Podcast Summary: Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Episode 1220: Why Every Restaurant Needs a VA with Rashmi Bhat
Date: September 18, 2025
Episode Overview
This episode explores the transformative potential of Virtual Assistants (VAs) in the restaurant industry. Host Eric Cacciatore welcomes Rashmi Bhat—co-owner of Seven Monks Cafe, Lazy H Retreats, and Reso Hospitality—to demystify how leveraging VAs allows restaurant operators to save time, scale operations, and build world-class teams. Rashmi and guest co-contributor Anna Goodkind dive deeply into practical steps, hiring strategies, training, and the major pros and cons between VAs based in the Philippines versus Latin America.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Why VAs are Changing the Restaurant World
[14:32–19:45]
- The 4-Hour Workweek Spark: Rashmi was inspired by the 4-Hour Workweek's potential for leveraging VAs but adapted it to the on-the-ground needs of restaurants and hospitality.
- Fractional Labor Advantages: VAs enable access to global talent at a fraction of the cost, yielding higher quality output and the ability for smaller operators to “do more with less.”
- Real Examples: Rashmi delegates tasks like graphic design, payroll, email management, vendor issue resolution, and customer communication, freeing up her core team to focus on in-person hospitality.
"For me, like one thing we have is every Monday we run payroll...that's a priority and that's basically mandatory."
—Rashmi Bhat [18:13]
- Immediate Impact for Small Operators: Even very small operations can benefit—especially with the rising burden of digital tasks such as social media, admin, and order management.
2. Where to Hire – The Philippines vs. Latin America
[29:42–35:06]
-
Philippines:
- Traditionally the VA hotspot due to high English proficiency and strong remote work culture.
- Potential downsides: Time zone misalignment and occasional language/cultural barriers with U.S. operators.
-
Latin America:
- Increasingly popular due to time zone overlap, strong cultural alignment, and language fluency in English/Spanish.
- Many VAs in Latin America have U.S. education or experience.
- Enhanced support via agencies like Purple (contact: Alex) who assist with job posting, vetting, and onboarding.
"Culture. I think Latin America picks up our culture a lot, lot quicker than maybe the Philippines."
—Rashmi Bhat [30:40]
"I can't overemphasize the cultural alignment more...a lot of these folks...did a stage in America and then went back to their home country of Bolivia."
—Anna Goodkind [32:28]
Payment Platforms:
- Philippines: Wise.com
- Latin America: Wise, Payoneer, Deel, AirTM
3. What VAs Can Do for Your Restaurant
[35:29–46:53]
-
Delegable Tasks:
- Graphics & Marketing (social media, Canva)
- Bookkeeping (POS data entry, Quickbooks, reporting)
- Payroll & Scheduling
- Customer service (DoorDash, online orders)
- Vendor communication & basic HR/admin
- SOP documentation (using walkthrough videos sent to VAs for SOP creation)
- Invoicing, guest review responses, and inventory data management
-
Tools Used:
- Video Training: Loom, phone video recordings
- Project Management: Asana, Monday, Trello (varies by team preference)
- Communication: Slack for centralized updates and community-building
"Anything you can do on a computer that can be taught, they can probably take on...don't confuse your VA, hire people specialized in what they do."
—Rashmi Bhat [36:59, 46:39]
"We do videos just on my phone...and then sent that off to our virtual assistant and say, write me an SOP that I can post...for exactly what to do to close down."
—Anna Goodkind [39:34]
4. How to Hire, Train, and Keep VAs for the Long Term
[47:27–52:04]
- Hiring Process:
- Start with crystal-clear job descriptions, including priorities and budget.
- Use job boards (OnlineJobs.ph, Fiverr, Upwork for part-time; agencies for full-time).
- Pro-tip: Insert a test (e.g., a required phrase in the subject line) to filter attention-to-detail in applicants.
- Agencies (like Purple for Latin America) offer extended onboarding support.
"Have a very clear job description—what it is that you need done and what's your budget."
—Rashmi Bhat [49:01]
-
Training Strategies:
- Develop video walkthroughs for routine processes
- Start VAs with low-risk, well-defined tasks and gradually expand their responsibilities as trust and proficiency grow.
- Use project management systems to assign, track, and review work.
-
Building Culture:
- Foster connection with virtual team channels (memes, celebrations, sharing about personal lives on Slack).
- Set up semi-annual one-on-one check-ins to learn about VA aspirations and challenges.
- Encourage “dream boards” and mark special dates/occasions (birthdays, anniversaries).
- Recognize achievements—both professional and personal.
"The team just drops funny memes, things that are happening in their life. Their daughter had a birthday party...Having the fun team culture moments."
—Rashmi Bhat [47:27]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On the Value of Delegation:
"I did a time study three, four years ago, and I found I was spending six hours a week on Canva designing graphics and I was like, what am I doing?"
—Rashmi Bhat [12:00] -
On Effective Communication & Culture:
"They're people. Like, having the grace, take time to understand their culture, how they've been operating, and, and be kind, right?"
—Rashmi Bhat [13:30] -
On Global Impact & Ethics:
"This is how you keep your money closed. This is how we pay our team better...But now we're also paying on a bigger scale, like, how can we help connect the world?"
—Rashmi Bhat [53:30] -
On Mental Health & Presence:
"We didn't get into the restaurant industry to sit on a computer all day. The more of this we can get off our plate so we can have FaceTime with the most important people, our frontline staff...we can have a better impact."
—Eric Cacciatore [55:27]
Timestamps for Important Segments
- [04:51] Rashmi Bhat introduction & success mantra
- [07:17] Rashmi's entrepreneurial journey
- [10:00] The critical role of VAs in scaling multiple businesses
- [13:11] Tips on VA onboarding, patience, and integration
- [14:32] Why VAs are changing the restaurant world
- [18:13] Systematizing task prioritization with VAs
- [22:05] How to pay VAs (Wise, Payoneer, etc.)
- [29:42] Philippines vs. Latin America: Key differences
- [35:29] Full rundown of VA-appropriate tasks in restaurants
- [39:34] SOP creation and training via video delegation
- [44:41] Advanced admin, HR, and customer service tasks
- [47:27] Building VA culture, team communication strategies
- [49:01] Step-by-step hiring process & job posting tips
- [53:30] Ethics of remote work and local vs. global impact
- [58:08] Mental health considerations in remote work
- [61:01] Rashmi's call-out for future podcast guest
Resources & Contacts
-
Rashmi Bhat:
Instagram/YouTube/TikTok/Facebook: @toastyindian
LinkedIn -
Anna Goodkind:
AnnaGoodkindConsulting.com
Email: anna@goodkindconsulting.com -
Key Platforms & Tools:
- Hiring: Onlinejobs.ph (with affiliate link in show notes)
- Payment: Wise.com, Payoneer, AirTM, Deel
- Project Management: Asana, Monday, Trello, Slack
- Video Training: Loom
-
Agency (Latin America VA):
Alex from Purple (contact info via Rashmi)
Takeaways
- Virtual Assistants are not just a cost-saving tool—they empower restaurateurs to reclaim their time, improve team focus, and tap into world-class talent.
- Whether for marketing, operations, admin, or bookkeeping, almost any computer-based process can be offloaded to qualified VAs.
- The options between the Philippines and Latin America each offer distinct advantages in cost, culture, language, and time zone.
- Building team culture, offering clear training, and aligning values are essential for long-term VA success.
- Thoughtful use of global talent can actually enhance local teams and enable greater investment in the in-person culture that defines hospitality.
For more resources and the full show notes (including job post templates and referrals), visit Restaurant Unstoppable's official episode page.