Drew Nieporent on Opening Nobu, Working with Robert De Niro and Lessons from 40 Years in Restaurants

Legendary restaurateur Drew Nieporent sits down to discuss his incredible 40+ year career in the restaurant industry, from opening the iconic Nobu with Robert De Niro and Nobu Matsuhisa to building Tribeca Grill, Montrachet, and over 40 other restaurants. Drew shares lessons on leadership, navigating celebrity partnerships, surviving 9/11 and COVID, and what it really takes to succeed in the restaurant business.

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TIMESTAMPS:
1:12 - Muhammad Ali
3:03 - On Being Difficult
4:28 - On Being A Leader
5:56 - The Dynamic of the front and back of a restaurant
9:08 - Growing up in Restaurants
11:20 - Working on Cruise Ship Restaurants
15:04 - The Job of a Restaurateur
18:20 - Opening First Restaurant: Montrachet
19:47 - Getting 3 Stars
22:25 - Restaurant Reviews in 2025
27:22 - The Art of Naming Restaurants
31:21 - Opening Nobu
33:23 - Doing Business with Robert De Niro
34:01 - Nelson Mandela & Celebrities at Tribeca Grill
35:12 - When to say No to starting a Restaurant
38:15 - Opening Restaurants Abroad
39:53 - Nobu Opening in London
41:48 - Selecting Wines for your Restaurants
42:21 - Opening Crush Wine Store
45:40 - Navigating 9/11 and COVID
48:21 - Selling Burgers at Madison Square Garden
49:33 - Writing the book
51:02 - Rapid-Fire Food Questions
57:27 - What Should be in a Restaurateur's toolkit?

📖 Get Drew's new book "I'm Not Trying to Be Difficult: Stories from the Restaurant Trenches"
https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/tit...

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