Young’s Jersey Dairy’s monthly podcast, “A Sundae Chat With the Young’s,” is dedicated to stories about Young’s Jersey Dairy, family business ownership, tales of running a restaurant, and of course, ice cream!
In episode 7, The Young’s crew sits down with John Barker, President of the Ohio Restaurant Association (ORA), for an in-depth look at the challenges and opportunities facing Ohio’s restaurant industry. We discuss the impact of the pandemic on the industry, the role of the Ohio Restaurant Association in supporting its members, and the latest trends and innovations in the restaurant world.
Some episode highlights:
- John Barker’s first taste of the restaurant industry came at a young age, working at his family’s restaurant in Pennsylvania
- His earliest memories at the restaurant involve helping clean up on Saturday mornings, and being “paid” with fountain soda!
- Business Values = Longevity
- John shares the core values that led fast-food giant Wendy’s during his tenure, and how Dave Thomas led by example
- Dan Young agrees that, “companies who know what they are and know what they do and keep referring back to that every day” should always be successful
- At Young’s, the mission statement since the 1990s has been ‘We Create Fun for Our Customers.” which Dan considers the most important six words that guide the business.
- The Coronavirus Pandemic brought the restaurant industry to a halt. The Ohio Restaurant Promise, guided by the ORA, was pivotal in keeping restaurants operational by creating safety standards to guide restaurants. ORA and industry leaders worked alongside restaurateurs to help them adapt and survive.
Hear John and the Young’s family discuss the ins and outs of the restaurant industry in the full episode and check out other available episodes Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or most places that you listen to your favorite podcasts.
