My next guest is Donatella Arpaia. She is The Meatball Queen, Food Network Star, and Founder of “Prova Pizzabar.” After a very brief career as an attorney, she decided to follow her passion and opened her first restaurant at 26. She is a Celebrity Chef, TV personality, restaurateur, and cookbook author. You have seen that smiling face on the Food Network, Next Iron Chef, and the Today Show. Today is National Meatball Day. I know because I posted her Mama’s Meatball and Ragu recipe on my Facebook page, and my followers loved it. She is on the show to talk about National Meatball Day, her restaurant, her career, and living a balanced life. Please welcome back to Money Making Conversations Donatella Arpaia.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome to Money Making Conversations. It's the show that she
has the secrets of success experience firsthand by marketing and
Brandon expert Rashan McDonald. I will know he's given me
advice to many occasions. In the case you didn't notice,
I'm not broke, you know, he'll be interviewing celebrity CEOs,
entrepreneurs and industry decision makers. It's what he likes to do.
It's what he likes to share. Now it's time to
(00:25):
hear from my man, Rashan McDonald. Money Making Conversations Here
we come. Welcome to money Making Conversation. I am your host,
Rushan McDonald. My interview has provide the consumer and business
owner access to celebrity CEOs, entrepreneurs and industry decision makers.
Always tell people, leave with your gifts and don't let
your age, fringe, family, or coworkers stop you from living
your dreams. My next guest is truly a dreamer. She's
(00:48):
a person I met several years ago on air and
I called her the Meatball Queen and affects me. You know,
I said like that because I've always interviewed her via podcast.
Is the first time I've seen her and to call.
Let's tell her, I'll pay you a meatball. Queen doesn't fit.
It doesn't fit. It's nice to see you in the
(01:10):
first time. You know, we have a lot of money
making conversations to talk about on this show. Because in
twent the six team, you know, the debate of the
quick service prof of Pizza Bar, which I been to twice,
by the way, and the very first time I interviewed you,
I went there and had an amazing time. I took
two friends, I got photos and all that stuff. But
you're gonna probably expand on that. And you have another
prof with Pizza Bar at Maxi New York City, NYC
(01:32):
Times Square Hotel. And so now we're gonna talk about
you being a regular co host. I'll CEO TV all
the time. And it's amazing what you're doing in your life,
your collection at Frank Gate. So it's a business show
that we're talking about. We're gonna talk about all the
brands of what she offers. Please welcome to money making
Conversation for the third time. The third time, Donna tell you,
(01:53):
I'll pay you. Thank you so much. Thank you. Well
down to tell you you know you know him from
Houston Texas, and you know, I got this Southern accent,
and I try my best to spin the rotate those
words and those curved those ales and those a's and
and I hope I'm doing a good job with your name.
You're pretty good. Don't tell stop stop, you're just messing
(02:18):
over it. Stop. Let's talk about you. You know you,
we know, we know. First of all, well, thank you
for going to my restaurant. And yes, a few years
ago I launched Probate Pizza Bar in Grand Central Terminal
in UM in the Moxie Square Times Square and obviously
doing fantastically well until COVID, which right now happens to
(02:42):
be the heart of the pandemic in those two locations.
So it's very interesting to see how we're adapting. But
we're still um fighting the fight and and looking at
other locations because even though I think the hospitality industry
as a whole has completely changed because of COVID, there's
(03:04):
also tremendous opportunities. So you have to be resilient, you
have to adapt, and you gotta you gotta fight the
fight every day. Well, an interesting thing about it, let's
talk about you know where I went at first, because
we're gonna talk about a lot of your other enterprises
you have available with the pizza bar, which is casual dining, correct, Yes,
I wanted to be like what you know, shake Check
(03:27):
was the answer to Burger King. I felt like there
is a need for artisanal pizza. I have a very
unique pizza and with all natural ingredients, and the pizza
has a long rise and it's highly digestible, high water content.
I am from Naples, my father's birthplace, and I studied
in Naples, and I'm really using fresh quality ingredients because
(03:50):
you know, you get what you pay for, and a
lot of the pizza chains out there, you know, you
can get pizza for you know, five dollars, but a
lot of times it's not really pizza and it's not
really cheese, and and so we really I'm committed to
the best ingredients, the best meatballs, of course, because I
am the meatball queen. And uh yeah that that that's
(04:12):
the goal. And it really was a huge success. Um
And to launch in places like Ground Central and Times
Square is where you want to launch, friends. And I'm
gonna tell you, I always busy. Whenever I went, always packed.
The service was always fantastic, because the reason I say
that is that because Gran a touristy, you know, a
lot of people come through their fast track, and so
(04:35):
sometimes you get whatever type service. I'm gonna tell you something.
The two times I went there, I never told him
I knew you I went. I always like to do it.
I don't come in there trying to get anything free,
to cut me a deal, and because I really want
the experience, and I enjoyed it, I took photos and
and all that, and I posted it on my social
media and I said, well, you know that was one
(04:55):
time I went through. They let me go back through
their gee because New York teak is my favorite city.
So when I brought a couple of more friends, I've
about one the first time she was female, and I've
brought two of my buddies. You know, guys, you know,
bring us some rough people into your place. And they
all love the pizza. Cuse hamburgers and pizza and and
is my two favorite things. And so your pizza, you
(05:16):
are right about the dough. The dough is different in it,
in it in it and it was very fresh, and
it was it was amazing. And so but when you
talk about the service, you talked about quality. Now you're
talking about I hear the word Dominoes, how you word
shake shack. That means you're trying to take your brand
in a national platform, which means that quality control is
(05:36):
very important. How do you maintain that? Yes, quality control
and consistency is everything. Um, you know, I've been in
the restaurant business for twenty years and I came from
fine dining. So thank you for the compliment on service,
because I do feel that even if you have casual,
service is important. And more than ever, I think we
lacked the personal touch. And when you get good service
(05:59):
and you get an actual smile from someone, people remember.
So that's really important. And Grand Central is very touristic,
but it also has a lot of consistent people, so
we have a lot of regulars. The bar there is
like Cheers at night. So, but quality control is everything.
It's about systems, a lot of paperwork, protocol, consistency. Um,
(06:21):
you know, you have to really build consistency. It's all
about consistency when you grow. So hopefully as I expand
to other cities, if you get my meat balls in Texas,
maybe I'll come to Texas. Will be the same as
New York. That's the goal. And I think the most
important thing is to not expand too quickly, but not
(06:41):
too slowly either. So if you have a good team,
you reward them well, set up incentives and and you know,
keep things consistent all the time and stay true to
your brand. Well, you know, the reality is we are
in COVID and it talks about people, and you like say,
you landed in great locations because the heavy traffic, natural
(07:01):
heavy traffic. Then you hear COVID hits starts limiting people.
Travel starts limiting, especially on transportation, especially on a tourist area.
That's where the town Square is really towards it because
people come down there. And then transportation wise, the Grand
Central station was perfect location. How did you pivot in
those two locations? I'm sorry, how did you pivot in
(07:23):
those two locations with traffic being diminished in those two
locations in Times Square as well as Grand Central. Yeah,
it's been very difficult. I mean we have to you know,
we're just talking with the landlords about renegotiating rents right now.
Delivery is also an option. But to be honest, New
York City is a tale of many cities right now,
(07:45):
so you know, on the Upper east Side and Lower
east Side, the residential areas, the restaurants are doing well,
but Midtown right now is a bit of a ghost town.
So it's it's very difficult. The idea is just to
stay consistent and to work with landlords and do the
best we can right now and ride this out. I hope,
(08:05):
let's hope. There's only so many things. I'm usually the
type of person I think most restaurant tours and entrepreneurs
are that we always find a way. COVID is something,
you know, it's a once in a century pandemic, and
the way it's impacted New York, especially in Midtown, has
been quite devastating because you have all the people in
(08:26):
the offices still not coming to work, they're working remotely,
and tourists obviously are not there. So you're starting to
get weekenders. Slowly, I'm starting to see the light a
little bit. So that's that's been a little um, that's
been a little difficult. You know, we keep I've been
through worse things before, and um, the product is excellent
(08:50):
and we're consistent and we're gonna we're gonna keep at it. Well,
you know, you still do a TV and that's that's
been a huge opportunity. So interestingly enough, during COVID everyone's
talked about food and medicine, and I'm married to a
world right no heart surgeon and in February now upcoming
(09:11):
as Heart health Month, so everyone was constantly interested in
how to cook at home because for the first time
people had to cook at home. You couldn't go out
to eat, you couldn't get take out. And you know,
I'm a working mother too. Even though I'm a chef,
I'm zooming into wonderful shows like you and I still
have to get dinner on the table. So other beautiful
(09:31):
opportunities came about, which is I've become the brand ambassador
to Phillips Air Fryar and their Home Whole Home Kitchen
Appliances Network, where I'm creating recipes for them and for
the busy mom who's working or staying at home or
doing remote learning. It's been trying, but through that many
(09:53):
opportunities have occurred. So this has been a very exciting
new partnership that I have with Phillips. Out to tell
you're telling me that you're the brand a browsor for
Phillips Air Front yes, do you know, I'm so man
that you I bought one in September from my house
and didn't you know that when did you become the
brand ambassador? It just happened. So I'm gonna, well, you
(10:18):
know what, I'm gonna have to send you there other products?
What do you have an air fryer? Absolutely? Absolutely, the
air frior is the best. And you know, for me,
it's very important how you attach yourself to brand. I
just started using the Phillips air fryer at home and
it came authentically um, and I became obsessed with the product.
(10:39):
And yes, so I'm going to create a whole website
of content and they will be giveaways and recipe. You're
gonna be part of my next competition. Does have a postamator?
Maybe I'll send you one if you're a good boy.
I'm you know the posta that's a little work though,
I would just tell you, I'm I'm telling you, no work,
nonutes put it in and the posta. You kidding me?
(11:02):
Because I got the posta and I got the little
thing you put on in front of the I got that.
I got the kitchen aid to make the Oh my god,
I'm if that's why. That's why I throw my hands up.
I am not doing that. But if you tell me
that I can do something with pasta, because I love
posta and it's easy. You got me, you got me.
(11:26):
That's when in five minutes, I'm telling you, and then
I want you to make a recipe for me and
posted on social media. You know I do that. That's
that's easy. Now. Now now that I know that you
part of Phillips, I gotta show people take photos of
me and the photo of you. This is my girl,
this is my girl right here, Phillips. Because I got
the africcause because I bought a building and I got
(11:48):
another air friar here and my new building I bought
in Atlanta, and we're gonna have to send you another one.
Then they're the best. They're the best, and so so
now now, but let's talk about this pasta make a
because like I said, I got all the little adapters
from my kitchen aid. I swear to you trying to
tell it I do not use it. I used it
(12:08):
one time in Chicago when I bought it in that's
what I bought. I got wise I saw, I went
to I said, I'm not gonna do this ever again.
So well, that's the whole thing about Phillips and why
I'm attracted to them, And I'm not just the brand ambassador.
I'm creating tutorials because you know today everyone when they
(12:30):
get whatever equipment you get, it's no use so much
you take it out of the box. Yes, and so
I'm gonna have video tutorials to make it easy. But
I'm telling you, you put flour, water and egg, you
jump it in and pasta shoots out in five minutes.
It's that easy. And so I'm gonna have a lot
of videos, a lot of tutorials. It's very exciting stuff.
(12:51):
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dot ai. Okay, just between me, I'm just telling you.
I'm announcing something to you because a lot a lot
of people don't know theice done to tell I am
I'm gonna launche my own Rustan's kitchen. It's going to
be a local in the Georgia. Are here boy, two
million householders and I love it. At the top of
(15:04):
the show, I always either bake something or cook something
at the top of my show. In a launch at April,
I want to do if you say it's that easy.
If you say it's that easy, I want to do
it on you on my show. That's the first recipe
I want to do on my show if you say it.
Because because I'm telling you is that if he was
on the show, I would get I would bring this
(15:25):
box and send it right on this desk, right in
and show you I've only opened this box one time,
and when I used it, I put it right back
in this box. That is the last time I've ever
attempted to make pasta ever. Yes, well, and you know
what the good thing about this, you know during COVID,
Like I said, my husband Dr Alan Stewart, he's a
world renowned heart surgeon, and we have to I love food,
(15:47):
so I'm not gonna be puritanical here, but we have
to be healthy and I love pasta. With this pasta maker,
you can make keto pasta. You can make high protein pasta,
so you don't even have to feel as guilty. And
obviously the air friar too. You're cooking with less fat.
So I'm trying to come up with a lot of
recipes that still are delicious, but you know, are nicer
(16:08):
on your waistline because as you know, I had twins
a few years ago, and and I was a little
bit older, so you know, getting the weight off took
a while. And health and health and being an entrepreneur
and how you feel is very very important for that
equation too. So okay, now let's talk about Now you
still have your lifestyle brain at front Gate, I do.
(16:31):
I have a lot of products there and I'm also
the brand ambassador for Galbani Professional, which is the number
one cheese of Italy, and that happened because I did
a blind tasting for cheese at my restaurant Prova, and
so I do wonderful work with them and the restaurant industry,
and I really promote because they are to me, the
(16:53):
best cheese in the industry. And I create a lot
of delicious recipes there too. And do you like dessert,
I'm so your weakness, weakness dessert. Let me tell you something,
don't tell you. Here's the funny thing about it. Front
Gates my favorite store. Okay. All my outdoor furniture in
my home and in Houston and in uh Atlanta is
(17:14):
front Gate, and so I'm trying to figure out that
the highest quality. I'm talking. If I turned my camera,
you could see my outside to quality, the best customer service,
the little brandy. Um. Yeah, I can't wait to start
working with them again and creating a new collection. Okay, cool,
because you gotta tell me because I do want to
(17:34):
buy some more things because I got the outdoor fireplos
area that I want to I want to upgrade the
furniture there. So let me know what, because I do
buy from front Gate. That's why it's so funny. I bought,
I bought Phillips. Didn't know you was part of that brand.
By all my outdoor furniture from front Gate. Didn't know
you had an entertaining collection in front Gate. And so
in Garbani Professional Chief, I love that cheese. So I'm
(17:57):
trying to figure out. I'm gonna sun you some cheese.
I'm trying to figure out, and I'm just gonna let
you know this. This is the funny point because I
don't want to like, I don't try to blow smoking people.
I don't try to act like I do these things.
This is my life, you know. And the fact that
you're doing all these things and I'm a fan, our
purchaser of all these products is a testament that either
(18:21):
I'm really living the right life, I'm heading in to
the right direction, and we're gonna bump heads somewhere, you
know what. Maybe come visit you and Georgia sometime when
all this craziness ends and we'll cook together. You in
my office. When I bought the building, it has a
full kitchen in it, it has an oven, it has
(18:41):
my staff like for instance, I have some people coming
in from another office. We're gonna cook some red beans
and rice and as a corn bread background in the cheese,
I'm gonna bake some chicken. I'm gonna have to che
these cakes. So you ask the question, I gotta answer
because everybody knows I'm a dessert nut. I have eighty
recipes I have on the app. So desserts were you
talking about? Miss I'll pay you what? What kind of
(19:06):
desserts are you trying to get into my Are you
a chocolate person? Or like, tell me, Okay, my wife
loves chocolate. She loves chocolate, so so okay, So for
Valentine's Day, I'm gonna send you my recipe. It literally
takes seven minutes for the molden chocolate lava cake and
the air fryer. It comes out perfectly in the Philips
(19:27):
air fry. I just made it. I'm gonna post it
on my social media site, Donna Teller are Pie. You
gotta follow me on Instagram and I'm telling you you're
gonna have chocolate lava cake and it is so good.
So it's all about getting good quality chocolate and in
seven minutes you can have chocolate lava cake. You're making me.
(19:49):
You're making me happy man. Happy man. Happy man is
meaning that all these things I've walked away because it's
been so difficult. Now you're telling me we should uh
come back to the dog side, come back over and
come back over, come over here to the d A.
D A got something for you. We got some easy pasta.
We've got some easy chocolate to search for you to make.
(20:11):
I'm a post it on my social media tell the world,
and you know, I think, uh, I knew it's so
good to finally see you because I knew when I
spoke to you that you were a food person, that
you love food. It's that's the way you speak about
you know. I have interviewed a lot. You can tell
that the hosts that are into food and that are
(20:33):
not into food. I think people that are into food
have an extra passion for life, which is the key
to success with anything. It shows it's authentic, just like
your show. You love what you do. And I thank
you for being a guest again today because you just are,
you know, infectious the way you interview. So I really
thank you, and I and I'm so glad that you
(20:55):
went to Proba and you loved the food, and I
am an eat poll queen. I'm very proud of it,
very proud of it. I want me Paul Madness two
years in a row, and now I'm coming up with
some meat ball air fryer recipes to cut on the
fat so we can save room for a little dessert,
so that we can stay hard healthy. So it's good.
(21:16):
It's good. Life is you know what. It's been a
trying year, but it's true that which does not kill
you makes you stronger. And I think I've come out
of COVID stronger with exciting new opportunities that would have
never come up before with Phillips and my continuing relationship
with Delbani, and there are some pizza restaurants in the
(21:38):
future expanding. I'm just I'm just waiting a little bit
right now until this all calms down with the vaccines here.
So hopefully my husband seems to think that by the
fall things should normalize again, so I hope so well.
I want to stay. First of all, you're amazing and
for me for and to call you the meatball queen,
(21:58):
and you're beautiful they you know, it really is struggle.
I'm just going to the struggle. But you you wanted twice.
You deserve that title. Secondly, I'm I'll tell your PR
people to contact me. I'm gonna send you a photo
of my kitchen so you can see. Because what I
want you to understand, d A, is that I'm the
real deal. When I come to food, I will I
get up at four o'clock. I probably get them off
(22:20):
for this six. My staff are coming in. They have muffins,
way known, they have some corn bread way now. I've
done a taco salads for them. I've done barbecue settings
for them. I enjoy That's the part that relaxes me.
I don't smoke, I don't drink, and that this is negative.
I just enjoyed life. And that's part of the you know,
God gave me the gift and I can do with
(22:41):
things and I can share. And so I'm just telling
you is that I'm gonna send you my address and
uh letting you know that I'm gonna send you lots
of Phillips stuff and we're gonna start cooking together and
hopefully you'll see all the exciting things that I'm doing
with Phillips this year. We really are are it's a
it's an exciting relationship that we started. And you know
(23:03):
what's interesting, The number one Google search that occurred with
food when COVID happened was not what recipe, but how
to cook? So I'm hoping and I think you're the
same way, that there is a return to cooking because
it's a way to show joy and love, you know,
on first generation from Italian immigrants. That's how my mother,
(23:24):
God rest her soul, showed her love to me every day.
And I don't know if you know this really quick.
I used to be a lawyer for half in half
a minute, but I left to follow my passion for
food because I love to feed people and I love
to bring people together. And I think at the end,
that's what it's all about. And when you follow your passion,
(23:46):
success follows well, you know. But I remember I've read
that we talked about it for the first time when
you left your career as a lawyer. I think the
A seven I believe. Yeah, I remember, uh and and
I always because that's important because it was important for
me because a lot of people don't follow their dreams
(24:06):
because they fear they are known. And I see the
journey that you've been part of and I'm really the
reason I like my show is that you know, I've
watched my relationships grow and I consider you one of
those great relationships. And to see that you were a
couple of unknown people you came on my show, respected
what I was trying to do, and I promoted your brand.
And to see now that you'll be in such a
strong entrepreneur And the funny part about this is that
(24:29):
I'm already purchasing and participating at front Gate and I
bought the Phillips already and got Banni. And you're gonna
You're gonna send me a recipe or some device on
how I can be five many uh uh pasta, which
is crazy, and this recipe on how to do chocolate
in seven minutes. I'm gonna tell you you have no
have no fear Rahand McDonald. The thing I want to
(24:50):
do first is please tell your PR person to email me.
I want let you see that Rashan is very serious
about this kitchen. I'm gonna send you up photo of
my kitchen, and I want to see a photo in
my office and you go, he's the truth. Because when
you talk to me, I want you to know you're
talking to the truth. Not a hype man, not a
(25:10):
man trying to make Dinna good, trying to make a field.
Get inside. Now, I'm the real deal. I love dessert,
I love food. I love It's more people come on
my show who are chiefs than any talk show in
the country. I have everybody on my show I have
and on my show. I rock on my show. I
Samuel said on my show, I was talking to show
so this earlier on my show. Every cheff comes on
(25:32):
my show because they know I love food. I have
a passion to support the branches you guys career. I
know y'all got victimized by COVID and eighteen. I'm gonna
help drag y'all out of that and let y'all know
that your boy is there with you. More importantly, I'm
a fan. You look fantastic, meatball queen, and don't stop.
Thank you so much for Sean. Thank you. Yeah so
(25:53):
I Mikey, people are listening in and there's gonna you
send me that photo today, I'm gonna see to you
all the beautiful products from Phillips and we're gonna get cooking.
Thank you. I appreciate you. Bye bye bye. If you
want to hear more money making conversations, please go to
Money Making Conversation dot com. I with Sean McDonald, I
am your host. In this season of giving, Coals has
(26:16):
gifts for all your loved ones. For those who like
to keep it cozy, find fleeces, sweaters, loungeware, blankets and throws.
Or support minority owned or founded brands by giving gifts
from Human Nation and Shame Moisture. And in the spirit
of giving, Coals Cares is donating eight million dollars to
local nonprofits nationwide. Give with all your heart this season
(26:37):
with great gifts from Coals or Coals dot com. Still
living in manually taking notes, there is a better way
to start the new year with auto dot ai automatically
get meeting notes. Auto dot ai works for virtual meetings
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(26:57):
Sticky notes, email alerts a string around your finger. They're
just not big enough. So here's a big reminder from
the California Lottery. Tomorrow's Mega Millions jack potio which three
hundred million play now, Please play responsibly. Must be eighteen
years older to purchase Blayer pinion.
Welcome to Money Making Conversations. It's the show that she
has the secrets of success experience firsthand by marketing and
Brandon expert Rashan McDonald. I will know he's given me
advice to many occasions. In the case you didn't notice,
I'm not broke, you know, he'll be interviewing celebrity CEOs,
entrepreneurs and industry decision makers. It's what he likes to do.
It's what he likes to share. Now it's time to
(00:25):
hear from my man, Rashan McDonald. Money Making Conversations Here
we come. Welcome to money Making Conversation. I am your host,
Rushan McDonald. My interview has provide the consumer and business
owner access to celebrity CEOs, entrepreneurs and industry decision makers.
Always tell people, leave with your gifts and don't let
your age, fringe, family, or coworkers stop you from living
your dreams. My next guest is truly a dreamer. She's
(00:48):
a person I met several years ago on air and
I called her the Meatball Queen and affects me. You know,
I said like that because I've always interviewed her via podcast.
Is the first time I've seen her and to call.
Let's tell her, I'll pay you a meatball. Queen doesn't fit.
It doesn't fit. It's nice to see you in the
(01:10):
first time. You know, we have a lot of money
making conversations to talk about on this show. Because in
twent the six team, you know, the debate of the
quick service prof of Pizza Bar, which I been to twice,
by the way, and the very first time I interviewed you,
I went there and had an amazing time. I took
two friends, I got photos and all that stuff. But
you're gonna probably expand on that. And you have another
prof with Pizza Bar at Maxi New York City, NYC
(01:32):
Times Square Hotel. And so now we're gonna talk about
you being a regular co host. I'll CEO TV all
the time. And it's amazing what you're doing in your life,
your collection at Frank Gate. So it's a business show
that we're talking about. We're gonna talk about all the
brands of what she offers. Please welcome to money making
Conversation for the third time. The third time, Donna tell you,
(01:53):
I'll pay you. Thank you so much. Thank you. Well
down to tell you you know you know him from
Houston Texas, and you know, I got this Southern accent,
and I try my best to spin the rotate those
words and those curved those ales and those a's and
and I hope I'm doing a good job with your name.
You're pretty good. Don't tell stop stop, you're just messing
(02:18):
over it. Stop. Let's talk about you. You know you,
we know, we know. First of all, well, thank you
for going to my restaurant. And yes, a few years
ago I launched Probate Pizza Bar in Grand Central Terminal
in UM in the Moxie Square Times Square and obviously
doing fantastically well until COVID, which right now happens to
(02:42):
be the heart of the pandemic in those two locations.
So it's very interesting to see how we're adapting. But
we're still um fighting the fight and and looking at
other locations because even though I think the hospitality industry
as a whole has completely changed because of COVID, there's
(03:04):
also tremendous opportunities. So you have to be resilient, you
have to adapt, and you gotta you gotta fight the
fight every day. Well, an interesting thing about it, let's
talk about you know where I went at first, because
we're gonna talk about a lot of your other enterprises
you have available with the pizza bar, which is casual dining, correct, Yes,
I wanted to be like what you know, shake Check
(03:27):
was the answer to Burger King. I felt like there
is a need for artisanal pizza. I have a very
unique pizza and with all natural ingredients, and the pizza
has a long rise and it's highly digestible, high water content.
I am from Naples, my father's birthplace, and I studied
in Naples, and I'm really using fresh quality ingredients because
(03:50):
you know, you get what you pay for, and a
lot of the pizza chains out there, you know, you
can get pizza for you know, five dollars, but a
lot of times it's not really pizza and it's not
really cheese, and and so we really I'm committed to
the best ingredients, the best meatballs, of course, because I
am the meatball queen. And uh yeah that that that's
(04:12):
the goal. And it really was a huge success. Um
And to launch in places like Ground Central and Times
Square is where you want to launch, friends. And I'm
gonna tell you, I always busy. Whenever I went, always packed.
The service was always fantastic, because the reason I say
that is that because Gran a touristy, you know, a
lot of people come through their fast track, and so
(04:35):
sometimes you get whatever type service. I'm gonna tell you something.
The two times I went there, I never told him
I knew you I went. I always like to do it.
I don't come in there trying to get anything free,
to cut me a deal, and because I really want
the experience, and I enjoyed it, I took photos and
and all that, and I posted it on my social
media and I said, well, you know that was one
(04:55):
time I went through. They let me go back through
their gee because New York teak is my favorite city.
So when I brought a couple of more friends, I've
about one the first time she was female, and I've
brought two of my buddies. You know, guys, you know,
bring us some rough people into your place. And they
all love the pizza. Cuse hamburgers and pizza and and
is my two favorite things. And so your pizza, you
(05:16):
are right about the dough. The dough is different in it,
in it in it and it was very fresh, and
it was it was amazing. And so but when you
talk about the service, you talked about quality. Now you're
talking about I hear the word Dominoes, how you word
shake shack. That means you're trying to take your brand
in a national platform, which means that quality control is
(05:36):
very important. How do you maintain that? Yes, quality control
and consistency is everything. Um, you know, I've been in
the restaurant business for twenty years and I came from
fine dining. So thank you for the compliment on service,
because I do feel that even if you have casual,
service is important. And more than ever, I think we
lacked the personal touch. And when you get good service
(05:59):
and you get an actual smile from someone, people remember.
So that's really important. And Grand Central is very touristic,
but it also has a lot of consistent people, so
we have a lot of regulars. The bar there is
like Cheers at night. So, but quality control is everything.
It's about systems, a lot of paperwork, protocol, consistency. Um,
(06:21):
you know, you have to really build consistency. It's all
about consistency when you grow. So hopefully as I expand
to other cities, if you get my meat balls in Texas,
maybe I'll come to Texas. Will be the same as
New York. That's the goal. And I think the most
important thing is to not expand too quickly, but not
(06:41):
too slowly either. So if you have a good team,
you reward them well, set up incentives and and you know,
keep things consistent all the time and stay true to
your brand. Well, you know, the reality is we are
in COVID and it talks about people, and you like say,
you landed in great locations because the heavy traffic, natural
(07:01):
heavy traffic. Then you hear COVID hits starts limiting people.
Travel starts limiting, especially on transportation, especially on a tourist area.
That's where the town Square is really towards it because
people come down there. And then transportation wise, the Grand
Central station was perfect location. How did you pivot in
those two locations? I'm sorry, how did you pivot in
(07:23):
those two locations with traffic being diminished in those two
locations in Times Square as well as Grand Central. Yeah,
it's been very difficult. I mean we have to you know,
we're just talking with the landlords about renegotiating rents right now.
Delivery is also an option. But to be honest, New
York City is a tale of many cities right now,
(07:45):
so you know, on the Upper east Side and Lower
east Side, the residential areas, the restaurants are doing well,
but Midtown right now is a bit of a ghost town.
So it's it's very difficult. The idea is just to
stay consistent and to work with landlords and do the
best we can right now and ride this out. I hope,
(08:05):
let's hope. There's only so many things. I'm usually the
type of person I think most restaurant tours and entrepreneurs
are that we always find a way. COVID is something,
you know, it's a once in a century pandemic, and
the way it's impacted New York, especially in Midtown, has
been quite devastating because you have all the people in
(08:26):
the offices still not coming to work, they're working remotely,
and tourists obviously are not there. So you're starting to
get weekenders. Slowly, I'm starting to see the light a
little bit. So that's that's been a little um, that's
been a little difficult. You know, we keep I've been
through worse things before, and um, the product is excellent
(08:50):
and we're consistent and we're gonna we're gonna keep at it. Well,
you know, you still do a TV and that's that's
been a huge opportunity. So interestingly enough, during COVID everyone's
talked about food and medicine, and I'm married to a
world right no heart surgeon and in February now upcoming
(09:11):
as Heart health Month, so everyone was constantly interested in
how to cook at home because for the first time
people had to cook at home. You couldn't go out
to eat, you couldn't get take out. And you know,
I'm a working mother too. Even though I'm a chef,
I'm zooming into wonderful shows like you and I still
have to get dinner on the table. So other beautiful
(09:31):
opportunities came about, which is I've become the brand ambassador
to Phillips Air Fryar and their Home Whole Home Kitchen
Appliances Network, where I'm creating recipes for them and for
the busy mom who's working or staying at home or
doing remote learning. It's been trying, but through that many
(09:53):
opportunities have occurred. So this has been a very exciting
new partnership that I have with Phillips. Out to tell
you're telling me that you're the brand a browsor for
Phillips Air Front yes, do you know, I'm so man
that you I bought one in September from my house
and didn't you know that when did you become the
brand ambassador? It just happened. So I'm gonna, well, you
(10:18):
know what, I'm gonna have to send you there other products?
What do you have an air fryer? Absolutely? Absolutely, the
air frior is the best. And you know, for me,
it's very important how you attach yourself to brand. I
just started using the Phillips air fryer at home and
it came authentically um, and I became obsessed with the product.
(10:39):
And yes, so I'm going to create a whole website
of content and they will be giveaways and recipe. You're
gonna be part of my next competition. Does have a postamator?
Maybe I'll send you one if you're a good boy.
I'm you know the posta that's a little work though,
I would just tell you, I'm I'm telling you, no work,
nonutes put it in and the posta. You kidding me?
(11:02):
Because I got the posta and I got the little
thing you put on in front of the I got that.
I got the kitchen aid to make the Oh my god,
I'm if that's why. That's why I throw my hands up.
I am not doing that. But if you tell me
that I can do something with pasta, because I love
posta and it's easy. You got me, you got me.
(11:26):
That's when in five minutes, I'm telling you, and then
I want you to make a recipe for me and
posted on social media. You know I do that. That's
that's easy. Now. Now now that I know that you
part of Phillips, I gotta show people take photos of
me and the photo of you. This is my girl,
this is my girl right here, Phillips. Because I got
the africcause because I bought a building and I got
(11:48):
another air friar here and my new building I bought
in Atlanta, and we're gonna have to send you another one.
Then they're the best. They're the best, and so so
now now, but let's talk about this pasta make a
because like I said, I got all the little adapters
from my kitchen aid. I swear to you trying to
tell it I do not use it. I used it
(12:08):
one time in Chicago when I bought it in that's
what I bought. I got wise I saw, I went
to I said, I'm not gonna do this ever again.
So well, that's the whole thing about Phillips and why
I'm attracted to them, And I'm not just the brand ambassador.
I'm creating tutorials because you know today everyone when they
(12:30):
get whatever equipment you get, it's no use so much
you take it out of the box. Yes, and so
I'm gonna have video tutorials to make it easy. But
I'm telling you, you put flour, water and egg, you
jump it in and pasta shoots out in five minutes.
It's that easy. And so I'm gonna have a lot
of videos, a lot of tutorials. It's very exciting stuff.
(12:51):
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dot ai. Okay, just between me, I'm just telling you.
I'm announcing something to you because a lot a lot
of people don't know theice done to tell I am
I'm gonna launche my own Rustan's kitchen. It's going to
be a local in the Georgia. Are here boy, two
million householders and I love it. At the top of
(15:04):
the show, I always either bake something or cook something
at the top of my show. In a launch at April,
I want to do if you say it's that easy.
If you say it's that easy, I want to do
it on you on my show. That's the first recipe
I want to do on my show if you say it.
Because because I'm telling you is that if he was
on the show, I would get I would bring this
(15:25):
box and send it right on this desk, right in
and show you I've only opened this box one time,
and when I used it, I put it right back
in this box. That is the last time I've ever
attempted to make pasta ever. Yes, well, and you know
what the good thing about this, you know during COVID,
Like I said, my husband Dr Alan Stewart, he's a
world renowned heart surgeon, and we have to I love food,
(15:47):
so I'm not gonna be puritanical here, but we have
to be healthy and I love pasta. With this pasta maker,
you can make keto pasta. You can make high protein pasta,
so you don't even have to feel as guilty. And
obviously the air friar too. You're cooking with less fat.
So I'm trying to come up with a lot of
recipes that still are delicious, but you know, are nicer
(16:08):
on your waistline because as you know, I had twins
a few years ago, and and I was a little
bit older, so you know, getting the weight off took
a while. And health and health and being an entrepreneur
and how you feel is very very important for that
equation too. So okay, now let's talk about Now you
still have your lifestyle brain at front Gate, I do.
(16:31):
I have a lot of products there and I'm also
the brand ambassador for Galbani Professional, which is the number
one cheese of Italy, and that happened because I did
a blind tasting for cheese at my restaurant Prova, and
so I do wonderful work with them and the restaurant industry,
and I really promote because they are to me, the
(16:53):
best cheese in the industry. And I create a lot
of delicious recipes there too. And do you like dessert,
I'm so your weakness, weakness dessert. Let me tell you something,
don't tell you. Here's the funny thing about it. Front
Gates my favorite store. Okay. All my outdoor furniture in
my home and in Houston and in uh Atlanta is
(17:14):
front Gate, and so I'm trying to figure out that
the highest quality. I'm talking. If I turned my camera,
you could see my outside to quality, the best customer service,
the little brandy. Um. Yeah, I can't wait to start
working with them again and creating a new collection. Okay, cool,
because you gotta tell me because I do want to
(17:34):
buy some more things because I got the outdoor fireplos
area that I want to I want to upgrade the
furniture there. So let me know what, because I do
buy from front Gate. That's why it's so funny. I bought,
I bought Phillips. Didn't know you was part of that brand.
By all my outdoor furniture from front Gate. Didn't know
you had an entertaining collection in front Gate. And so
in Garbani Professional Chief, I love that cheese. So I'm
(17:57):
trying to figure out. I'm gonna sun you some cheese.
I'm trying to figure out, and I'm just gonna let
you know this. This is the funny point because I
don't want to like, I don't try to blow smoking people.
I don't try to act like I do these things.
This is my life, you know. And the fact that
you're doing all these things and I'm a fan, our
purchaser of all these products is a testament that either
(18:21):
I'm really living the right life, I'm heading in to
the right direction, and we're gonna bump heads somewhere, you
know what. Maybe come visit you and Georgia sometime when
all this craziness ends and we'll cook together. You in
my office. When I bought the building, it has a
full kitchen in it, it has an oven, it has
(18:41):
my staff like for instance, I have some people coming
in from another office. We're gonna cook some red beans
and rice and as a corn bread background in the cheese,
I'm gonna bake some chicken. I'm gonna have to che
these cakes. So you ask the question, I gotta answer
because everybody knows I'm a dessert nut. I have eighty
recipes I have on the app. So desserts were you
talking about? Miss I'll pay you what? What kind of
(19:06):
desserts are you trying to get into my Are you
a chocolate person? Or like, tell me, Okay, my wife
loves chocolate. She loves chocolate, so so okay, So for
Valentine's Day, I'm gonna send you my recipe. It literally
takes seven minutes for the molden chocolate lava cake and
the air fryer. It comes out perfectly in the Philips
(19:27):
air fry. I just made it. I'm gonna post it
on my social media site, Donna Teller are Pie. You
gotta follow me on Instagram and I'm telling you you're
gonna have chocolate lava cake and it is so good.
So it's all about getting good quality chocolate and in
seven minutes you can have chocolate lava cake. You're making me.
(19:49):
You're making me happy man. Happy man. Happy man is
meaning that all these things I've walked away because it's
been so difficult. Now you're telling me we should uh
come back to the dog side, come back over and
come back over, come over here to the d A.
D A got something for you. We got some easy pasta.
We've got some easy chocolate to search for you to make.
(20:11):
I'm a post it on my social media tell the world,
and you know, I think, uh, I knew it's so
good to finally see you because I knew when I
spoke to you that you were a food person, that
you love food. It's that's the way you speak about
you know. I have interviewed a lot. You can tell
that the hosts that are into food and that are
(20:33):
not into food. I think people that are into food
have an extra passion for life, which is the key
to success with anything. It shows it's authentic, just like
your show. You love what you do. And I thank
you for being a guest again today because you just are,
you know, infectious the way you interview. So I really
thank you, and I and I'm so glad that you
(20:55):
went to Proba and you loved the food, and I
am an eat poll queen. I'm very proud of it,
very proud of it. I want me Paul Madness two
years in a row, and now I'm coming up with
some meat ball air fryer recipes to cut on the
fat so we can save room for a little dessert,
so that we can stay hard healthy. So it's good.
(21:16):
It's good. Life is you know what. It's been a
trying year, but it's true that which does not kill
you makes you stronger. And I think I've come out
of COVID stronger with exciting new opportunities that would have
never come up before with Phillips and my continuing relationship
with Delbani, and there are some pizza restaurants in the
(21:38):
future expanding. I'm just I'm just waiting a little bit
right now until this all calms down with the vaccines here.
So hopefully my husband seems to think that by the
fall things should normalize again, so I hope so well.
I want to stay. First of all, you're amazing and
for me for and to call you the meatball queen,
(21:58):
and you're beautiful they you know, it really is struggle.
I'm just going to the struggle. But you you wanted twice.
You deserve that title. Secondly, I'm I'll tell your PR
people to contact me. I'm gonna send you a photo
of my kitchen so you can see. Because what I
want you to understand, d A, is that I'm the
real deal. When I come to food, I will I
get up at four o'clock. I probably get them off
(22:20):
for this six. My staff are coming in. They have muffins,
way known, they have some corn bread way now. I've
done a taco salads for them. I've done barbecue settings
for them. I enjoy That's the part that relaxes me.
I don't smoke, I don't drink, and that this is negative.
I just enjoyed life. And that's part of the you know,
God gave me the gift and I can do with
(22:41):
things and I can share. And so I'm just telling
you is that I'm gonna send you my address and
uh letting you know that I'm gonna send you lots
of Phillips stuff and we're gonna start cooking together and
hopefully you'll see all the exciting things that I'm doing
with Phillips this year. We really are are it's a
it's an exciting relationship that we started. And you know
(23:03):
what's interesting, The number one Google search that occurred with
food when COVID happened was not what recipe, but how
to cook? So I'm hoping and I think you're the
same way, that there is a return to cooking because
it's a way to show joy and love, you know,
on first generation from Italian immigrants. That's how my mother,
(23:24):
God rest her soul, showed her love to me every day.
And I don't know if you know this really quick.
I used to be a lawyer for half in half
a minute, but I left to follow my passion for
food because I love to feed people and I love
to bring people together. And I think at the end,
that's what it's all about. And when you follow your passion,
(23:46):
success follows well, you know. But I remember I've read
that we talked about it for the first time when
you left your career as a lawyer. I think the
A seven I believe. Yeah, I remember, uh and and
I always because that's important because it was important for
me because a lot of people don't follow their dreams
(24:06):
because they fear they are known. And I see the
journey that you've been part of and I'm really the
reason I like my show is that you know, I've
watched my relationships grow and I consider you one of
those great relationships. And to see that you were a
couple of unknown people you came on my show, respected
what I was trying to do, and I promoted your brand.
And to see now that you'll be in such a
strong entrepreneur And the funny part about this is that
(24:29):
I'm already purchasing and participating at front Gate and I
bought the Phillips already and got Banni. And you're gonna
You're gonna send me a recipe or some device on
how I can be five many uh uh pasta, which
is crazy, and this recipe on how to do chocolate
in seven minutes. I'm gonna tell you you have no
have no fear Rahand McDonald. The thing I want to
(24:50):
do first is please tell your PR person to email me.
I want let you see that Rashan is very serious
about this kitchen. I'm gonna send you up photo of
my kitchen, and I want to see a photo in
my office and you go, he's the truth. Because when
you talk to me, I want you to know you're
talking to the truth. Not a hype man, not a
(25:10):
man trying to make Dinna good, trying to make a field.
Get inside. Now, I'm the real deal. I love dessert,
I love food. I love It's more people come on
my show who are chiefs than any talk show in
the country. I have everybody on my show I have
and on my show. I rock on my show. I
Samuel said on my show, I was talking to show
so this earlier on my show. Every cheff comes on
(25:32):
my show because they know I love food. I have
a passion to support the branches you guys career. I
know y'all got victimized by COVID and eighteen. I'm gonna
help drag y'all out of that and let y'all know
that your boy is there with you. More importantly, I'm
a fan. You look fantastic, meatball queen, and don't stop.
Thank you so much for Sean. Thank you. Yeah so
(25:53):
I Mikey, people are listening in and there's gonna you
send me that photo today, I'm gonna see to you
all the beautiful products from Phillips and we're gonna get cooking.
Thank you. I appreciate you. Bye bye bye. If you
want to hear more money making conversations, please go to
Money Making Conversation dot com. I with Sean McDonald, I
am your host. In this season of giving, Coals has
(26:16):
gifts for all your loved ones. For those who like
to keep it cozy, find fleeces, sweaters, loungeware, blankets and throws.
Or support minority owned or founded brands by giving gifts
from Human Nation and Shame Moisture. And in the spirit
of giving, Coals Cares is donating eight million dollars to
local nonprofits nationwide. Give with all your heart this season
(26:37):
with great gifts from Coals or Coals dot com. Still
living in manually taking notes, there is a better way
to start the new year with auto dot ai automatically
get meeting notes. Auto dot ai works for virtual meetings
like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet. Sign up on
the web for free or download in the app stores
auto dot ai. That's O T T E R. Dot Ai.
(26:57):
Sticky notes, email alerts a string around your finger. They're
just not big enough. So here's a big reminder from
the California Lottery. Tomorrow's Mega Millions jack potio which three
hundred million play now, Please play responsibly. Must be eighteen
years older to purchase Blayer pinion.
Host
Rushion McDonald
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If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.