Hunter Pond is the founder of Vandelay Hospitality Group, one of the most recognizable restaurant portfolios in Texas. From dropping out of law school mid-exam to launching East Hampton Sandwich Co. with no industry experience, Hunter shares how a love for restaurants kickstarted a hospitality empire.

We dive into the creation and evolution of VHG. Hunter breaks down the art and science behind successful concepts, why restaurants fail, and how his team approaches everything from vendor relationships to tip pooling and fraud prevention.

This episode covers:
- The impulsive moment that launched his restaurant career
- How a $20K investment and Craigslist chef shaped East Hampton’s early days
- The balance of creativity and discipline in full-service dining
- Building menus for flavor, efficiency, and profitability
- Lessons learned from private equity and selling his first concept
- Why restaurant success is often more about square footage than food

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Links:
Vandelay Hospitality Group - https://vandelayhospitality.com/

Topics:
00:00 - Intro
03:20 - Dropping out of Law school to pursue a career in the restaurant industry
10:31 - Lessons learned from working the back of the house
14:01 - Developing and opening East Hampton Sandwich Co.
23:47 - How to build a menu
29:44 - The importance of seat count
34:57 - How DoorDash killed the fast-casual restaurant
37:02 - Service vs. product in the success of a restaurant
42:21 - Blocking and tackling in the business
44:06 - Where people fail in the restaurant industry
49:56 - Selling East Hampton
52:56 - Cloud Kitchens
54:43 - Developing Hudson House
58:01 - Determining seat count ratios
01:01:03 - Lessons from working with PE
01:05:29 - Sources of turnover in restaurants
01:06:49 - Why certain concepts don’t work in different cities
01:08:48 - The impact of real estate on restaurants
01:12:02 - Creating new concepts vs. acquisitions

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