David Zhao of Chubby Cattle on Sacrificing Everything To Succeed

David Zhao (@itsdawei) of NXT Group and NXTFactor has a portfolio that includes Chubby Cattle, X-Pot, and an organization that battles Cyber Bullying.

Watch now to learn about getting on the Forbes 30 Under 30 List 2022, what goes into creating a successful business empire, and why everyone should create social media content.

WHAT DID YOU LEARN on this episode of the Restaurant Influencers podcast, presented by the Toast point of sale and restaurant management technology company? Let us know by leaving a YouTube comment below.

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CHAPTERS:

[02:37] - David Zhao 2-Minute Drill

[11:42] - The Darkest Hour

[18:06] - Partnering with The Venetian in Las Vegas

[22:40] - Why Diversify?

[28:38] - Social Media Strategy

David Zhao is a Restaurant Influencer –

Leaning into his entrepreneurial penchant from a very early age, David Zhao and his partner, Haibin Yang, were both named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 Food & Drink list for 2022.

“The pair are elevating traditional Chinese hot pot with technologies including robotic servers and bussers, as well as high-end laser projectors to project custom media for every dish onto customers’ tables,” Forbes wrote about the David Zhao and Haibin Yang. “Chubby Cattle has scaled to five locations across the U.S., has raised $28 million and is on track to see $20 million in revenue this year.”

Zhao’s endeavors have taken off in recent years, but it didn’t begin that way.

After opening the first Chubby Cattle restaurant in Las Vegas 2013, just a few years removed from high school, he and Yang endured three years of no salary prior to creating a profitable business.

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“Ninety percent of restaurants fail within the first few years. And it's because people think when you create a restaurant, it's all about creating good food, right? You have good food and you like the taste and that's it,” explains David Zhao to podcast host Shawn P. Walchef of

“You have to be an expert in all of these aspects in order to have an edge in the restaurant space, to be profitable and to be scalable.”

No lessons learned from experience would prepare Zhao, or any business owner, for the ramifications of the 2020 pandemic. During the public health related shut downs, Zhao had to halt expansion plans as the entire city of Las Vegas was placed on restrictions.

However, the perseverance that got them through the first three years of business helped align their vision to the point that the businessmen both agreed to sell their houses and cars to fund the delayed projects.

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“​I think, one thing that's key is also to our success is that a partner I have the same vision, like we're willing to sell everything right now if it's a new project”, says David Zhao.

That Mamba Mentality and unwillingness to cave is what gave David Zhao the momentum to continue building his business from a teenage freelancer writing reviews for Asian restaurants, to an entrepreneur, activist, and investor with a growing $100 Million Dollar Restaurant Brand.

EPISODE LINKS:

David Zhao Instagram

Chubby Cattle Website

David Zhao Website

ABOUT DAVID ZHAO (@itsdawei)

David Zhao is an entrepreneur, activist, investor and Managing Partner at NXT Group, CEO at NXTFactor, and cofounder of Chubby Cattle International Hospitality Group. After opening his first restaurant location just a few years out of high school, David Zhao and Haibin Yang now have 10 restaurant locations and a $100 million restaurant brand. Also an activist, Zhao has now turned attention to providing tips to other entrepreneurs and fighting Cyber Bullying.

• David Zhao on LinkedIn

ABOUT RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS:

Welcome to the Restaurant Influencers podcast and video series. Every week host and restaurant owner Shawn P. Walchef (@shawnpwalchef) talks with leaders like Emeril Lagasse, Sam The Cooking Guy, and Marguerite Zabar Mariscal about their secrets to running a business, modern branding, and how to show up where customers are spending time online.

• Published by Entrepreneur Media

• Produced by Cali BBQ Media

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