a restaurant and see the MTC and go, What do you mean, I can’t sit there? I know. It’s it’s not easy, but

DeSimone 6:45
it’s my job to be very polite about it.

Ressa 6:50
So how do you? How do you handle that and try to one day get that person’s business?

DeSimone 7:00
Well. So it’s very interesting, we have a whole reservation system set up like it’s very personal. I text every single person. So many people will walk in and say I’m trying to come here for months, which is so nice. And we’re very grateful and very lucky that they are persistent. We’re in a limited market. You know, that’s its historic, Cape Cod. It’s seasonal, when our demand probably quadruples in the summer months. But it’s still busy in the offseason. And so a lot of it is sort of our online presence, our marketing, our branding, our kindness, the clear way, where do we have to turn someone down? In, in the kindest way possible? It’s not easy, but I think then they say, All right, well, this place is booked out two months, well, then, all right, I’ll plan it for my birthday, or I’ll plan it when my friends are in town, I’ll get myself organized. And then when they do come, we have to give them a great experience. And I learned, you know, back when I was a real estate broker, like can just take copious amounts of notes. So that, you know, when someone does call back, there might be a little note that says, you know, try really hard to come here. And so at least you can really try to get them in. And then every single reservation we take, they’re in my system, now they’re in my database, we made a note if they came during COVID, if they got takeout from us during COVID. Like there’s just extra loyalty and you know, remembrance to those people that you know, made an effort to try to support you, then you try to get them in. And again, you have to deliver a great experience once they’re here. Otherwise, it’s like when I wait all this time, for sure happens once in a while it happens. One lady had a chip plate. And she blew up at me and wrote me a letter. And I called her to apologize. And I think she wanted a free dinner. And it was crazy. It was during supply chain issues where it’s like, I can’t even get these amazing, beautiful, like kind of spaceship looking plates. And unfortunately, one got sent out with a chip. And she got it and she was mad that she waited so long for her table or reservation, you know, two months in advance or whatever. And then she got a chip plate. And I feel bad if I could go back. I would never want to send out a chip plate, but not to forgive people.

Ressa 9:32
Yeah, I’m with you. I’m with you. You would never hear from me about a chip play. But

DeSimone 9:37
I feel bad. I mean, I feel bad. If I could go back I would I would never let that out the door. But

Ressa 9:43
so thank you for playing that game with me and answering those questions. What let’s go to the business. Tell me you’re a real estate broker forever. How did you end up starting this business and tell us everything that went into it?

DeSimone 9:59
So my husband A chef. And he was always, you know, Executive Chef head chef. In, in and around Boston, and I was doing commercial real estate deals in and around Boston. And I knew the cost of a liquor license in Boston, before you even get started is around 350 to $400,000, just for the license, then I knew you’re signing a lease, which I was negotiating a lot of these deals. And you’re, you know, you as the restaurant tour operator, we’re going to pay $10,000 a month in rent. So that means I’ll never see my husband, if I sign. I’ll never I’ll always be working like crazy if I sign up for one of these deals in Boston. And so but he’s very talented. And that’s what he does. And that’s he’s a great chef. So sort of like, what can we do that would make sense. And I’ve always loved the hospitality end of the world. It was in my blood since I was a you know, first, first job in high school, I was working in an ice cream shop serving chicken fingers and for bowls and whatnot. And it’s been in my blood. And I think I treated all my clients and you know, with hospitality, that same sort of kindness and thoughtfulness of what would I want if the shoe was on the other foot? If I was the guest, what would I want? And so it’s in my blood. And so we decided to look on the Cape, knowing that it was a seasonal environment, where maybe we would open year round, maybe we wouldn’t, or maybe we’d open limited timeframes. And this was before COVID, we’re now a lot of people are on the same page as us, which is nice, like, what would give us him a quality of life, like a balance of life, because you can’t work seven days a week, two meals a day to pay your 1010 grand a month in rent. It’s just not sustainable. And so we looked at the Cape, and we looked at the we bought a building that was a restaurant for 30 years. It’s an old historic sea captain’s house from 1861. And it’s beautiful. It’s, you know, just typical Cape Cod building. And we bought it. And we opened Thursday through Sunday in the offseason.

Ressa 12:07
So let me back you up for a second. So you buy this building on the cape? Did you consider leasing a building? No, no. And so you bought a building and you’re in real estate? You know, what it’s going to cost to fit this out? How did it cost as much as you thought? Or do you have to spend a lot more NO

DeSimone 12:39
WAY less, way less. It was an existing restaurant for 30 years, and it’s using restaurant and and so we looked at it and knowing that I’ve been in and out of kitchens and in and out of restaurants, you know, spaces as a broker, knowing what it’s going to take, it definitely needed some upgrades in terms of like three bays, saying Can sinks everywhere, you know, like plumbing to the tune of like 20 grand, but, you know, not bad. And so, you know, we kept some of the furniture we didn’t clean out a lot of the, you know, sort of antiquey tchotchkes, we had white, white paint everything, you know, whitewash it. But it was a fully functioning restaurant, you know, a month before a month before the closing. And so

Ressa 13:19
did you buy the business as well, or just?

DeSimone 13:21
Yeah, we paid 750 We bought the building, we bought the name we, which was the bramble in, we bought their signage we bought, I think maybe there then we bought their phone number and their website. And I had no idea someone told me, make sure you buy the phone number, because it was an existing restaurant space. And some people come to Cape Cod, the first week in August, every single year of their lives, they’ve been doing it forever, and they’re gonna go out to eat. And so they’re used to going to the bramble Inn, which was what we bought the building that business, and so they’re going to call. And so that’s your chance to capture them before you’ve even done anything. So it was brilliant advice. I wish I could remember who told me that you should buy the phone number. So then we had a message, you know, Hi, we’re the new owners, we look forward to meeting you. If you’re interested in opening information or reservations for the summer, please leave us a voicemail. And so again, I captured all that data. And we had little preview parties with those interested curious friends and family in the neighborhood. They tried out the food they checked me looked at the changes, you know, that we did to the inside, in a welcoming warm environment that they weren’t paying for. And I think they appreciated that intro we had, I think like nine parties with 49 people so we had a ton of people before we even opened the doors that were curious about this new restaurant in their neighborhood whether they were summer folk or they were the locals.

Ressa 14:52
So what would great simple but great business advice if you’re buying an existing Business buy the phone number.

DeSimone 15:01
Yeah, the only problem is, is that now I’m paying for a landline, which I didn’t realize I’m gonna have to pay and I also have phones, you know, cell phone, I’ve linked to them so that I’m not glued to a landline, but now I have to pay Verizon $89 a month, but it’s okay. So I mean, I’d figured out a way maybe you could do it digitally or something. But yeah, it was it was good advice. And I didn’t, I didn’t realize it till much later on how we’ve been able to capture people still call six years later, we’ll call and say Hello, is this the bramble in? Wow, it smells as it’s not and I answered the phone, say Spinnaker.

Ressa 15:44
We’re going to take a quick break here. And now a word from one of our sponsors.

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Ressa 16:32
Did you know what type of restaurant you wanted to open when you guys were looking for to open a restaurant you decided to the Cape? And so what type of restaurant is it? What is the restaurant talk to me about

DeSimone 16:42
it’s Mediterranean chic, boutique, Inn and restaurant. So I have four guest rooms that are all ensuite, they have their own baths. So it’s a little b&b upstairs with the guest rooms. And then the restaurants downstairs. And my husband I traveled a ton. And we’re you know, we eat out all the time. We’re taking photos of what we eat. We’re reading menus, we’re curious people. And so the menu is very eclectic. There’s a lot of local seafood obviously, all of our fish comes locally. You know, we’re blessed with being on the ocean here. And so, you know, but with the menu has things you know, from Italy, where Rob trade and I went to school in Lucca, Italy, so there’s a lot of Italian items. And then also Spain, Greece, Rob was an archaeology major before he went to culinary school. So there’s Turkey, Israel. So there’s a lot of like, different influences on the dishes. We change the menu weekly, not every single dish, but for what can we get locally, what’s new, like trout we haven’t had for the past two or three weeks. And we’ve made it a sesame crusted trout with a beat to Ziqi sauce with a Hamas that’s homemade. Everything’s made from scratch. It’s a beautiful, colorful plate. I had never even trout my whole life. And I love it. It’s delicious. And it’s just that’s what we can get, you know, for the past couple weeks, although this week, we can’t get it. So it’s not gonna be on the menu this week. Wow, that’s fun.

Ressa 18:12
Are the guest rooms always full?

DeSimone 18:15
So, you know, it’s kind of crazy with that, too. So, you know, like I said, I’m going to our real estate business for the tables. I’m also in, you know, the crazy real estate business of changing my real estate, like the whole COVID thing caused us to be so malleable in our real estate from an operation standpoint, so I had tables outside and we remove all our 49 seats outside for one whole summer. So if it rains, it’s a nightmare. I could contact everyone and say what would you like to do instead? Thankfully, it only rained two nights of that first summer Wow, to kind of either convert to take out or juggle or whatever. And then last year, we were allowed to do inside and outside. And so if you booked an outside table and it’s raining, I had to find a spot for you. And so last year, I pulled all the bedroom furniture out of the rooms and put tables in the guest room space. So now I have private dining rooms upstairs. I still have all the furniture so I might do the bed, you know do the b&b again we’re getting requests for it, but

Ressa 19:21
we’ll say innovative. So I love that when entrepreneurs are just they’re resilient people when when you were doing the b&b Was it like a b&b where like I wake up in the morning I stroll downstairs and you’ve got breakfast for me or like how what was

DeSimone 19:41
yes, so this is the other crazy part and this is I mean, when you come to eat I know there’s going to be two hours of interaction pretty much between you me the server the kitchen we’re going to find out if you have weird allergies or you know whatever’s going on in your life or maybe you’re bringing your new girlfriend used to Common with your wife and I’m supposed to just pretend that this like, am I supposed to say nice to see you again or not? Awkward. So there’s all those little nuances that just so when you spend the night, it’s 24 hours of material, basically, you know, this is insane. You’re going to ask me, you’re telling me you forgot your tie. You need an iron. You want more Nespresso pods, even though we put eight in the room? Like it’s crazy. And yes, I’m serving breakfast, which is hysterical. So you know, we’re up at the restaurant until midnight. And I’m begging everyone to be quiet, because now we have guests upstairs trying to sleep. And then by 9am, we’re absorbing breakfast. And it’s beautiful. It’s lovely. Our reviews online. People love the breakfast and they’re, you know, just it’s great. But it’s crazy. Got it for fun. So we’ll see. We’ll see what happens next couple of years with the rooms.

Ressa 20:56
Did you have people who were they come for the week, and they stayed with you for the week? Because that was their vacation?

DeSimone 21:01
Yeah. Oh, yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. And by then you’re like lifelong friends. Because you spent so much time together. And they’ve asked you so many questions about where they should go get lunch, and where’s the best lobster roll. And you know, it’s crazy.

Ressa 21:17
And so the time period that you open Spinnaker, when is when what was the time period,

DeSimone 21:25
so six years ago, so 2017 We bought it. It was a Boston Marathon weekend. So April, mid April was the closing. So that was our marathon of killing old lady wallpaper. And then we officially had our little friends and family things and opened officially July 26. So not long for the flip over. Amazing session to opening but again, it was an existing restaurant and in just not our style, really a bunch of old lady stuff.

Ressa 21:54
Did you get to profitability in your one?

DeSimone 21:57
Yeah. You own the building, it’s very different. You know, when you’re when you own the building, it’s an you know, we’re out in the cake. It’s, like I said, we bought the building for 750. I mean, it’s and the business and the phone number and the whatever, everything. Got it pans and dishes. I mean, we had to buy a lot of stuff in the beginning, you know that to make it more our style, but thank God Yeah.

Ressa 22:25
And now we’re in 2022, hopefully, Major COVID Things events are behind us even though COVID is still with us. Are are you full every night? How What’s the story what is has

DeSimone 22:46
full every night depending on, on our people in the people business. You know, depending on what our staff can handle our team, I have to protect my pack. Like this applies to any business, any industry. But like, I can slam the kitchen at 730. And you know, just seat every single seat every single table all within you know, a half an hour, and they can’t handle it. No, nor should they handle it and they all walk out and quit. So my job is to be the gatekeeper of the pacing of the whole night. It’s like I’m an orchestra conductor, like managing the timing and pacing so that we all work together so that it sings beautifully, as opposed to everybody’s just crazy maxed out all at one time. And I think I feel that way when I was in brokerage too. It was sort of like you have to manage like how many properties you have, how many clients you have, what’s the likelihood of, you know, the best return of your time and your efforts. And you can’t always predict it. But it’s it’s, you know, you have to be respectful. I think COVID has changed that for a lot of people a lot of there’s a lot more awareness of people’s time and capacity and appreciation for the landscapers time. And you know, that landscaper, our landscaper can only have 20 clients, I want to be one of his 20. And I think that’s a shift. We’re just seeing like as a society. I think like every business is becoming a spa, where you have to have an appointment, you have to have reached out to them ahead of time to get their attention because everybody’s short staffed in every industry even you know, you go to Chanel and they only allow so many people in the store you have to have a sales person that you’ve reached out and made an appointment to come to go look at bags, which is crazy. I know because you’re thinking I’m just gonna I’m gonna pay $7,000 for a purse, you should take my money. What’s this appointment? craziness, why do we need to do this but it’s very respectful of someone’s time. I mean, I can you know, I can have seven servers waiting and no one shows up versus I can manage it all and we have four servers that make more money. It’s a better you Sub everyone’s time. So it’s I just I feel like there’s a huge shift in the whole way we look at employment and time. And, you know, appointments and respect. I know, it’s really an interesting time.

Ressa 25:16
Every business has a spot. Interesting. I like that line. It’s really as shouldn’t be. What was, you know, when you when you opened up in your opening your first year, what was? What was the biggest takeaway that like, was a big surprise for you?

DeSimone 25:38
it was so much fun. It’s continues to be fun. But like, it just, we were doing it, like you just do it. And it just happens. Like you work your butt off, and whatever it is, like you work really hard. And it just happens. You know, like, I think we were just thrilled that like it was successful. It was I’m sure we had blips and blobs, and people were angry about whatever. But in general, like this was a functioning restaurant. This was a functioning in like, we made friends, we made customers that have been with us since that little preview party. And they come every single Thursday, and they have their seat at the bar that I make sure is waiting for them. And I’m thrilled. So I think that first year was scary, because it’s just it’s like, you’re on a sled going down the hill, and you have no idea what lumps and bumps are coming your way. But you’re still on the sled by the time you get down to the bottom of it. Thank God, this is crazy, but it’s fun.

Ressa 26:39
So you’re come from a real estate background. And, you know, when you’re when you’re a broker, and you’re representing that, that one restaurant, like one of the first things I know is, when’s the second one? Where are you going to put the second one? Have you guys ever thought of another location are you guys wanting done?

DeSimone 27:02
So this is what we thought of down the street, there are a couple of friendly competing restaurants, right, we only have a certain number of seats, they only have a certain number of seats, in between some of these restaurants and us is an abandoned gas station. And so I thought to myself, What if either us or together, the neighbors get together and have a bar, that’s like a beautiful little loungy bar, that is, you know, brass and marble and velvet chairs, and, you know, expensive cocktails. And, and with it comes a little appetizer of the day, like a little meatball and a pic, you know, like six of those on a plate or a little spanakopita triangle like six of those. And it just it comes with it. And that’s that’s the price of admission. And it would just basically be a waiting room for all of us where I cannot function, I cannot serve you right now. But maybe you know it maybe in an hour I could or maybe an hour they could or. And so it’s a little bit of a different concept where it’s not, you know, you’re not prepping the whole menu, you’re prepping one food item out of an existing kitchen, a day. And that’s it. And when you run out, you run out and it’s so it’s not it’d be a variation of a theme. And it’d be more cocktail driven.

Ressa 28:27
It’s interesting, like a, you know, as a waiting spot, I guess I would be intrigued by that from a consumer perspective. If I had this designated place to go, and then it would be interesting. I might go to, you know, one restaurant, I might end up at the other. I would like it on one condition. If I go there, I think it would be great. But I need to be guaranteed a table after

DeSimone 28:52
that. Of course. Of course. Of course. Yeah. If I

Ressa 28:56
get it if I’m guaranteed a table after that hour. Oh, yeah, that would be really interesting concept. I think it’d be interesting how you all have to price it to make that a profitable venture. I imagine it would be more expensive than I would, I would think, for it to be profitable for you. But that would be interesting. But if I was guaranteed a table, yes. I would be intrigued.

DeSimone 29:26
Yeah, right. Yeah, I mean, it would just be it’d be, it’d be like a seat at my bar. But right now the cost of my bar is a dinner and a drink like but we have a little tiny bar and we reserve the seats. And it’s basically I don’t we don’t enforce it, but basically people dine at our bar. So if you came in and took the seat and just had a drink, well, that’s great, lovely. But now the cost of that seat just went down. But if I could have a different bar for you to have just a drink and not a kitchen, full dining experience that is It works for everybody. And yeah, of course, it would be like a certain certain section of our restaurant would have to be reserved for that one hour. Cocktail, waiting, whatever it is, and everybody else would do it. So I don’t know, we’ll see. But then COVID hit and labor shortages hit, and I’m washing dishes at times. So, you know, we sort of like, pump the brakes a little bit right now.

Ressa 30:23
How, how has the labor shortage been?

DeSimone 30:27
So it’s crazy. It’s crazy. Like literally, I’ve washed dishes, like, which is fine, like, you know, a no job too big, too small. But it’s like, we need to find a permanent solution to it. And our, our wages have gone up. I mean, now people are like, advertising will pay you over $20 an hour, or you know, other restaurants are saying we’ll give you a signing bonus and an end of Season bonus just to get you to stay. So you know, quit. Another big resort was handing out cards at restaurants, to servers like poaching, saying like, Hey, you did a great job come work for me. And they would give them that card. So it’s scary.

Ressa 31:14
What do you what do you so how are you trying to compete in this market? Ready to take any steps

DeSimone 31:19
really well as we no job too big, too small. I’m not afraid to you know, shuck oysters, right shuffle, exactly, whatever. So you lead by example, my husband’s in the kitchen, he’s working day and night constantly to do a great job. So you lead by example. You treat others as you want to be treated the golden rule. And I think we’ve done a really good job of building a very sweet little community within our group. So you can go work at another restaurant, but like, you won’t see an owner, the two owners they’re working as hard as they as they do, probably. And you won’t see as loyal of a clientele. And you won’t see as well run is in respectful of an environment. So you can go and leave to go work in another place. And that could happen today. Everyone could go and click on me today, I don’t know. But we just try to be really mindful of it. And so it’s, you know, it’s your most valuable asset, you know, like I can replace chairs or a sound system or, you know what, martini glasses are constantly breaking but if you’ve got, you know, a bad hire or you know, a tough situation with labor that you can’t you can’t just poof invent somebody.

Ressa 32:36
Nope. I hear you pain. I’m talking about there. Well, give everyone in case they’re on the cape were spinners.

DeSimone 32:46
So we’re in Brewster. It’s Spinnaker. So our website is spin cape.com. Instagram, we’re at Spinnaker dot Cape Cod. We are reservation only pretty much as I mentioned. We’re open Thursday through Sunday in the offseason. And in the summer, we’re open seven nights. And if you’re calling and just leaving a message, which is how we take reservations, please let me know that you found me through crests in the reservation requests so that I can make sure I get you in.

Ressa 33:21
And that’s great. I next time, I’m gonna keep on coming. But I’m going to call for months in advance to make sure I get a table. All right. Good, high class problem.

DeSimone 33:37
It’s a good thing. It’s a good problem to have. It’s terrible. We’re very, very lucky, very lucky.

Ressa 33:42
One random question. In the offseason, Monday through Wednesday, what are you doing?

DeSimone 33:48
Oh, great. So no restaurants are open on Mondays generally. So we’re at home, we have a fireplace, we have a beautiful condo that we redid during the pandemic. So usually Rob’s cooking at home on Monday nights. Tuesdays, we’ll go out and try what everybody else is doing whoever’s open and that kind of thing. And then Wednesday, Rob’s back in the kitchen during the day. So he’s prepping for the week of service Thursday through Sunday, and I have Wednesday during the day to do like stuff I need to do. You know, just for my personal life, that’s my day off. And then Wednesday night is you know, kind of like getting the menu together for the week. You know, we’ve changed the menu weekly. So we fight over how it’s going to read what the main elements are on the dish, you know, who requested it and when are they coming in and, you know, just kind of talk the business Wednesday night. And that’s it and then a couple times a year we’ll close and go to Europe so we’re actually headed to Amalfi on Sunday.

Ressa 34:51
Wow. The Morphe Coast amazing. Well, listen, this has been fantastic. I’ve got three more questions for you. Are you ready? All right, here we go. Call this retail wisdom are you ready? All right. All right. What extinct retailer Do you wish would come back from the dead?

DeSimone 35:14
None You’re dead to me. You’re dead to me. There’s a reason why you’re dead.

Ressa 35:19
No one Come on.

DeSimone 35:22
No one. I don’t I don’t know. If you’re dead. You’re dead. There’s a reason.

Ressa 35:27
Wow. This way you’re good business person. Ruthless. Okay, question two. What is the last item over $20 You bought in a store?

DeSimone 35:41
Chanel who Aviv perfume? I went to the actual Chanel store. And it was a lovely experience. I had a really crappy experience at two other well known mall beauty stores horrible experience. And I just said forget it. I’ll just go to the Chanel store on Newbury Street. Got it was lovely.

Ressa 36:05
brought you back to Boston.

DeSimone 36:08
90 minutes away. Okay.

Ressa 36:11
Last question. Yeah. If you and I were shopping at Target and I lost you what aisle would I find you in?

DeSimone 36:20
Probably my car target I ran out on you. Just hang out and talk like you’re gonna run away from you

Ressa 36:31
know, we were shopping and you we got lucky. I was looking at something you came you were looking at something and you where would you go when I would I find you?

DeSimone 36:42
I’m pretty loyal. I don’t think I’d leave your site. You would be more likely to say please, can I just take a break and run? I don’t know. Um, I don’t know. You’d probably find me on my phone. In the car.

Ressa 36:58
In the car. Okay, stopping. Okay. No, that’s not okay. Well, listen. Andrea, this was great. I really appreciate it. I hope everyone checks out your website and your Instagram and calls you seven months in advance the next time they’re going to the Cape.

DeSimone 37:23
Taking your reservations for summer 2020.

Ressa 37:27
Fantastic. Thank you so much, sir.

DeSimone 37:30
My pleasure chatting with you. Thank you.

Ressa 37:34
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