After attending college at St. Thomas University in Houston, Johnny began working in the local restaurants owned by members of his family. In 1986 he opened Carrabba's with his uncle, Damian Mandola. In 1993 they entered a partnership with Outback Steakhouse Inc., now Bloomin' Brands. At one point the partnership grew the brand to 247 locations Carrabba currently owns 3 Mia’s Table and Grace’s on Kirby as well as the two local locations of Carrabba’s The Original. Show notes… Favorite success quote or mantra: "Give for the sake of giving, not for the sake of gaining." In today's episode with Johnny Carrabba we will discuss: Cooking and serving from the heart Leading by example Learning from a butcher Family-owned businesses Supporting your neighbors The true definition of community Discipline Owning a restaurant is HARD WORK...not glamorous The hardships of starting out Work-ethic Controling cost, numbers Vision The true definition of "mentor" 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.  CAKE provides an easy-to-use integrated software and hardware solution to build better dining experiences for restaurant operators and their guests. With mobile marketing and waitlist management to point of sale payment processing, the CAKErestaurant management system helps you grow your business.  Learn more at trycake.com/unstoppable EthicsSuite.com -provide a safe, secure, simple and anonymous communication channel between you and your employees to help you protect your hard-earned reputation and assets. Demonstrate to your team that you are committed to providing a workplace that operates with the highest ethical standards. Staying informed about important issues will help you resolve them internally before they spiral into larger, costly, or public problems.   Knowledge bombs Which "it factor" habit, trait, or characteristic you believe most contributes to your success? Hard work What is your biggest weakness? Getting emotional at times What's one question you ask or thing you look for during an interview? Genuine concern from the heart What's a current challenge? How are you dealing with it? Getting people to have self-confidence Share one code of conduct or behavior you teach your team. Enthusiasm What is one uncommon standard of service you teach your staff? Put yourself in their shoes and go above and beyond the call of duty What's one book we must read to become a better person or restaurant owner? Setting the Table by Danny Meyer GET THIS BOOK FOR FREE AT AUDIBLE.COM  What's the one thing you feel restaurateurs don't know well enough or do often enough? Don't love their employees enough 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? Believe in what you are doing and love what you are doing The example you set is paramount Love your people Contact info: Email: jcarrabba@gmail.com 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 Johnny Carrabba for joining me for a