A Viral Video Packed My Restaurant Every Night — Now What? - Alade Aminu (S:2 Ep:2)

Описание: A viral video flooded his restaurant overnight — and he had no systems to handle it. In this episode of Freedom to Exit, we sit down with Holiday, a former professional basketball player (Georgia Tech, Miami Heat, overseas champion) who now owns two thriving Atlanta restaurants: Bar 44 and SM 44. He breaks down what it really takes to go from mopping floors and working every shift to sitting at home on a Friday night while both businesses run without him.

From building culture so deep an employee wanted to tattoo the brand on his body, to pulling himself away as the face so the business can scale beyond him — this is a masterclass in going from operator to owner.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

How Holiday transitioned from pro basketball to the restaurant industry with zero experience
What it's like to bootstrap a business — bartending, cleaning bathrooms, handling complaints yourself.

The viral moment that packed Bar 44 every night and forced him to build systems fast
Why trust and delegation are the only path out of working in your business
How he's pulling himself away as the "face" and letting the brand grow bigger than him
The power of culture — and the fine line between family atmosphere and too comfortable
How a celebrity chef and strong GMs allow him to step back
Using QR codes, data capture, and tech to market smarter (not harder)
Why word of mouth is still the most underrated marketing tool in restaurants
How Exit Factor evaluates the intangible drivers of business value

Connect With Our Guest Alade Aminu
https://bar44atl.com/
https://www.sm44atl.com/
https://www.instagram.com/kingaminu4/...

Timestamps:
0:00 – "We Had Good Problems" — A Viral Video Changed Everything
1:30 – Meet Holiday: From Georgia Tech to Pro Ball to Restaurateur
4:00 – The Athlete-to-Entrepreneur Mindset
7:00 – Bootstrapping Bar 44: Wearing Every Hat
10:00 – The Moment He Knew He Could Step Away
13:00 – Building a Team You Can Trust with Your Cash Business
16:00 – Creating an Experience: Bar 44 vs. SM 44
19:00 – Pulling Away as the Face of the Brand
22:00 – Jay-Z, Summer Walker & Celebrities Showing Up on Their Own
24:00 – Technology, AI & Data Capture for Restaurants
27:00 – The QR Code Strategy Most Owners Miss
29:00 – Social Media & Marketing That Actually Works
32:00 – Building Culture So Strong Employees Want Brand Tattoos
35:00 – Live Music Fridays, Brunch Sundays & $1 Hookah Thursdays
38:00 – Advice for Restaurant Owners Stuck Wearing Every Hat
40:00 – Exit Factor North: What We Bring to the Table

📍 Bar 44: 2755 Cobb Pkwy, Marietta, GA
📍 SM 44: 793 Juniper Street, Atlanta, GA (Midtown)

💬 What's one business lesson sports taught you? Drop it in the comments!

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Remember: Every business is sellable with the right strategy, systems, and support. Stop leaving money on the table.

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