Episode 598: Real Food, Real Service, and the Reality of Running Restaurants: A Conversation with 33-Year Restaurant Owner Drew Moore

In this episode, Wil chats with longtime friend and restaurateur Drew Moore of Carrboro, NC. Drew shares updates on his ventures, including Venable Bistro, B-Side Lounge, Auto Strada Pizza & Panini, Auto Strada Gelato & Coffee, and the upcoming House of Gatewood Chop House in Hillsborough. He explains how a 2022 trip to France and Italy inspired Auto Strada, modeled after Italian “auto grills,” offering high-quality paninis, pizza with imported Italian flour, and real ingredients at approachable prices. They discuss the challenges of running restaurants, including supply chain issues (especially in beef), workforce recovery post-COVID, rising tuition and its impact on staffing, and educating consumers on healthier food choices. Drew emphasizes values-driven business practices, maintaining ingredient integrity, and making dining experiences approachable while elevating quality, all while balancing the very real, unglamorous daily demands of restaurant ownership.

Takeaways:

1. Inspiration from Italy: Auto Strada was inspired by Italian highway “auto grills,” which offer fresh, high-quality paninis, coffee, and gelato, something Drew wanted to bring to North Carolina.
2. Ingredient Integrity: Auto Strada uses imported Italian double-zero flour (non-GMO and glyphosate-free), San Marzano tomatoes, and high-quality Wisconsin cheeses, making their pizza more digestible and flavorful.
3. Educating Consumers: Many customers already recognize the health benefits of authentic ingredients, and Drew uses menu descriptions and conversations to further educate them.
4. Economic Realities: While higher-quality ingredients cost more, Drew notes that dough remains inexpensive compared to cheese and proteins, making pricing manageable for customers.
5. Beef Supply Challenges: The beef market is at its lowest production since the 1940s, making sourcing for the chop house complex; Drew is exploring local farms and co-ops for ethical, high-quality beef.
6. Workforce Recovery: Post-COVID staffing remains challenging, though 2024 has shown improvement. University towns have a unique labor cycle, but graduate school enrollment spikes have slowed industry recovery.
7. Consumer Shifts: Customers are increasingly health-conscious, moving away from processed fast food toward real, nutrient-dense options—a shift that supports Drew’s model.
8. Rising Tuition & Labor Market: Drew and Wil discuss the high cost of higher education, diminishing ROI for some degrees, and how AI may replace entry-level jobs, influencing the restaurant labor pool.
9. The Unseen Side of Ownership: Drew highlights the unglamorous reality of restaurant ownership, fixing toilets, handling equipment breakdowns, and responding to emergencies are all part of the job.