Hobnob 6: Saylish Haas
With the number of COVID cases continuing to grow and new safety measures coming into effect, we could all probably use a little comfort right now. This week, we hobnobbed with Saylish Haas, the restaurateur behind some of Edmonton’s best-loved comfort food.
When Saylish bought The Next Act in 2010, with business partners Mike and Nate, she’d barely worked in the industry. But Mike and Nate had both worked in restaurants for years, and assured her that a lot of the fundamentals – managing logistics, crafting the customer experience, building a talented and dedicated staff team – are the same whatever industry you’re in. As a long-time regional manager in the retail sector, Saylish knew how to manage the “people” side of the business.
Ten years later, Saylish and her partners have three restaurants, over 100 passionate employees, and a loyal community of customers. In her chat with Justin, she talks about the journey of opening The Next Act, MEAT and Pip, the top priorities for her business these last eight months, and the power of providing a little taste of “normal” in a year where it feels like everything’s changed.
Watch Saylish and Justin’s full conversation here.