Stephen Starr didn’t plan to get into the restaurant business.

He set out to be a radio DJ. Then a nightclub owner. Then a music promoter.

Along the way, he booked a young Jerry Seinfeld for $75, promoted shows for U2 and Madonna, and spent years pretending to be more successful than he really was.

Then, in his late 30s, Stephen walked into a glitzy martini bar in New York.

He was so taken with it, he decided to start his own version in Philadelphia.

Today, Starr Restaurant Group generates nearly half a billion dollars in annual revenue and includes some of the most successful independent restaurants in America: Pastis, Buddakan, Le Diplomate, Parc, Makoto, and dozens more.

The surprising part?

Stephen did not start out as a foodie.

Instead, he became obsessed with the theatre of dining: design, upholstery, lighting, music. A “wow!” feeling when you walk in the door.

In this conversation with Guy, Stephen talks about the hard lessons he learned in the comedy and music business, and the unexpected path he took to redefining dining.

What You'll Learn:

• The unglamorous economics of rock concerts and restaurants
• How rejection, romantic heartbreak, and failure can become powerful motivators
• Why he believes he's spent his career "throwing the party" without attending it
• How building the right team of designers can make a restaurant feel magical
• Why Stephen says today's entrepreneurs have a much harder path than his generation did
• The model Stephen says new restaurateurs should follow today

Timestamps:

• 00:03:38 — A lonely childhood: Making up skits in his room
• 00:07:24 — Losing his mother at age 19
• 00:08:52 — Starting a comedy club: Deli by day. Stand up at night
• 00:18:24 — Going broke and reneging on a bank loan
• 00:26:01 — Music promotion: Feeling like a fraud while promoting U2, Madonna
• 00:34:27 — A New York martini bar inspires Stephen to start his own
• 00:37:40 — The bold design behind a line-out-the-door restaurant
• 00:57:21 — Opening Buddakan in New York: “I can’t do anything better. This is Sgt. Pepper”
• 01:02:58 — Starting a restaurant today: “I would say don’t do it … but if you do, keep it smaller”

This episode was produced by Alex Cheng with music composed by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by Neva Grant with research by Sam Paulson. Our audio engineers were Patrick Murray and Robert Rodriguez.

Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This

Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com

Today’s callers: Daisy in the United Kingdom looks to grow her barefoot shoe brand across the pond in the United States. Then Rachel in Pennsylvania considers private labeling for her protein-packed sprinkles. And Andrew in California wonders whether he should seek investment for his pleasantly-scented soil additive.

Plus, Shazi discusses why entrepreneurship is one of the most creative outlets a person can have.

Thank you to the founders of Freet Barefoot, SprinkleBites, and PlantAmika for being a part of our show.

If you’d like to be featured on a future Advice Line episode—where Guy and former show guests take questions from early-stage founders—leave us a one-minute message that tells us about your business and a specific question you’d like answered. Send a voice memo to hibt@id.wondery.com or call 1-800-433-1298.

And be sure to listen to Happy Family Organics’ founding story as told by Shazi in 2020.

This episode was produced by Sam Paulson with music by Ramtin Arablouei. It was edited by John Isabella. Our audio engineer was Robert Rodriguez.

You can follow HIBT on X & Instagram and sign up for Guy’s free newsletter at guyraz.com or on Substack.

When Maxine Clark left a top job in retail to start a make-your-own stuffed animal store, people thought she’d lost her mind.

Investors doubted it. Friends questioned it. Retail experts couldn't understand how it would scale.

But drawing on more than 20 years as a retail executive, Maxine built a massively successful shopping “experience,” where kids could stuff, dress and personalize their own stuffed animals.

Today, Build-A-Bear has generated billions in sales, survived the decline of malls, weathered the financial crisis, and become a global brand.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

How a failed errand—and an offhand comment by a kid–inspired a business plan

How Maxine leveraged two decades of retail experience to launch Build-a-Bear

How Willy Wonka and Walt Disney were early inspirations

How she built a wedge against competitors

How she got through the financial crisis

How she knew when to step down as CEO– and how to collaborate with her successor

TIMESTAMPS:

• 05:52 - A mom Who Worked for Eleanor Roosevelt
• 09:18 - The Impromptu Interview That Changed Maxine’s Career
• 16:00 - Becoming One of the Few Female Fortune 500 Executives
• 18:43 - Why She Walked Away From Payless
• 21:27 - The Beanie Baby Disappointment That Sparked Build-A-Bear
• 26:14 - Designing the First Store: “Make it Like Willy Wonka.”
• 37:53 - Opening Day — and a Line Out the Door
• 39:53 - Defending the Brand Against Copycats and Lawsuits
• 45:53 - Scaling to Hundreds of Stores and Going Public
• 58:25 - Letting Go: Stepping Down as CEO and Building a Legacy

This episode was researched by Rommel Wood and produced by Kerry Thompson, with music by Ramtin Arablouei, and edited by Neva Grant.

Follow How I Built This:

Instagram → @howibuiltthis

X → @HowIBuiltThis

Facebook → How I Built This

Follow Guy Raz:

Instagram → @guy.raz

Youtube → guy_raz

X → @guyraz

Substack → guyraz.substack.com

Website → guyraz.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.