August 25, 2007
12-minute interview with Mielle Chenier-Cowan, District Manager for Cafe Gratitude in the San Francisco Bay Area. The four Cafe Gratitude restaurants have a striking interior and unique energy, as well as remarkable food. In this episode, part 1 of our interview, Chenier-Cowan describes the singular mission of the restaurants and describes their evolution, theming, and the beautiful board game that inspired them.
Read my blog post about Cafe Gratitude.
August 14, 2007
16-minute interview with Lisa Vella, co-owner of the wildly successful South Bark Dog Wash in San Diego, CA. In this episode, part 2 of the interview, Lisa talks about staffing, expanding, and maintaining their unique vision over the seven years they’ve been open. The South Bark Dog Wash is a self-serve dog and cat wash (no grooming) in the South Park neighborhood of San Diego. Lisa and co-owner Donna Walker developed a mission statement, logo, and business plan long before opening their doors. Their long-range planning stood them in good stead, as the business now provides incomes for both the owners and numerous paid staff members, as well as offering a pet-friendly community, dog training center, retail shop, and online wholesale and retail businesses.