Why My Kitchen Went From Oui to We

It started on a flight to Japan to visit my wife’s family. We had opened Pastaria just six months prior, and to say that I was miserable would be the understatement of a lifetime.

From the outside looking in, everything was perfect: I had busy restaurants with lots of awards and great reviews. But on the inside, I felt like our organization was crumbling. This was our fourth restaurant, and I was...