1950
Peter Canlis, Mark Canlis's grandfather, started the Canlis restaurant in Seattle in 1950.
“One of them, Peter Canlis, started this restaurant, Canlis in 1950. So that was my grandfather.”
Topic
Canlis
19 facts from 1 episode, in date order. These are what speakers said on the shows, each linked to the moment it was said. They aren't independently verified.
2003
Mark Canlis joined the family restaurant in 2003 after graduating from Cornell University and serving as an Air Force Special Operations captain.
“He joined Canlis in 2003 after graduating from Cornell University and serving as a captain in Air Force Special Operations.”
2019
A summer luau held in the Canlis parking lot drew about 1,200 people a night, who waited an hour or two to get in.
“Like 1200 people came a night, like it was nuts. And all of them waited an hour or two to get in.”
2020
Canlis employed 115 people to run six dinner services a week.
“I have 115 employees to make that happen. So we are a model of inefficiency and, um, that's just six dinners a week.”
2020
Canlis launched its drive-through on Monday, added bagels on Tuesday and added home delivery on Wednesday of the same week.
“with a drive-through Tuesday, we added bagels and yesterday we added, added home delivery.”
2020
On one day early in the pivot, Canlis served about 1,200 people through its drive-through.
“but today we served, you know, about 1200 people through the drive-through.”
2020
Mark Canlis said his team concluded that doing nothing would be as risky as making a radical change, and chose to replace a profitable restaurant with three new concepts.
“it would be just as risky to do nothing as it would to do something really radical.”
2020
Mark Canlis asked his staff to re-volunteer to work at the restaurant rather than accept layoffs or furloughs.
“And it would mean all of you need to re volunteer to work here.”
2020
Canlis priced its drive-through burger at $14 and, according to Mark Canlis, designed the new concepts mainly to keep staff employed rather than to make money.
“A burger price is $14. So, you know what? We have designed this thing not to make money.”
2020
Mark Canlis said the bagel concept loses money while the delivery dinner concept is expected to become profitable as it scales.
“With bagels, we're definitely losing. With dinner, as we scale that up, that'll be profitable.”
2020
Mark Canlis's goal was for Canlis not to lose money over the following three months.
“It'd be amazing if for the next three months, Canlis could not lose money.”
2020
The Canlis bagel shed sold out of bagels in under an hour and employed a full-time crew of eight.
“We sell out of bagels in under an hour. So it's a full time crew of eight making these things”
2020
Mark Canlis said the reservation-software company Tock, based in Chicago, paused its other work and rebuilt its system so Canlis could run home delivery.
“we stood our company down. We're turning it back on. We just called everybody in there in Chicago and we're just going to work on this.”
2020
Canlis sold out three nights' worth of delivery takeout in about 90 minutes.
“So yeah, we sold out three nights worth of takeout in about 90 minutes.”
Undated
Mark Canlis's great-grandfather worked as a cook on Theodore Roosevelt's African safari after Roosevelt's presidency.
“Our great grandfather cook for Teddy Roosevelt after his presidency on an African safari.”
Undated
Mark Canlis's father served in the Navy and his grandfather served as a Marine for 43 years.
“uh, dad was in the Navy. My grandfather was a Marine for 43 years.”
Undated
Food & Wine magazine named Canlis one of the 40 most important restaurants of the previous 40 years.
“Food and Wine Magazine has called it one of the 40 most important restaurants in the last 40 years.”
Undated
Canlis has 33 tables, compared with a typical 12 to 15 for fine dining, and can serve roughly 150 to 200 guests on a busy night.
“12 to 15 tables is pretty standard. Uh, we have 33. Um, but on a busy night, the most guests we can serve are somewhere around 150 to 200.”
Undated
Mark Canlis said Canlis effectively opens a new restaurant about every 18 months because its internal systems are rewritten that often.
“second restaurant about every 18 months. I would say that's how often the systems inside of Canlis are changing.”
Episodes