From tiny mom and pop restaurant to nationally ranked #3 by Yelp…
How making connections made it happen.

Kate and Bob Carpenter own a tiny restaurant on a side street in the “hidden valley” of Escondido, CA. Yet somehow they managed to garner local and national acclaim with awards like Best Grilled Cheese (Union Tribune), Best Breakfast Sandwich In America (Yelp), Best Breakfast Restaurant (San Diego Magazine) and #3 in the nation out of the Top 100 Restaurants In America (Yelp).

Connecting with experts and their local community was the key to unlocking all this attention. “Have a nice day” was replaced with “What are you doing today?” and that opened up genuine conversations and built relationships. When you have a real connection it’s easy to ask someone to support you and even vote for you.
Kate and Bob are the owners of Sunny Side Kitchen in historic downtown Escondido. Recently named the #3 place to eat in the nation by Yelp, Sunny Side Kitchen is a small, off-the-beaten-path panini shop that set out from the beginning to be just different enough and connect the community through food and friendship.

This is not the first career for Kate or Bob; they started out as journalists. That background was key to their ability to talk to people, ask for help, and collaborate with experts in order to achieve the success they have experienced. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx