Steele Smiley of Steele Brands on Moving from Fitness to Restaurants

Steele Smiley, founder of Steele Brands, is a successful entrepreneur who built a fitness empire before entering the restaurant business. Despite the differences between those two industries, Smiley says there is a common thread of respect that ties them together.

Watch now to learn about fitness and restaurant hospitality, creating a hospitality ecosystem, and Steele Brands being the nice and cool kids at the lunch table.

@crispgreen7920 #healthfood #interview #entrepreneur

WHAT DID YOU LEARN on this episode of the Restaurant Influencers podcast, presented by the @Toast point of sale and restaurant management technology company? Let us know by leaving a YouTube comment below.

• SPONSORED BY: Toast: All-In-1 Restaurant POS — https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc

Chapters:
[4:12] - Steele Smiley 2-Minute Drill
[11:42] - Tips for Recruiting Teams for Growth
[14:17] - Building a Personal Brand
[16:31] - Social Media Presence
[23:45] - Giving up the CEO role

Steele Smiley is a Restaurant Influencer -

One of the key factors that sets Steele Smiley apart in the restaurant industry is his belief in the importance of positive human interaction and unmatched hospitality.

“You’ve got to give so much respect and love to every person who you see,” says the owner and founder of Steele Brands to host @shawnpwalchef of https://calibbq.media.

While he has implemented digital tools to handle the increase in online orders for Steele Brands restaurants, Smiley still emphasizes the importance of personal interaction with customers. He understands that a friendly smile and warm welcome can make a significant impact on the customer's experience and ultimately lead to repeat business.

“You still got to give them that big smile and you still got to greet them and say, ‘thank you for coming in,’” says Smiley. “It's not only attracting that client and giving them world class technology.”

Steele Brands operates and owns popular concepts Crisp & Green, Paco & Lime, and Stalk & Spade.

Though it has long been a lifestyle for him, Smiley recognizes that eating healthy can be a challenging task for many individuals — with habits, mentality, and accessibility all playing a role. As a result, he wants Steele Brands' restaurants to be a welcoming environment for all customers to learn, grow, and frequent.

“Eating healthy can be intimidating for people in some of these markets when they haven't had it before.” says Steele Smiley. “Our job is to be that ambassador and make them feel comfortable and be a very approachable set of brands. Not intimidating brands. We want to be the nice kids at the lunch table that are also the cool kids.”

Smiley’s success is a testament to his commitment, his values and his dedication to customer service. His humility is showcased best by making the decision to relinquish the role of CEO at Steele Brands in order to best serve the business.

He has built a strong brand that prioritizes the customer experience and offers healthy, delicious meal options.

Whether in the fitness or restaurant industry, Steele Smiley’s admitted life mission of service and hospitality is a recipe for success.

Episode Links:
Steele Brands Website: https://www.steelebrands.com/
Crisp & Green: https://crispandgreen.com/
Stalk & Spade: https://www.stalkandspade.com/
Pico & Lime: https://pacoandlime.com/

ABOUT STEELE SMILEY:
Steele Smiley, owner and founder of Steele Brands, is a lifetime health enthusiast that has turned his passion into purpose. After building a fitness empire that includes time with Snap Fitness, 9 Round Boxing, and Steele Fitness, Smiley has turned his attention to healthy food options. Now with three franchises under the Steele Brands umbrella, Smiley is determined to live out his life’s mission of service by providing welcoming environments for people to make healthy food choices and improve their lifestyle while becoming lifetime customers.
Steele Smiley LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steelesmiley/

ABOUT RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS:
Restaurant Influencers is a weekly video podcast series presented by Entrepreneur Media and Cali BBQ Media. Every week host and restaurant owner Shawn Walchef (@shawnpwalchef) talks with business leaders like Rob Dyrdek, Robert Irvine, Chris Comparato, Meredith Sandland, and more, about their secrets to Smartphone Storytelling, marketing and branding, and how to show up where customers are engaging online.

• Published by @entrepreneur - https://entreprenuer.com
• Produced by @calibbqmedia - https://content.calibbq.media

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RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS IS PRESENTED BY TOAST

Restaurant Influencers is brought to you by Toast, the powerful restaurant point of sale and management system that helps restaurants improve operations, increase sales and create a better guest experience.

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