Lisa Siegel, Wil, Julian Siegel

Like so many of our amazing restaurant customers and the places we’ve filmed for our video series, Riverside Market & Cafe in Ft. Lauderdale, Fl. and Capital Club 16 in Raleigh, N.C. are both very popular, fun, successful restaurants. And both operate with environments of karma and trust.

The owners of both restaurants – Julian and Lisa Siegel of Riverside Market & Cafe, and Jake and Shannon Wolf of Capital Club 16 – believe that what goes around comes around, so they lead by the example of working hard and treating their staff members with genuine care and respect. And they believe that most people have a strong innate desire to be trusted, so if you give them the chance they will embrace that opportunity and make sure your trust is warranted. I’d say it’s no coincidence that the employees at both locations work hard for the owners, treat each other and customers with care and respect, and earn the trust they’ve been given.

At both restaurants, there was no sense of fear. No fear by the owners that employees will take advantage of them if they don’t put in systems and rules to prevent them from abusing the trust. And no fear that they have to micromanage the staff to get them to work hard and perform. Nope, none of that. Fear is not what drives these owners.

Will there always be exceptions to these beliefs? Absolutely. Some small percent of the people they bring on board will take advantage of not being micromanaged to loaf around and not work hard, and a smaller percent might abuse the trust that has been placed in them. But it’s clear that the Siegels and the Wolfs care more about the 99% of the people who prove their beliefs in karma and trust to be warranted, not the 1% who prove them wrong.

And because of that, when you walk into these restaurants as a customer, you get a clear sense that the owners and staff are happy and at peace with their business, and it shows in the food on the plate, the amazing quality of genuine service, and the relaxed, enjoyable atmosphere each restaurant offers.

Here’s to karma and trust.

Wil