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A culinary revolution is underway in Oakland, California Family rooma restaurant that turned a easy desire into a haven of fine food. At the heart of this transformation lies Erin Wadewhose journey from lawyer to pioneering chef and entrepreneur captures the spirit of innovation and resilience.
Wade’s story is wealthy with lessons in creativity, perseverance and the art of cheesemaking. her book, Mac & Cheese Millionairechronicles this adventure and offers insights that appeal to anyone seeking to turn a personal passion into a business.
“I used to be working very unhappily as a lawyer. I got here home one night craving macaroni and cheese and realized there was no restaurant I could go to,” Wade says. “I believed, How wild are the pizza and burger restaurants, but there is no place I can go just for macaroni and cheese“
The country was experiencing a housing crash, and Wade saw an opportunity to supply people comfort food during difficult economic times. Therefore, Family room was born with the goal of providing relief through easy, satisfying dishes in times of uncertainty.
Wade began her entrepreneurial journey by entering the market through pop-up events that helped her gauge customer interest and refine her menu. “I priced a bowl of macaroni and cheese at $2, which is just obscene,” she says. “I mean, it doesn’t make sense at all. I wanted no one to ever think twice about buying this. I wanted to be packed. I wanted to sell myself.”
Beyond the price, Wade invested deeply customer engagementand her methods helped build a strong community around Homeroom, turning first-time visitors into regulars and supporters of her brand.
Behind the scenes, Wade also focused on cultivating a supportive team culture, including a unique recruiting process that focused more on candidates’ abilities and values than on traditional measures of skill and experience.
“Hiring is like dating, provided you measure it by how good someone is at talking,” he says. Its recruitment process includes practical trial shifts so that candidates can display their skills in real-world conditions.
“Something we did that is particularly unique in the restaurant industry is we started hiring, training and promoting based on our values,” he says. This strategy created a cohesive team that not only shared Wade’s vision for Homeroom, but also fostered a culture of mutual respect and innovation.
Through a common language and mutual respect, employees were free to bring their personalities to their work, making each guest’s experience unique and unforgettable.
Apart from internal operations, community influence was critical to the Homeroom ethos. Wade implemented a system that significantly reduced harassment in the workplace, setting a latest standard in an industry often plagued by such problems.
“We came up with a color-coding system: yellow, orange and red, where there is an automatic action that a manager has to take when a color is reported,” he says.
The easy but effective protocol made her employees feel safer and more supported. This proactive stance on social issues has gained support from the local and broader community, transforming Homeroom into greater than just a place to eat, but a beacon of positive change in Oakland.
As Homeroom flourished under her leadership, Wade began working on a book providing specific strategies for entrepreneurs to remodel personal passion into skilled success. Her narrative offers broader business lessons on resilience, innovation and ethical leadership, and describes how she learned to be more transparent with her employees.
“I realized that I had a lot of information about the company and that you can’t lead a great team if you don’t know how they’re doing, what the measures of success are and how to influence them,” he says. “I realized that was my goal as a coach and leader.”
“So we started teaching people about business,” he continues. “We started encouraging them to participate in this event. [In] In most businesses, whether they’re restaurants or not, it’s very rare for people to share meaningful financial data, expect you to look at certain things, and collectively figure out how to improve them. But it made a huge difference for us.”
To achieve success, Homeroom relies on the following principles:
- Prioritize accessibility and value. Strategically price products to remove customer barriers, encouraging trial and building loyalty.
- Promote a culture of mutual respect and innovation. Develop hiring and training practices that emphasize cultural fit over traditional metrics, ensuring that each team member contributes to a collaborative environment.
- Use the feedback to continuous evolution. Regularly incorporate customer and worker feedback to enhance your online business model and offerings, ensuring the company stays relevant and attentive to community needs.
- Community of champions and worker well-being. Implement workplace practices that promote safety and support, demonstrating that a commitment to social responsibility increases business success.
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Editorial contributions: Charlotte Che and Kristi Lindahl