Episode Details

Chef Don Agat on Building Good Eats & Sips During COVID and the Story Behind Don’s Cookie Host Noah Chrysler interviews Chef Don Agat, owner of Good Eats & Sips and Good To Go in Skaneateles, about launching Good Eats & Sips in June 2020 during COVID to provide fresher, “healthy-ish” food and a seamless online takeout experience. Don describes being denied by four banks—one scolded them for 45 minutes—before a fifth approved their loan after refining the business plan. He shares his career path from dishwasher to Johnson & Wales graduate, working in Outer Banks, Aspen, and Manhattan, experiencing layoffs during the 2008 crisis, then joining Club Med in the Bahamas where he met his wife. After Texas, he returned to Central New York to oversee the Krebs Restaurant rebuild, then held several leadership roles before COVID pushed him into the cafe. He discusses culture as the key to strong teams, showcases his sea salt chocolate chip hazelnut “Don’s cookie,” and outlines future growth, catering, and community-focused customer service. 00:00 Cookie Origins 00:18 Show Introduction 01:15 Launching During Covid 03:33 Bank Loan Gauntlet 05:53 From Dishwasher To Chef 07:03 Crisis And Layoffs 08:51 Club Med Escape 13:01 Montreal To Texas 13:59 Returning To Skaneateles 15:55 Career Moves After Adam 16:47 COVID Forces New Path 17:42 What Sets Him Apart 19:09 Del Lago Audition Story 21:08 Building Teams and Culture 22:11 Cheat Sheet for Leadership 24:19 The Bear Restaurant Reality 26:42 Cookie Tasting and Origins 28:16 Vision for Growth in CNY 29:51 Community Service Philosophy 31:56 Catering and Final Wrap