27
Jerry Greenberg
Obsession Served Raw
Tall, trim, and totally composed, Jerry is not what you picture when you hear “restaurateur.” Yes, he once took a tech company public in the ’90s, but don’t mistake him for the money guy. For Jerry, it’s all about the food.
In this conversation, Jerry shares how he and his partners treat each concept like a Rubik’s cube, twisting every detail until it clicks. From menu to lighting to timing, every element serves a singular mission: to deliver that one transcendent bite when a guest says, “Damn, that’s good.”
On this show, I seek out “business artists.” These are artists who build a business to get their creations into the world, and businesspeople who approach company building with the intentionality of an artist. Jerry fits both of these definitions.
Please enjoy my conversation with a restaurateur, business artist, and obsessive entrepreneur.
This is Jerry Greenberg, At Large.
Listen : Spotify | Apple | YouTube
“I call it the Rubik’s cube. We keep twisting this thing over and over until we can figure out ‘What is Sugarfish?’”
Conversation Topics
- 02:02 - The Beginnings of Jerry's Relationship to Restaurants
- 03:58 - Chef Nozawa Asks Jerry To Team Up
- 09:50 - How To Be Better When You Do The Same Thing As Everyone
- 10:50 - The Rubick's Cube of Business
- 14:40 - The Famous Sugarfish Rice
- 19:19 - The Famous Matū Cheesesteak
- 25:55 - Scaling with Quality
- 29:00 - The Famous Uovo Pasta
- 31:51 - Why & How Jerry Keeps Opening Restaurant Concepts
- 34:58 - The Simple Love of Food
- 35:35 - Setting The Sugarfish Culture
- 38:45 - Jerry Cooks
- 41:46 - At Large & Off The Cuff
Show Notes
Obsession Served Raw
The Pasta Whisperer
Master of Ceremony
Acquired Tastes
Sauce Boss Meets Girlboss
Movies by Any Means Necessary
Have Your Cake and Tweet It Too
Greens to Greatness
Writing Your Way Ahead
Liberté, Intégrité, Simplicité
Peace, Love, and Advertising
The Unprofessional Professional
Idea Virus Patient Zero
Chasing Liquid Gold
Making MSCHF
Internet Funnyman
Building a Digital Hearth
No Mud, No Lotus
You Can’t Just Switch It Off
Purpose & Play
Creative Courage and Talking Stuffed Animals
Silencing the Discursive Mind
Striking Internet Gold
Givers Are Getters
Hosting a Rave for the Intellect
The Hunt for Big Ideas
Good Artists Copy, Great Artists Steal
Not investment advice. Read important disclosures.