He Lost Everything Then Built a Michelin Recognized Restaurant

About this episode

Cesar Vallin shares his journey of rebuilding a Michelin recognized restaurant after experiencing bankruptcy, emphasizing the importance of authenticity and storytelling in hospitality.

Shawn Walchef sits down with Cesar Vallin, co-owner of Cloak and Petal, to talk about rebuilding after failure and leading with authenticity. Vallin shares the lessons learned from bankruptcy, the mindset shift that shaped his restaurant, and why storytelling and vulnerability matter in hospitality. The conversation explores resilience, daily practices for staying present, and why long-term consistency matters more than short-term success.

People in this episode

Host: Shawn Walchef

Guest: Cesar Vallin

Topics covered

• resilience
• hospitality
• storytelling
• authenticity
• mindset
• bankruptcy

Keywords

• Michelin
• restaurant
• bankruptcy
• resilience
• storytelling
• hospitality
• authenticity

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Cloak and Petal

More episodes of Digital Hospitality

• Chicken Salad Chick Grew to 335 Locations. Makayla Ekiss Says Catering Execution Helped Fuel the Expansion · June 12, 2026 · 16 min
• He Entered the Craft Beer Boom at the Perfect Time — Now Gordon Brown Says the Industry Is Reinventing Itself Again · June 10, 2026 · 28 min
• How Tiki Taco Uses KNOW To Build Operational Consistency · June 8, 2026 · 18 min
• Bite CEO Explains the Future of Restaurant Ordering · June 4, 2026 · 33 min
• How An Emotional Connection Can Drive Customer Loyalty · June 1, 2026 · 32 min
• How To Scale a Wellness Brand: Pure Green's Success Story · May 27, 2026 · 15 min