Podcast Summary: Restaurant Unstoppable Ep. 1223

Guest: Oli Petit, Co-Founder/Co-Owner of The Red Bar and Louis Louis
Host: Eric Cacciatore
Date: September 29, 2025

Overview

In this episode, host Eric Cacciatore sits down with Olivier (“Oli”) Petit, co-founder of two celebrated Florida restaurants: The Red Bar and Louis Louis. Oli shares his journey from Belgium to the American South, the legacy of his restaurant family, and the leadership lessons and operational strategies developed across decades. The discussion is deeply candid, centering on finding balance between success and happiness, navigating the unique hardships of the restaurant industry, building lasting teams, and defining what sustainable success genuinely means.

Main Themes

• Pursuing longevity and community over rapid scale
• Balancing personal happiness with professional achievements
• The importance of delegation, sharing knowledge, and building a people-first culture
• Learning from failures and ego-driven missteps
• The central role of property ownership and financial caution

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Introducing Oli Petit and His Mantra (04:48)

• Mantra: “Happy days are here to stay.”
  • Oli: “We all seek success and happiness and oftentimes it’s difficult to achieve both... That is the one thing that I have done a lot of work personally and with the people I work with to maintain happiness. And it’s ongoing, it’s not a struggle, but it’s a moving target.” [04:54]

Defining Success in Hospitality (05:23)

• Longevity & Community:
  • Oli: “Success to me... in the restaurant business would be longevity, sustaining in an environment that’s very volatile. Maintaining relationships... duration, to me, probably the most prevalent sign of success.” [05:26]
• Personal Balance:
  • Success is filling multiple life “buckets”: health, relationships, financial, spiritual—“It’s so easy to focus on one aspect and overlook others.” [06:22]

Lessons from Industry Tragedies (07:39)

• Reflection on the “cost” of celebrated industry figures like Charlie Trotter and Anthony Bourdain.
  • Oli: “Clearly these examples are cautionary tales... tremendous success and a level of unhappiness.” [08:03]

The Business Side of Restaurants (09:01)

• Rigorous Financial Awareness:

  • Early mistake: focusing on food, not business.
  • Always keep customer experience at the center, even while managing costs.
  • Many restaurants fail from undercapitalization and unrealistic rent agreements.

• Seating and Volume:

  • Red Bar: 300 seats (200 indoor), 10% takeout, minimal catering. [10:45]
  • Prime cost runs high (60%), but mitigated by property ownership and high volume. [13:49]

On Growth and Failure (13:27, 21:39)

• Oli candidly shares that though he currently operates two restaurants, he’s closed five others:

  • “We have closed five of them. It didn’t work.” [13:41]

• Lessons learned:

  • Listen to business partners, don’t ignore red flags for passion alone.
  • The importance of balancing “heart” and “wallet” in decision-making.

Heritage, Upbringing, and Early Years (18:48–32:37)

• Growing up between Belgium and Arkansas in a family of restaurateurs (father was a French-style maître d').
• Initially aspired to fine dining and chef life but realized his love was the broader hospitality experience and not just cooking.

Building The Red Bar: Honest, Humble Beginnings (31:33)

• Opened in 1995 in a former shack—late-night hours, focus on serving restaurant workers after hours, built word of mouth community slowly.

  • On early strategy:
    “I think what set me apart then was that I was till 2am and I was a late night bar... all the restaurant guys getting off work started rolling in.” [31:33]

  • On adapting and survival:
    “Dinner, my big dream was to do a hundred dinners. I would do 10, 8... then at 10pm right, the door would open.” [31:52]

Delegation & Lack of Ego (38:39)

• Delegated kitchen roles early and broke from tradition of chef secrecy:
  • Oli: “Right away I delegated... I had no secrets. I wanted the guys to execute for me, which would allow me to be more like my father, a front of the house guy, which was my dream.” [38:39]
• This openness allowed him to nurture talent and transition to leadership/front-of-house.

Finding Balance: Success vs. Happiness (40:09)

• “Success is intoxicating... the emphasis is too much on success and not enough on happiness.” [40:09]
• Early years prioritized work at the expense of family and personal life—a pattern he didn’t recognize as unsustainable until 15 years in.

Hard Lessons from Failure (52:06–54:32)

• The “final ego trip” was a failed attempt to run a diner that ignored fit with local expectations.
  • “If you’re gonna do a diner, do a diner. You have to really commit and cater to the clientele... Sometimes you can impose your will... but it’s difficult.” [52:38]
• Key takeaway: Don’t let passion for a building or image override a realistic business plan.

Smart Expansion: Real Estate Matters (55:56–58:58)

• Only consider new projects if they come with property ownership or a truly advantageous lease.
  • “If you can buy the property... often tell people... be the landlord. Because if that restaurant goes under, at least you have some real estate to sell or lease.” [58:19]

Financial Wisdom

• Avoid triple net leases and percentage-of-sales rent structures whenever possible.
• Turnkey opportunities with strong “bones” (existing infrastructure) are best for reducing investment risk.
  • “Triple net is your rent, your property taxes, and your insurance... worst deal.” [56:49]

Leadership, HR, and Culture (75:32–85:53)

• Oli shifted to a strong HR/cultural focus in later years, maintaining a positive, selective team environment.

  • “I always say when I look at everyone... I could see myself spending the day on the boat with them, hanging out at the barbecue. They all have something on a human level that attracts me...” [67:19]

• Inclusive, from-within promotion policy and open communication empowered team longevity.

• “If you’re not a decent human, you’re not gonna work, man.” [67:19]

Systems, Standards, and Consistency (76:51–83:19)

• Developed clear staff ratios (1 server per 50 guests), regular weekly inventories, and detailed standard operating procedures (“proper mopping method”).
• On systems:
  “The hard part is to do it seven days a week, 365 days a year. That’s where the thing falls.” [83:19]
• Consistency in operations and behavior is key to sustainable culture.

On Restaurant Identity and Specialization (93:03)

• “Find something you’re good at, focus on it and try not to be something you’re not. If someone comes to... say, ‘Oh man, you don’t have a steak on your menu’... make sure that steak you have a great source for it. Make sure it becomes a special. Focus on finding an identity. I think it’s more important than ever.” [93:03]

Notable Quotes

• “My mantra is happy days are here to stay.” – Oli Petit [04:48]
• “Success to me... would be longevity, sustaining in an environment that’s very volatile.” [05:26]
• “If you’re not a decent human, you’re not gonna work, man.” [67:19]
• “The hard part is to do it seven days a week, 365 days a year. That’s where the thing falls.” [83:19]
• “Find something you’re good at, focus on it and try not to be something you’re not.” [93:03]

Key Timestamps

• Defining Success: 05:23
• Reflection on Industry Losses (Bourdain/Trotter): 07:39
• Financial Lessons & Prime Costs: 12:16, 13:48
• First Red Bar Nights & Building Community: 31:33–34:35
• Delegation & People-first Culture: 38:39, 75:32
• Failures & Learning from Ego-driven Expansion: 52:06–54:32
• Expansion Only with Real Estate: 55:56–58:58
• Oli’s HR Philosophy: 75:32–85:53
• SOPs & Consistency: 76:53–83:19
• Restaurant Identity & Specialization: 93:03

Memorable & Actionable Takeaways

3 Pieces of Wisdom Oli Would Leave Behind

1. Relationships: “What do you leave behind with the relationships? Did you leave a good impression? Did you treat people fairly?” [94:54]
2. Consistency: “Were you consistent... not just in food but in behavior and your treatment of others.” [95:07]
3. Honesty: “Be honest with yourself and with others... relationships matter.” [95:28]

Conclusion

Oli Petit’s career is a testament to the power of humility, adaptability, and community in hospitality. His candid stories remind restaurateurs and entrepreneurs that real, sustainable success is rooted in honest self-reflection, putting people first, and never losing sight of what brings happiness. For those dreaming of longevity in this volatile industry, Oli’s wisdom—stay balanced, specialize, own your destiny (and your building, if possible), and always value your people—offers a compelling roadmap.

For more insights and resources, visit RestaurantUnstoppable.com.
Follow Red Bar on Instagram: @RedBar95

This summary skips all ad reads and generalized intros/outros, focusing entirely on the vibrant, actionable content shared between Eric and Oli Petit.