Zaid Ayoub has a background in entrepreneurship, angel investing, and start-up growth. Today, he serves as SAJJ Mediterranean's founder & CEO. Currently SAJJ Mediterranean consists of nine brick-and-mortars and two food trucks, with the goal of having 20 corporate-owned locations in the works by end of 2020.  SAJJ was recently named one of the Top 100 Fastest Growing Private Companies in the Bay Area by San Francisco Business Times, as well as one of QSR's 40/40, indicating that industry authorities expect the brand to continue along this trajectory. Show notes… Favorite success quote or mantra: Make people healthier and happier. In this episode with Zaid Ayoub, we will discuss: The similarities between running a tech company and a restaurant Consistency and freshness People and culture are the most important aspect of your business no matter the industry Transparency The restaurant industry as a grind and the need for time off Marketing Keeping the numbers clean and organized Customer-focused Learning lessons the hard way Catering Food trucks Be proactive, not reactive Attracting investors Scaling Speed bumps in scaling Open-concept restaurants Brand ambassadors The benefits of constant gentle pressure How to scale your culture Today's sponsor: BentoBox helps restaurants grow their business through a connected suite of tools, offering them an integrated website to connect with their guests and drive revenue online. Restaurant owners and operators are able to easily update menus, promote specials, take catering and event inquiries, sell merchandise, gift cards and more. Revel Systems integrates front of house and back of house operations into a single dashboard. Designed to increase security, stability, ease of use, and speed of service, Revel’s streamlined ecosystem provides businesses with the right tools to grow. Learn more at revelsystems.com/unstoppable. Knowledge bombs Which "it factor" habit, trait, or characteristic you believe most contributes to your success? Honesty and being a "doer" What is your biggest weakness? Move to fast, too trusting What's one question you ask or thing you look for during an interview? Personality, humility, friendliness What's a current challenge? How are you dealing with it? Maintaining culture while growing Share one code of conduct or behavior you teach your team. Transparency, be open What is one uncommon standard of service you teach your staff? Be open and generous What's one book we must read to become a better person or restaurant owner? War and Peace The Discipline of Market Leaders GET THIS BOOK FOR FREE AT AUDIBLE.COM  What's the one thing you feel restaurateurs don't do well enough or often enough? Understanding the customer, both needs and behavior What's one piece of technology you've adopted within your four walls restaurant and how has it influence operations? Survey Monkey Google Drive Plate IQ ZenPut Revel If you got the news that you'd be leaving this world tomorrow and all memories of you, your work, and your restaurants would be lost with your departure with the exception of 3 pieces of wisdom you could leave behind for the good of humanity, what would they be? Be transparent Focus Know its all about people. Contact info: zaid@sajjstreeteats.com SAJJ Mediterranean website Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for joining today! Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the top of the post. Also, please leave an honest review for the Restaurant Unstoppable Podcast on iTunes! Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them. And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. Huge thanks to Zaid Ayoub for joining me for another awesome episode. Until next time!   Restaurant U