Before Josh Eans was consulting for restaurants, he owned them. Although he and his family now live in Valencia, Spain, four years ago he and his wife, Abbey-Jo, were operating Columbus Park\u2019s Happy Gillis (now Dear Donna) and Columbus Park Ramen next door. Before that, he was a chef at The American Restaurant, the longtime \u201cjewel of Crown Center.\u201d<\/p>\n
Those years spent in Kansas City sweating over stoves, balancing the books and taking inventory inspired Eans\u2019 new book, Freedom Was the Whole Point, debuting this month on Amazon. Part memoir and part practical guide, it draws on the lessons he\u2019s learned as both a restaurateur and consultant, with a particular focus on one of the industry\u2019s biggest challenges: burnout, a struggle Eans knows all too well himself.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He says the pandemic unexpectedly \u201cforced us off the hamster wheel.\u201d As business ground to a halt, Eans and his wife closed Columbus Park Ramen, focusing their limited time and resources on keeping Happy Gillis afloat. When life and the restaurant industry finally settled into a new normal, they realized they didn\u2019t want to climb back on.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was an intense time, but it gave us some time to slow down, which you never get as a small restaurant owner,\u201d Eans says. \u201cWe realized we didn\u2019t want to go back to the way we were doing things. We also wanted something different for our kids.\u201d<\/p>\n
From Spain, Eans took his part-time consulting business, What a Treat Consulting, full time. He\u2019s offered his services to many restaurants, including Kansas City spots like Boulevard Beer Hall & Rec Deck, The Campground, Tom\u2019s Town Distillery, Sail Away Wine Bar, The Filling Station and more, helping them improve operations and uncover hidden profit leaks. After analyzing profit-and-loss statements for other people\u2019s restaurants, he\u2019s convinced that burnout is closely connected to food costs specifically.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy getting your costs under control and setting up systems, it allows you to step back and not have to be there for every single decision,\u201d Eans says. \u201cThe financial pressure is a big part of [burnout].\u201d<\/p>\n
Eans knows the restaurant business has always been demanding, but he believes today\u2019s operators are facing a new set of challenges. For example, fewer young people are taking restaurant jobs, and younger diners are drinking less alcohol, weakening one of the industry\u2019s most dependable sources of revenue.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe restaurants are now getting squeezed from all sides,\u201d he says. \u201cAt the end of the day, there\u2019s not just as much left as there used to be, so that\u2019s where I say, \u2018All right, let\u2019s control the parts that we can control and tighten up the operation.’\u201d<\/p>\n
For Eans, that starts with the numbers. He helps operators spot unnecessary labor costs, food waste and other inefficiencies that chip away at profits. Sure, the goal is healthier balance sheets, but ultimately it\u2019s about helping owners reclaim balance, maybe even some freedom\u2014hence his book\u2019s title. After all, Eans believes success isn\u2019t measured only by what\u2019s on the bottom line.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think so many times, if you own a restaurant, your life gets swallowed up by it,\u201d he says. \u201cSo to me the main goal is to get your life back.\u201d<\/p>\n
Josh Eans Perfect Day in KC<\/p>\n
Ride to the River: I\u2019d definitely ride the streetcar because it\u2019s expanded so much since I left. Tom Gerend, who helped lead the project, is a friend of mine, so I\u2019d take it all the way to Berkley Riverfront Park and check out CPKC Stadium.<\/p>\n
Back to the Block: I\u2019d wander around my old neighborhood, Columbus Park, then have lunch at Dear Donna. Since we used to own Happy Gillis in that space, it would feel like a nice full-circle moment.<\/p>\n
Tortilla Mission: I\u2019d have to stop by Yoli Tortilleria and grab some tortillas for Abbey-Jo. It\u2019s hard to find good Mexican food in Spain, so fresh, warm tortillas are one of the things we miss the most.<\/p>\n
Dim Sum Nostalgia: For our family, ABC Cafe in Overland Park was always one of our favorite spots. We\u2019d order dim sum, XO turnip cakes and spicy beef tendon.<\/p>\n
Fresh Ink: One of our regulars at Happy Gillis was Scott Shickman, who has done all of my and my wife\u2019s tattoos. I\u2019d definitely sneak into his spot Done-Rite Tattoos for another one while I was back in town.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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