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January 25, 2023 20 mins

The Pre-Shift Podcast presented by 7shifts breaks down everything you’ve ever wanted to know about running a restaurant better. Conversations with some of the biggest names, newest players, and industry innovators bring key insights into how they grew their businesses.  Host DJ Costantino asks probing questions to get to know restauranteurs, chefs, and executives better and find out where they came from, how they got to where they are, and what lessons they learned along the way. 

On this episode, we’re joined by Anthony Valletta, President of bartaco. Here are some of the highlights:

  • How the restaurant industry has changed over Anthony’s decade-long career 
  • Bartaco’s heavy lean-in on technology
  • The unique approach to training and career development
  • Bartaco’s radical wage structure
  • And how all of those practices have bartaco poised for growth in 2023

About Anthony Valletta

Anthony Valletta is a restaurant and hospitality industry veteran with over 20 years of experience and deep knowledge in growing brands both big and small. Throughout his career, Valletta has opened two dozen restaurants with varying concepts. He currently serves as the President of bartaco, the upscale street food restaurant brand with a coastal vibe in a relaxed environment, and was previously the Company’s SVP of Operations. As President, Anthony is focused on helping bartaco grow while deepening its ties to local communities by creating jobs with growth opportunities. Prior to joining the bartaco team, Valletta served as Chief Operating Officer at restaurant tech concept, Birdcall. Other previous roles include Chief Operating Officer at fine dining concept Michael Mina in San Francisco, as well as Director of Operations at Del Frisco’s Restaurant Group, where he oversaw locations in Chicago, Denver, New York City, Washington D.C., and Boston.

Anthony is passionate about humanitarianism and has been named Humanitarian of the Year twice, once in 2014 by the Greg Hill Foundation and again in 2018 by March of Dimes. He received his Bachelor of Hospitality Administration and Hospitality Administration/Management from Boston University.

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7shifts is a scheduling, payroll, and employee retention app designed to help restaurants thrive. With an easy-to-use app and industry-specific solutions, 7shifts saves time, reduces errors, and helps keep costs in check for more than 50,000 restaurants.

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