My restaurant got busy before it was ready. Now I can finally take a step back.

A year and seven months into La Spada, I’ve finally reached a point where I can step away for a week and know the restaurant will be okay.

I’m actually writing this while on vacation, checking in only occasionally to optimize the room in the reservation system or answer a question or two, but mostly letting the place run without me.

That might sound insignificant to anyone outside the industry, but for those of us who’ve built something from nothing, it’s a real milestone. It means the restaurant no longer depends on your constant presence to survive. It means people are empowered and trusted, and that essential systems are in place.

Before La Spada, I spent thirteen years leading product teams at tech startups. Different industry, same truth: teams move through cycles. When everything clicks, work feels almost invisible, decisions happen naturally, trust replaces oversight, momentum carries you forward. But that state is fragile. A few staff changes, interpersonal issues, unclear leadership, or outside pressure, and suddenly you’re back in storming mode.