Mark Barak, the proprietor of New York City’s La Pecora Bianca (Italian for “The White Sheep) in the NoMad (north of Madison) neighborhood of Manhattan, is an unlikely restaurateur. Armed with a Wharton MBA, Barak pursued a career in the banking/corporate world for 12 years before deciding to leave it behind and reinvent himself as a restaurateur in 2014, answering the call of a lifelong dream.
Micah Solomon: I don't think I'm going out on a limb here in saying that becoming a hands-on foodservice entrepreneur is an unusual career move for a Wharton alum with a corporate background. How did you decide to go into the restaurant business?
Mark Barak: I spent 12 years in the finance and media worlds, holding senior positions at EMI, Maxim, and the NBA. I found it rewarding, but I always had the feeling that something was missing--that I had a creative side that was stunted inside of a corporate environment (and an underlying problem with authority!) During the financial crisis in 2008, when the outlook for corporate work didn’t seem promising, I began to explore the idea of creating my own company. I had fallen in love with Italy during my time living in Europe, and felt there was an opportunity to create an Italian hospitality brand in New York in a different way than had been done before. I have always loved food, design, and hospitality, and the only business idea I felt excited to pursue was in food.
Solomon: How is it going so far for you in the restaurant world?
Barak: La Pecora Bianca is my first solo venture in the industry and we are off to a solid start. I had a thesis that to be successful in the business in New York City given rising fixed costs across the board, it was essential to have an all-day business model with as many revenue streams as possible. Our first location contains three different concepts: a high-end Italian espresso and panini bar, a daytime café and bakery, and a more upscale dinner service at night. It’s a challenging thing to accomplish and it hasn’t been easy, but and I am satisfied that – so far – the thesis is proving true!
I have been amazed by the dedication of our team. I have had a fair number if people work for me throughout my career, often highly paid folks, but never have they shown the dedication and “owner mentality” that my team in the restaurant does. They treat it like their own business day in and day out.
Solomon: What have been some notable challenges you’ve encountered?
Barak: Not surprisingly, my learning curve in the business has been very steep. Unlike most operators, who start off in the hospitality business and cut their teeth learning the operations and building their skills and experience, I decided to build a business in hospitality out of the blue at age 35. So there have been challenges across the board. Learning how to identify and manage the right people has probably been the biggest area of learning for me. We have definitely evolved the team from when we opened, as I got up to speed on what to look for in the hiring process, and we’ve now built a tremendously talented and dedicated team.
Solomon: My own particular area of focus and thought leadership is customer service and the customer experience. How have you ventured to excel in these areas? Any challenges still remaining?
Barak: One of the benefits is that I have spent most of my life as a (very high maintenance!) restaurant customer. I think the starting point of great customer service is to be able to put yourself in the customer’s shoes and see things through their eyes. For me, that’s my inherent perspective. I am very objective about how we are doing and when we are falling short – I don’t drink our Kool Aid and I am our harshest critic. We aim to go above and beyond in all circumstances, and particularly when we mess up. We respond to every single complaint directly when we have the customer’s email, and take their perspective as the one that matters. There is no objectivity as it relates to customer service –I don’t let our team get into a debate about whether we objectively did something wrong or not –it’s a subjective matter and the only view that matters is the guest’s.
Solomon: Some words of advice for readers who want to go into the restaurant business?
Barak: This is indeed as hard a business as its reputation would lead you to believe. You have to know yourself and whether it’s the right business for you. Are you obsessive – and I mean obsessive - about details? Do you get both the business and creative sides? Do you love hospitality and food? There are definitely easier ways to build a business – it’s not for everyone. That said, it’s the most rewarding experience I have ever had.
Solomon: And perhaps some words of advice for readers who are entrepreneurs in general?
Barak: Seek out and build a support system of fellow entrepreneurs. Apart from obviously being very hard, entrepreneurship can be a lonely path. I have found that having a support system of others who understand what I am going through to be essential.
Micah Solomon is a customer service consultant, customer experience consultant, thought leader, hospitality keynote speaker, trainer, and bestselling author. Click here for two free chapters from Micah's latest book.
