A month ago I was in New York City visiting some friends, and my friend Harry (the very first guest on How I Decided — check out his episode here) suggested I meet with a friend of his who started a pizza restaurant in NYC. I was immediately intrigued. I absolutely love food, but I especially love watching Youtube videos about restaurant entrepreneurs and chefs and their stories of how they started their own establishment.
I think I have a deep admiration for restaurant owners because they’ve taken a huge personal risk to start a business in a competitive industry, yet they also have an unwavering commitment to quality and refusal to take any shortcuts that would lead to short-term financial gain.
I texted Harry’s friend and we set up a time to meet at his restaurant in the Lower East Side. It all came together rather spontaneously but I was all for it. We even recorded the podcast episode inside the restaurant, with a large pizza oven in the background of the video.
My guest today is Jonny Rashtian, founder of Jonny’s Pizza. Jonny graduated from NYU in 2022 before starting an apprenticeship at 7th Street Burger (best burger in Manhattan!) and working at other restaurants for long hours. Through those experiences he learned a lot about the restaurant business and in spring 2024, Jonny launched Jonny’s Pizza.
In this episode, Jonny and I discuss why he decided to open a pizza shop (an incredibly competitive category within the already competitive restaurant industry), why he believed in himself to make his idea work, and the different challenges of managing a new restaurant.
0:00 Why a pizza restaurant?
1:39 Jonny’s journey from community college to 7th Street Burger
6:03 Why Jonny pursued entrepreneurship
10:06 The hustle required to achieve financial freedom
14:18 The vision and inspiration for Jonny’s Pizza
17:57 The different decisions a restaurant entrepreneur has to make
19:49 Why hiring is the most difficult thing for Jonny
22:02 The challenges of decision fatigue
🎙 You can listen to the episode on Spotify or Youtube
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Thank you so much for reading and listening. If you’re interested in decision-making like I am, I’d love to connect and share notes! Who should I have next on the show? Reach out and let me know!
