Robert Spencer Hospitality Group weathered the pandemic storm

Learning from the pros

Learning from the Pros interviews professional entrepreneurs who are currently in the trenches growing their businesses. Through insightful conversations, we unpack their common business challenges and identify the lessons every business owner needs to learn so they can accelerate their own business growth. Learning from the Pros is produced by Amplomedia in partnership with Troy Media.

Today we’re joined by Paul Shufelt, the founder and Head Chef at the Robert Spencer Hospitality Group. The Robert Spencer Hospitality Group runs six restaurants throughout Edmonton: Workshop Eatery, Hayloft, Woodshed Burgers, and The Greenhouse Restaurants at Victoria, Riverside, and Rundle. During his interview, Paul discusses what success has looked like for him, how he’s managed to open and operate six full-service restaurants and a catering business, and the things that he learned about hospitality through the pandemic. Unlike many businesses, Paul was able to keep roughly 90 per cent of his employees on staff during the pandemic, through a combination of ingenuity and pivoting the way his restaurants sold food.

Our Guest

Paul Shufelt followed his mom around the kitchen as a child, but you could say his true culinary education began at 16 when he took a job as a dishwasher. After a short stint working in Montreal, Paul enrolled in the culinary apprenticeship program at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology. At the same time, he worked under Chef Thomas Neukom at the Buffalo Mountain Lodge in Banff, Alta. Upon completion of the program in 2001, Paul travelled to Switzerland to hone his craft, working with Chef Urs Thommen at Gasthof Baren Utzenstorf. With his Swiss experience providing a strong foundation, Paul moved to Edmonton, and for 10 years took the helm of one of Edmonton’s premier restaurant groups. After over two decades in the business, it was time for Chef Paul to go it alone and fulfill his dream of opening his own place.

Our Host

Lance Johnson

Lance Johnson is the president of Amplomedia, an innovative digital marketing agency specializing in motion graphic video production and digital marketing services. He leverages more than 20 years of experience in marketing and business strategy to help clients identify how best to engage their audience while effectively communicating their messages with clarity and impact.

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