Episode Details

This week on Five Rules for the Good Life, I sit down with chef & restaurateur Alon Shaya, co-founder & chef of Pomegranate Hospitality. He shares his Five Rules for Supporting Local Restaurants, and we discuss what it means to invest in your community, from celebrating the institutions that have built a city’s identity to connecting with new spots that are pushing the industry forward. We discuss how eating early helps a restaurant’s bottom line, showing up for seasonal traditions shows how much you care about their personal story, and how simply taking the time to thank the people who make your meal possible makes all of the difference.

Talking with Alon reminded me how deeply I care about investing in restaurants at every level. It’s not just about fine dining or hard-to-book tables. It’s about the corner coffee shop, the deli that’s been in my neighborhood for decades, the taco spot that remembers my kids’ names. Supporting these places creates community, and every dollar spent, whether on a full tasting menu or a single flat white, goes a long way in keeping them open and thriving.

I am excited to be moderating the closing reception of Nicholas Hondrogen's show at The Hole in Los Angeles on Sunday, September 14th at 12 pm. I will be chatting with Jeff Vespa, the Head of Nicholas Hondrogen's estate, and Jeremy Shockley, one of LA's dreamiest artists today.

Family Style, LA’s all timer of a food festival, is back this Saturday, 9.13! Snag tickets here and keep your eyes peeled for exclusive drops!

Hello, and welcome to Five Rules for the Good Life. I'm your host, Darin Bresnitz.

It is always a pleasure when I get to sit down with today’s guest, Alon Shaya, chef and co-founder of Pomegranate Hospitality. He’s here today to share his five rules for supporting local restaurants. We talk about the importance of continuing to dine at local legends, why eating on the early side isn’t just good for making bedtime, but also for helping a restaurant’s bottom line, and why thanking everyone who cooks and serves you at a meal is so meaningful. So let’s get into the rules.

Alon, it’s so great to see you. Always excited when we can make time to sit down together. Thanks for coming on the show.

Thanks so much for having me. I’m really honored to be on this and excited to get into what I love about New Orleans.

One of the things I’ve always appreciated about your career is your deep love and appreciation for restaurants and their place in communities and neighborhoods. Why do you think they hold this kind of singular importance more than almost any other business?

Well, you know, I’ll speak from my own experience. I was living in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, and in the aftermath of the storm, I saw it firsthand. I saw restaurants become the place where the community gathered, and I understood at that moment the importance they hold in people’s lives. It really set the tone for the way I believe I should operate my restaurants and what I love so much about restaurants — and about New Orleans as well.

Having gone through the Eaton Canyon fire, it was restaurants who showed up first to support and feed the community. So many people want to give that support back, but it’s hard to ignore just how expensive it’s gotten to g