We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Brian Strutz a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Brian thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you tell us about a time where you or your team really helped a customer get an amazing result?

When we opened our restaurant in 2016, we had held three days of “soft openings” to gear up for normal service. Each of those days offered a discounted menu while we worked out the kinks.

In response to the soft openings, I received an angry email from a customer who explained how they’ve been to dozens of soft openings and “never had to pay for for their meal” while the restaurant was “working out the kinks.” I remember getting this email at 1 am after a long, hard day. I sat in bed and read it over and over, questioning whether to respond. Eventually, I responded, and it was a lengthy response, defending our decision to to charge money (albeit at a discount) for a soft opening. I talked about the slim margins of our industry, cash flow limitations, and how my wife and I had sold our home and put everything we had into the restaurant — how we couldn’t just give it all away on day one.

This was effectively our first negative review and I chose to engage. I never could’ve predicted what happened next.

I received a lengthy reply from this person apologizing for their email, telling me not to worry about it and that “I had bigger things to worry about.” They apologized and expressed that they never thought about it from my perspective and wished me luck. It was so cathartic to cause that kind of a response, but what is really wild is that three years later, while we were interviewing a potential line cook, the applicant mentioned their father’s name… a name that I remembered… could it be the same person? Well, it turns out this employee’s father was the author of that original email, and we ended up hiring him.
He went on to become one of our more consistent employees who worked for us for almost 3 years, growing significantly during that time. I will always think about this story and the interconnectedness it represents.

Brian, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

When I was 10 years old, my uncle Steve taught me how to make eggplant parmigiana. He was staying with my sister and I while our parents were on vacation. Prior to this, I never really thought about cooking. That week changed everything and the experience sparked a culinary curiosity that led to my eventual career in the culinary world.

When I was 16 years old, I started cooking in restaurants… In high school, I dressed up as a chef/restaurant owner for career day, and while my friends were out partying, I was making spanakopita and baklava at our local greek restaurant. Later on, I received a degree in marketing from the University of Tennessee where I met my wife… After graduating, we bought one way tickets to Italy, where we worked on farms in exchange for room and board. After that experience, I spent a couple years cooking at Blackberry Farm, building my knowledge of food. Then, later, after a few tragic losses in our family, I decided to risk everything and open a sourdough, wood fired pizzeria.

Can you talk to us about your experience with buying businesses?

In late 2021, a nearby coffee shop had just shut it’s doors. It was in the same neighborhood as our dinner restaurant, A Dopo. We had been working with a young chef and his partner, dreaming about opening another dinner restaurant with them when I had the idea to buy what was left of that closed coffee shop. and open a deli together. This couple was young, and full of energy. They had great ideas and the whole world was ahead of them. Within a few days, they hatched a vision for Potchke, and we signed a lease to take over the space, buying up everything the coffee shop had left. Within a few months we were open and off to the races. This business has quickly become one of the hottest lunch spots in town – thanks in large part to our partners dedication to their vision, but as well our timing and willingness to seize an opportunity. Over the last two years, that business has been featured in the NY Times, Southern Living, USA Today and more.

This whole process opened up my eyes to existing spaces in the food industry. Things like inflation and bureaucracy have made restaurant ownership a near insurmountable task in the last few years – but an existing space, with equipment, a built-out kitchen, and established footprint? This was new, exciting, and most of all accessible. Taking over the lease was fairly straightforward. Buying the equipment involved an agreement on price, paperwork, and a tolerance for risk.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

In 2016, I opened A Dopo on the fringe of downtown Knoxville with about $17,000 in its checking account. Some people may read that and think that’s a lot, but anyone who’s opened a restaurant will see that number and cringe.

In 2015, my plan for A Dopo was beginning to take shape. I had been seeking guidance from the smartest, most successful people I knew; getting help with my business plan, location ideas, financing strategies etc. But the best advice came from a friend in Flagstaff, AZ.

In the summer, I headed west to work at a small place called Pizzicletta, owned and operated by Caleb Schiff. I learned about his restaurant online, where they made sourdough pizzas, in a Neapolitan style. After email-bombing Caleb for a few weeks, he relented and said “come on out.” I secured my stage. Shortly after arriving, I knew I made the right decision. Pizzicletta sat on a quiet corner on the outskirts of downtown Flagstaff. It was small, clean, efficient and full of energy. I spent the next 3 weeks washing dishes, making dough, churning ice cream, and doing whatever else they’d let me do – eventually getting to cook a few pizzas. In our down time, Caleb took me on a few hikes and opened up his business to me in a way that would have a lasting imprint on A Dopo.

It was Caleb that recommended I finance A Dopo through debt (not equity), if possible. He urged for a lean startup budget, that was heavy on my own blood, sweat, tears, and capital. When I returned to Knoxville, I drew up a debt instrument that asked for money in exchange for a 10% rate of return over 5 years, deferring principal in year 1. I took this note and my business plan to anyone I knew with money to burn. In time, I was able to raise $163,000 from 9 different investors, adding an additional 30K by selling our home and moving in with my in-laws. I counted every penny and leveraged every single resource I had, opening the doors to A Dopo on October 6, 2016.

For the first couple of years, all I did was work, all day every day, and since we no longer had a mortgage (and my wife/partner, Jessica, was working as a high school music teacher), we saved every bit of money the restaurant made, paying down our debt as quickly as possible. Eventually, Jessica left her career and joined the restaurant. After this, A Dopo took off. Eventually, we paid off our debt, and to this day we retain all equity in A Dopo.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.adopopizza.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/adopopizza
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/adopopizza
• Other: https://resy.com/cities/knx/a-dopo-pizza

Image Credits
The images are titled to give credit, but to be safe: Bridgette Sackman (photos: oven & dining room) Caroline Trotter for The Scout Guide (photos: single pizza & multiple pizzas)