Welcome to Morsels, your go-to newsletter from MAJC✨, breaking down hospitality insights into bite-sized chunks.
If you are reading this between services, on a quick break, or on the way into New Year’s Eve, we see you. December asks a lot. Long hours, high expectations, and very little margin for rest.
This week’s issue is intentionally short, built for skimming now and saving for later. Each piece focuses on finishing December with steadiness and setting yourself up for a more sustainable 2026 by protecting what actually keeps the work going.
🎧 LISTEN: Tina and David Schuttenberg on Building a Cult Restaurant Brand
Tina and David Schuttenberg are the owners behind Kwei Fei and Beautiful South in Charleston. After early misfires and relocations, they built a punk-rock Sichuan pop-up that grew into two brick-and-mortar restaurants. In this episode of Restaurant Ready, they share what it took to turn failure into momentum, run lean without outside investment, divide roles as partners, and build culture with conviction instead of compromise.
Takeaways
- Failure can become forward momentum
- Clear roles protect the business and the relationship
- Conviction beats growth for growth’s sake
📹 WATCH: Ari Weinzweig on Using Visioning to Imagine a Better Future
When the future feels unclear, many leaders default to reacting instead of deciding. In this episode, Zingerman’s co-founder and longtime hospitality leader Ari Weinzweig shares his Hot Pen visioning technique, a simple writing practice designed to help hospitality leaders access clarity, direction, and long-term intent.
Takeaways:
- Reveal true intentions through unfiltered expression
- Use free writing to tap into subconscious vision
- Write continuously to bypass overthinking
📖 READ: The Owner’s Survival Guide: Protecting Your Energy in a Business That Never Stops
Burnout is not a personal failure. It is often a systems issue. This article pulls lessons from more than 100 conversations with chefs, owners, and operators who have learned that sustainability is not about doing less, it is about leading differently.
From treating rest as a business strategy to building steadiness into daily leadership, this piece is worth saving for a quieter moment when you are ready to think about how you want 2026 to feel.
Why it matters
- Energy management is a core leadership skill
- Steady leadership sets the tone for the entire restaurant
- Protecting yourself helps protect your people
✏️ USE: Focus Tracker: Set One Goal That Matters
December pulls leaders in a thousand directions. This simple worksheet helps you and your team align around one clear priority, so progress does not get lost in the noise. Inspired by insights from Taylor Scott on Serving Success, this tool supports clarity without adding complexity.
How to use it
- Set one SMART goal per week, shift cycle, or month
- Share it with your team and revisit it regularly
- Track progress and adjust based on what you are learning
Cheers,
Your Friends at MAJC
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