> When I set out to open a restaurant in San Francisco’s vibrant restaurant market, I thought I’d employ all I’ve learned from an MBA from a top school, the rig

> When I set out to open a restaurant in San Francisco’s vibrant restaurant market, I thought I’d employ all I’ve learned from an MBA from a top school, the rigor of an engineering education and a decade and a half launching and managing some of the most successful businesses for Google and other tech companies. Furthermore, I wasn’t naive to think that I knew better than all those who’ve been tenured in the industry. I actively sought out the mentorship of many titans who’ve been generous with their time and knowledge of the industry. So I opened Tawla, a restaurant in San Francisco’s Mission district. I'm curious what the author is actually adding to the restaurant's value? In the current economic climate in the US, there's more capital than places to put it. Everyone wants to open a restaurant. Not everyone knows how to run one. If she's not cooking, managing the front of house, etc..., what is she doing? > culinary cultures of Turkey, Greece and the Levant area There's shawarma shops everywhere in the western world. They all offer Mediterranean/Levantine cuisine, what does this restaurant offer beyond that? > Over the past two years, it was quickly and often apparent that there’s nothing that a small and young business in SF could do to make the city a living option for its employees. Yes there is, pay more. And to pay them more, raise prices. If people can afford to pay rent and they still want to go out to eat, they'll pay more. That being said, you need to have a compelling product. Not sure someone with no restaurant background selling a commoditized product is going to be able to produce a compelling product. > As alluded to earlier, the mass exodus of individuals from this workforce leaves fewer people and less reason for those people to excel. Yes, people leave because they're not paid enough. Pay more and maybe they'll stay. > The impact is seen when we tried the aspirational ‘Service Charge Inclusive’ model. Diners were so dismayed by it. Of course they were. No one likes add-ons that they weren't told about. Instead of adding a 'service charge', just raise the menu prices. You know, the same as in Europe and other places where service is included. All I see when I read this article is someone who knows nothing about restaurants, adds no value to her own restaurant, claims she's innovative and knows better but then reverts to the restaurant status quo and claims it doesn't work. This is what I don't get about restaurants. Some of us work in them for 10-40 years. Do our apprenticeships in restaurants that win awards, have Michelin stars, are top 50 in the world, and work 80 hour weeks for decades on end. And then someone who got a little money from Google thinks they can just open something, hire people and be successful. Just imagine if Sergei Brin and Larry page were restaurant managers who thought they could hire a few programmers, rent an office and create Google?