Sandra’s Subsequent Era, a soul meals restaurant in New Haven, Connecticut, is #56 on Yelp’s 2023 High 100 Locations to Eat within the U.S. It has been a neighborhood staple for 34 years, with proprietor Sandra Pittman cooking in the identical kitchen since 1989.

Sandra and her husband Miguel have perfected their working dynamic, enjoying to their very own strengths and supporting each other to maintain the restaurant working in spite of everything these years.

“The rationale why we’re the place we’re at the moment is as a result of we actually divide and conquer. He has his function. I’ve my function. And we respect one another’s function,” Sandra mentioned.

“Whenever you communicate concerning the restaurant enterprise, the rationale why it is so difficult and it is eternally altering is as a result of it has so many shifting elements. And all of the elements need to work collectively as a unit. And I suppose that is a part of our success of being in enterprise for 34 years,” Miguel added.

Whereas solidarity appears to be the key sauce at Sandra’s, the homeowners are properly conscious that their prospects count on distinctive meals, ambiance, and repair after they go to.

“You might be solely pretty much as good as your final meal as a result of the individuals, they’re gonna bear in mind the final meal. In order a enterprise proprietor, you need to be on the highest of your recreation,” Miguel mentioned.

In keeping with Yelp reviewer and group supervisor Alex T., the Pittmans are hitting the nail on the top: “It is fairly wonderful. The second you stroll in, you possibly can simply really feel the vibe and the power of Sandra’s Subsequent Era. You might be gonna odor so many scrumptious scents and flavors.”

These welcoming aromas are all because of Sandra’s 84-year-old mom, who handed down her recipes. Nonetheless, like many household recipes, there was a historical past and that means behind them that Sandra needed to uncover earlier than she might totally admire the legacy she was preserving.

“As a little bit woman, I used to all the time hear my mother’s tales about how laborious she labored on a farm rising up, working from sunup to sunset, and the way she would elevate her personal candy potatoes. She talked about all these tales, however they did not actually hook up with me as a result of I by no means had a chance to actually see it till I really went to the South after I was 16 years outdated and noticed the cotton fields and noticed how they grew their greens. It linked with me then—simply to have the ability to share her recipes and maintain her inspiration going and simply maintain her struggle going. Let her know that every thing that she did wasn’t in useless.”

That struggle and inspiration from her mom’s historical past interprets into every thing Sandra needs to offer for her prospects.

“When individuals come, I need them to really feel the vibes. I need them to be impressed. I need them to know that any desires that you’ve, it would not matter how huge it’s, you need to imagine that you can do it. It’s important to struggle. It’s important to stand up each single day with a mindset. The mindset is every thing, it doesn’t matter what, as a result of there’s gonna be many failures in your life. The place we’re at the moment is due to our failures. You possibly can’t give up. You gotta stand up. You simply gotta carry on going.”

Eating places and companies in any trade can be taught extra from Sandra’s story, together with:

• Being genuine whereas additionally mixing it up. Offering a standard expertise or real recipes doesn’t suggest you possibly can’t get artistic. Discover the tendencies in your trade which you could incorporate to wow present prospects and entice new ones.
• Changing into a power for good in your group. “Be the change you need to see” can apply to a nation or a neighborhood. Your native enterprise serves a group, so uplifting that group and being a optimistic affect could be a boon to income and everybody round you.
• Deliberately hiring and supporting your workers. Motivating your crew and main with honesty and empathy highlights the humanity of what you are promoting. Everybody has unhealthy days, but when they work in an understanding surroundings, they will be extra prone to present up for you and provide you with their greatest.

Take heed to the episode beneath to listen to immediately from Sandra, Miguel, and Alex, and subscribe to Behind the Evaluation for extra from new enterprise homeowners and reviewers each Thursday.

Accessible on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and Soundcloud.