Learn how to develop a highly sophisticated multi-unit brands over time with the Founder and CEO of Pinstripes.
Give An Ovation is the podcast where we interview restaurant owners, operators, and experts, to get their strategies and tactics so that youi can deliver a 5-star guest experience. Available on all major podcasting sites.
Imagine dining in a world-class restaurant and, as an added bonus, enjoying a lively game of bowling or bocce right there. That’s the winning recipe Dale Schwartz, Founder and CEO of Pinstripes, brings to the table. From his journey as a visionary entrepreneur to the inception of Pinstripes, Dale shares the ups and downs of his business adventure.
Tell us a little more about Pinstripes!
“We are a very unique combination of high-quality cuisine and entertainment. In our case, entertainment is bowling and bachi, and everything we do is to go back to the future and let people gather and connect in the good old fashioned way, with quality food and spending time together with each other, so that, in a nutshell, encapsulates what we do and was the initial vision 33 years ago and then 17 years ago when we opened the first location.“
What made you want to start Pinstripes?
“I bowled as a small kid, enjoyed bowling leagues with friends, certainly took dates bowling as the years went on. After business school I spent four years in Manhattan in the late 80s and I was going to buy a bowling alley in 1989 with two friends on the Upper West Side having a pinstripes suit to convey an upscale image, because even back then we were going to do bowling with quality food and do something different. That was the germ of the idea.”
Who deserves an ovation in the restaurant industry?
“The first person that I hired 18 years ago, Chris, our COO, spent 13 plus years with Hillstone, so I gave the Hillstone Group tremendous kudos for quality of food service, overall execution. I’ve got tremendous respect for that.“
For more, check out the Pinstripes website and for the best flavor, visit one of their locations!
Thanks for reading! Make sure to check out the whole episode, as well as other interviews with restaurant gurus by checking out “Give an Ovation: A Podcast For Restaurants” on ovationup.com/podcast or your favorite place to listen to podcasts.
