Marcus Samuelsson, Restaurant Marketing & Trends in Food | #AskGaryVee Episode 211

on this episode I get to hang with one of my favorite legendary chefs we you ask questions and I answer them this is the Ask Gary B show hey everybody this is Gary Bay ner Chuck and this is episode 211 of the Ask Gary ve show I'm very excited to be here at Red Rooster in Harlem with this wonderful human being that I've known from for a long time from a far growing up in the wine business watching the food culture world uh recently we've been able to spend some time together uh I've really personally enjoyed that thank you I think we have a lot of similarities I learn every time I hang out with you it's always something but it's never the stuff that I thought it's not like we discuss wine we actually talk about all the other stuff life exactly great why don't you tell the few that don't know who you are uh who you are my friend my name is Jeff Marcus Samson I have a restaurant here in Harlem and it's called Red Rooster and I've really been able to discover the world and discover myself through food hard work but also through the restaurant industry and I'm still just as curious and love this industry because essentially it's about people neighborhoods and community and this restaurant Red Rooster as it best uploads all that that's great and so why don't you give because I know this a little bit why don't you give everybody you're going to be humble but I want to establish it then India we'll get into the questions give a little bit of your not like from the beginning but of your restaurant career sure paint me a picture so what's your first job in the restaurant industry my first job was like most Chef a dishwasher we're actually making meatballs with my grandmother okay and that's a great start y right playing top chef at home before there was even a Top Chef against my sisters yep uh how old are you at this point uh they're six seven and they're like 9 and 14 so I lost yep but the idea of making [ __ ] matters and making what we came from right making Herring pickling and you know our big thing of pickling and most seds have a summer house and a basement where they preserve food was because we were afraid of the Russians I get it we were convinced that the Russians were com so we had to store food just in case or when they come so this is like that's really way of that making the art of making St on my dad's side everyone was a fish fishermen so I had to really from both sides big aspirations Big Dreams got scholarships to go to Switzerland France work in some of the toughest environment ever loved it but really the breaking point for me was after France I went to Japan changed everything because Japanese food at that point wasn't not uh want to say 90 91 wasn't even on the world map outside Japan right Sushi culture even in New York or SF was non-existent nonexistent and for me to stand there and just learn from these guys not even understanding what they were doing but knowing that they got it and I don't in order for me oh my God and I had to be really listen and just learn and learn and it changed my perspective on food it really did what for somebody for some of the nist or the people that are curious what would you say in a sentence changed well first of all raw food right and then in France we had to cook with heavy creams and sauce which I liked which great Precision uh their the commitment to tra their tradition not looking outside right Fran is in the gold standard no we it's about us here yep and this how we roll yes and umam which I didn't even know was umam at that point but that flavor point between you know miso sweet salty so it taught me a lot but again being black in Europe at that time with the ambition not just to work in a restaurant but to be the guy own the restaurant a friend Chef told me he was very clear to me he said listen I'm going to give you piece of advice get out get to the states I know you want to own your business it's not happening here and you could look at that a two ways like he was very rude he wasn't he's sort of like trying to help cut through he was tring help and it was gamechanging for me so I came to the States you know what interesting we talk about this just a little side note we'll get back to the show it's literally how I think about my business shows and content it doesn't taste so good when I'm like you're lazy yeah but I'm just trying to help yeah and it really helped you how does that work with uh the Millennials are just like every other generation there's unlimited lazy people at 50 and 60 I think the Millennials have a bad rap I think it's old men and old women talk on them that's good I really do I there's tons of Millennials that are Hustlers um I do think they've lived in a Great era but I think Gen X did too I mean I think every generation that gets away from Generations that fought in Wars is softer because they can't even understand the alternative of all the luxuries when you're complaining about not being able to afford an iPhone versus your grandfather running on a beach and getting shot in the face and dying that's a very big difference we see it also in athletes if you compare sort of like mm Ali's generation since this is just so in front of us versus the generation of course athletes 30 40 50 years ago had a work during the off season yeah you know of course India first question let's get into this show the show yes the show first one from Jared

Jared asks as digital as evolving what could TV chefs be doing to Keep Their audience engaged with the community I like that markx you know this is a good opportunity you know uh as digital evolves TV chefs how do they evolve this is you've watched this being in the food industry you know I you know right now I'm saying oh my God I'm taking selfies every day when did entrepreneurs become rock stars you probably 7 to 10 years ago looked at all your homies you guys used to you had to be sitting around I know how you guys roll CU s do the same thing 4:00 in the morning spotted pig somewhere wherever you are and you're sitting there and you're saying when the hell did we become like this is what happened a decade ago so I think it's progression that came from two or three different ways right first of all Julian sha papan the table those two set the table but then Emerald really became part of pop and then Bobby really took it there right I don't think the word TV sh's going to leave it's really about media whatever you watch it on that's essentially what what's going to matter right um so the screen um for us was also about figuring out sometimes we do long form sometimes we do 15-second videoos I'm sure in 5 years no 50c video is going to be 5 seconds or I'll be honest with you what we're producing is we're going 20 30 minutes I'm basically producing a reality show a documentary on a two to three time a week basis so there's so I think there's going to good content is good content cont people's going to find content do you does it come natural to you or I feel like when I look at you from afar you're such an operator you're such a chef operator you're running businesses how about the media side of things has it come natural or is that been something you know it's important but it's not doesn't come that natural you know I'll tell you a couple of things for me uh being adopted kids in Sweden we were constantly stared up not necessarily in a bad way but we were always in the center and so it I look at it almost as the same thing it's like okay you have something to say don't cry about it you want people to come to this space and make it sticky you got to communicate that and it hard if you're going to cut through the Clutter this is a clutter space and we either want to have customer or don't so we want it if we ask for this engage yes got it very good from I'll jump in real quick I would say new platforms always offer the best opportunities this is good advice for everybody right now he and I'm saying this out loud for him and his team cuz I want him to he should very much look at musically and if he cooks behind music on musically yeah he could be the DJ khid of musically and it could change his life I'm being that serious can we pick that can why is this coming back's going on what's what's going on I'll tell you save you time they know that you say no to a lot of things cuz you're busy this in nature and you them coming to you with music I'm on their side but Marcus I'm being dead serious if were to make a commitment for 30 days to make three videos a day of cooking behind music on musically I am convinced done you have I'm a I'm a strange character I'm going to check in 17 days and blow up your spot I'm going to use this clip and then it's going to be [ __ ] you Marcus is the video like so you have to understand in stand in line for that line though there's lot so for everybody I'm starting to articulate this Ste rock this is going to go somewhere I I've been saying it but I've never said it direct beachfront property the first people that bought at Malibu in the Hampton Manhattan the first people that bought in dumbo when you buy up the real estate that becomes the market first you get a better deal DJ khed if you try to execute now and snapshit it's noisier Ashton on Twitter it would have changed his career musically whatever else you want to take a look at every time there's something new or a new way to do things for example we are crushing video on Facebook right now we're committed to it I'm hiring more people because right now it's important to Facebook which means it's getting more reach I'm very focused on it so either new platforms that are emerging and Snapchat is still that still Gary I have to ask you because you live in many worlds right you're an immigrant you're an entrepreneur you're in young media New Media but you also have a lot of friends that are you know much older than you but also you know almost like mentors but they do business with you how do they respond to your sort of cutro success and my thing has worked for me progressively because at first I i' I basically have started from out of my mind and completely an idiot to he's been right for so long he's probably it's unbelievable how 70-year-old tycoons and other people that are winning now come and look at me when I say any I feel like in another five or seven years I'm like okay listen here's what you do go naked wheel and make it a gift on and I'm I said gift not GIF and make it on smugmug. com that's one day old and I feel like very establish people be like all right so what's happening and I'm sure you felt this in your career with food as you build reputation and you know the good thing about reputation and you've been the beneficiary of this as well it's earned yeah like it like people don't want to listen to me as matter of fact a lot of people that listen to me and give me respect do it begrudgingly yeah cuz I do it with a different kind of vibe than they want this is very direct very smart and so I think what's happening is I feel like I saved time when I listen to you honestly no you're very direct like no and it's not like really thought about how correct fit in this time is something I value a lot so that makes sense makes me feel good India um from Essence stamping coin asks what's

the biggest change Tech is bringing to the restaurant industry connectivity to the biggest change to Tech to the restaurant is connectivity with the consumer so the editor used to be you know the guard maybe with a couple of newspapers a couple of magazines listen that consumer out there that is connected to that is now the most important person this happened in the wine business it was wine spectator it was Robert Parker period New York Times for you and maybe a couple of other things Gary ve wasn't up there not yet I started a process other and then it was technology I wrode the wave it wasn't me it was me understanding what YouTube and Twitter was going to be Instagram so my friend do you know Andre Mack yeah Andre is my boy like I remember those conversations early on that's right I was like Andre this is happening he's doing a nice job I'm watching him on the Graham right now like I just knew that was coming and um and I don't know what's going on in the restaurant world I feel it's probably similar to what's going on in the wine world a big wine spectator and a big wine Advocate score still really matters I'm sure the same way a New York Times review matters but now there are taste makers uh you know but the world is not either or it's both that's right it's not where there used to be one option absolutely I mean all my friends and I look at for square and look at pictures of the food when we get to restaurants like that yeah Tristan is a good friend of mine one of the guy from um for square there you go Tristan Walker yeah he's the best is I love that dude he's a good guy talk about breaking the mold I was an investor in goala and remember which was a competitor for square and I remember being on a call with a bunch of the investors and people on the team I'm like this guy chist Walker is a problem yeah he would that as the highest compliment as it's meant I've you know I've uh I've been an enormous fan of his uh for a long time and you know his get up you should have him on the show his get up is amazing you know from Queens he's the best I believe schools but the hustle way in you know what best I'm from Daniel the Daniel asks the best way for

a culinary virgin to step up to the plate what's the best way for a complete culinary virgin to step up to the pl up to the plate PL yeah I get it I mean really first of all get a friend uh that you really you know love adore admire and cook with you because once you do it by yourself and you don't know anything about food it's hard cuz it's a it's so many things it's auga better than this lettuce and it's a lot right so if you cook with somebody that you trust and you're going to have fun with at the same time drink some wine and you know stick to it for 30 days on the 17th day I'm going to call you if you you're not sticking with it my man yeah Marcus can I ask I'm going to go side question little question for me one of the things that I've enjoyed in the food scene obviously living in New York has been amazing for this is when a new thing pops up and when I mean a new thing I actually mean an ingredient or a spice or a thing yeah like is there any vegetable or fruit or spice that's emerging right now in the scene I'm fascinated by that so first of all there's little things in the food theme that are new I know that because it really is it new interpretations yeah well what happened is go back to the France are when we brought so much from just Europe and France and eventually Italy and sp there was still a lot of opportunity so what we look at now as new is very often from not even Japan anymore maybe Korea but also now a little bit from Peru it's definitely a strong mer Peru and what do they got going on no because you think about extension of the sush culture is obviously tradito Ceviche and those stuff that we here still don't know that much about yes and then the last things that's going to come even more is Africa so when I brought the oldest spice plant in the world to America you know B which is the oldest spice plant Ethiopian looked at me like that's not new we've had it forever or if you think about argon oil that come from uh Morocco argan oil is mostly used in meup right it's all over yes but cooking wise a pretty new oil here in the west to cook with the middle you know Southern Mediterranean people have been cooking with it for 2,000 years what about Meats like from Africa like well that do you think 20 30 50 years well the cuts might change you know because the meats are pretty traditional right but then the cuts that we're using might change and also that is old school right like when the chef's talking about something's old school somewhere always exactly but we haven't maybe focused on that country before that's right I love that all right India next one uh CJ list listen we have G can we just have a little bit of cornbread with tomato gam we have guests Jordan I'm not eating we have guests so let's do it have a guest come to your house I chicken okay let's guess where do you see the coffee industry going Asom all right let's do it BTO asks where do you

see the coffee industry going in terms of gastronomy and coffee shops that's a good question the coffee industry the coffee industry first of all I mean it started from Ethiopia and places like that in that region but now I think you have 80 countries producing coffee so that's like it's very very Global right now right so I still think we're just here in terms of intense beans and in terms of the Coffee Culture reminds me of the wine business in the '90s exactly so the mixing I think we'll see more Coffee and Wine Bar together you have coffee in the cocktails the way you see fresh juices going in with [ __ ] now that will happen you know what's so interesting i' I've been thinking of a concept of a bar that is just 24/7 because and it goes from coffee to juices to tea to Wine to post game to like really I think there's a really interesting model from a place that's open 5:30 a. m. to 4: in the morning in New York that is very hardcore structured around four to six different afternoon tea right like coffeee juice afternoon tea wine but all of those things have what we're talking about here is they have intense flavors right because that coffee and that juice is based on intensity espresso with fresh juice next to it will say ginger and orange so people today want intense flavor we want smaller shots of something but really intense so that can be done wet bar or something just like it's just liquid are we thinking names now I just want to open it I may India last one from Tommy Tommy asked

any suggestions on how to use social media to promote a quality imported olive oil wow I mean social media why wouldn't you use it utilize it for any product right first of all olive oil people love olive oil already right so you want to tell a little bit terar where it's from and then also how it's used best case scenario but also maybe a surprise olive oil as an ice cream or olive oil in a cake something that is just a little bit off center I think social media would be perfect platform so you can cut through yeah I have a very good answer to this I believe really I feel excited about this influencers influencers ask ask I would go to Instagram search hashtags olive oil but then cheeses and Breads and cakes and ice cream uh and I would literally for 11 hours a day this is your business you have an imported olive oil like what are you doing like you 7: p. m. 8:00 p. m. 900 p. m. 10 p. m. 11:00 p. m. 12 what are you doing you're doing a lot of [ __ ] a lot of times I would allocate 6 seven hours a day and I would literally you search hashtags you find somebody's account it's a sous chef in a Kansas City restaurant that has 813 followers but the Gmail accounts there and say look I'm importing amazing olive oil I'd like to send you a bottle I'd like you to put post a picture of it on Instagram if you have it and then you wait that person replies and goes sure they've never had anybody reach out to them and give them olive oil for free and they're pumped or they write back yeah but I'm an influencer I get $400 a photo and you're like well that's not enough for $800 but it's just literally I actually believe that if you have a product like an olive oil or any product that influencer marketing on Instagram right now and then unbelievably dirty get dirt under your fingers grinding one by one Gmail Gmail click on account find their Gmail them Gmail G like 8 n 10 hours a day love you should come up every [ __ ] day up here we should talk about this I have so many things now that yes these poor bastards have deal with and I love this but the big part of this guys is to ask can you take this camera away and just rck just direct the conversation right here because this is much better uhuh it's easy to pass on them you're the bottleneck 30 days 30 days I'm you know ask so many of you are just not asking you the fear of rejection or the laziness of the execution is stopping people from winning # laziness I think that is a very strong it is one of those two things Marcus I'm telling you right now if you actually have a product and you actually spend 10 hours a day and I love when people are like 10 hours a day I was running a very large wine retail business and when Twitter came out I went pot committed all in and I was spending 10 hours a day I built my entire brand from that ecosystem it wasn't mainstream media it wasn't winning you know an award and having the entire press my award I'm not Bing I'm not bitting he caught it he's right no but but I've never had you get I'm happy for you that was fun to watch and I'm happy for everybody I'm but like it's unbelievable what 10 hours a day of asking 850 chefs a day on Instagram 109 chefs will take a photo with your olive oil yeah 39 moms that have a lot of other moms that give a crap will take a photo with your olive oil and it's just the work and the asking smart and it's free like these classes are you building a trump U no I'm definitely I don't want to get into fights with any judges uh but this is good this is actually really good education free yeah for life I love that it's good question of the day Marcus you get to ask the question of the day them any question you want there's a lot of entrepreneurs a lot of business people um it's also probably a crowd that is probably that mainstream foodie you can go anywhere on this anything you want but I actually want to ask you because I want to ask don't ask me ask them we hundreds of answers on Facebook and YouTube Snapchat we went from Twitter Instagram to Snapchat yes what's the next platform that will have the same cut through over the next 3 to 5 years answer it my friends you keep asking questions will keep answering them what do you think I think music is the first thing that's got a chance and I don't think you can ever answer it because you have to react to it instead of predicting it it's too hard to somebody's building it right now you just don't know where those guys from from no you know what's so funny they could be anywhere there could be two girls right now in Kansas City they'll probably end up in San Francisco cuz that's where the VC's and a tech Talent is but you know Snapchat's in La yeah Pinterest started in Pennsylvania moved to San Francisco Facebook started in Boston so I'm not sure just have you told him he have you guys looked at it yeah and yeah cool and honestly spend 1 hour Googling musically read all the Articles get it down um and then reach out to mainstream media like whatever context you have they're dying to write an article about it so like I could already see the headline like is Marcus the DJ khed of musically and that alone almost starts it being that love it thank you so much you're welcome what's up guys hope you enjoyed the show so uh please do I get the link it up anywhere is it like in here or is it down is it in print or is it in my video no it'll be down to your left it's here down to my left like right here there's a button for them to subscribe to my YouTube video yeah it's that little buggy thing that's right guys click this that's right use