Buying Local Saratoga - Episode 15: Justin Bartlett (Dizzy Chicken)

In this episode, our host Steve Cully tag-teams with Jamie Parillo from the Saratoga History Museum to interview Justin Bartlett, owner and proprietor of Dizzy Chicken! They discuss his culinary background, his history in Saratoga and Glens Falls, the challenges a restaurant can face, and more in this feature-length episode!

A SARATOGA BUSINESS REPORT PRODUCTION

NOTE: The opinions reflected in this podcast are not indicative of the views of Saratoga Business Report, SaratogaBride.com LLC, Saratoga TODAY, Glens Falls TODAY, or Spa City Digital.

00:01:29 - Sports History of Justin Bartlett
00:04:11 - Touring and Meeting His Wife in Romania!
00:08:37 - Farmers’ Markets: Justin Saw an Opportunity!
00:11:35 - Eastern European Work Visas… Need to Come Back!
00:13:13 - The Siren Call… Of Cooking!
00:15:16 - Culinary School is Just a Foundation: Get the Experience Next!
00:18:35 - Cooking is Not Enough: RUNNING a Restaurant is Part of the Battle, Too!
00:21:22 - Getting the Idea…
00:23:51 - Office by Day, Restaurant by Night!
00:25:49 - Smoking Chickens: The Process
00:27:14 - The Origin of Dizzy Chicken’s Name!
00:29:56 - The Wrong Side of the Street of Dreams
00:31:44 - 10 Million Dollars to… Nothing? Leaving Glens Falls
00:33:18 - Why Did Saratoga Work Out So Much Better?
00:37:15 - The COVID Crisis: How Dizzy and the Museum Coped
00:40:55 - Skip the Apps (If You Can) and Get Your Own Drivers!
00:43:17 - Learning From Mistakes: Control Those Profit Margins!
00:45:05 - Smoking With Hickory?.. NO! Oak and Maple!
00:46:20 - A Big Challenge: Balancing a Thoughtful Mindset With a Successful Model!
00:50:15 - Separate Business and Pleasure: A Funny Story
00:53:14 - Expansion? No Thanks!
00:55:01 - The Best Catering Opportunities: Weddings!
00:56:34 - A Tasty, Healthy and Locally-Sourced Menu!
01:01:27 - Smoking VS Frying: Two Very Different Methods!
01:04:49 - Working For Yourself is High-Stress… But It’s Worth It!
01:07:27 - A Five-Star Reputation!
01:09:26 - Building the Bar
01:10:21 - Restaurant Week: Three-Course Dinner, $25!
01:13:23 - Shoutout to the Staff!
01:15:10 - Murder in the Canfield Casino, December 8th!