Christina and Matt connected with Main St. Business Strategies to share how they’ve navigated the restaurant industry and built a staple in Westchester County.

Christina + Matt at Freddy’s
Photo by Tiffany Keegan

With the crazy schedule of restauranteurs, I’m so thankful to you both for taking time out to share Freddy's business development story. Let’s start with learning a bit about the business and how long you've been in the game.

CDS: My first summer job after high school was as a hostess at the now-closed Old Stone Mill Restaurant in Tuckahoe. My mother's friend's son owned the place and gave me a shot. I was inspired by the money a waiter-friend of mine was making in high school. That was the beginning!

MS: I started cooking at home in my early teenage years with my Jewish grandmother. I really enjoyed it so I enrolled in BOCES during high school and got my first restaurant job on the salad station at the now-closed Crystal Bay Restaurant which is currently The Factoria at Charles Point in Peekskill.

Nowadays, stories of starting a restaurant have become a Hollywood focus, but it’s hard to truly capture the real day-to-day. Can you both shed light on the early days of Freddy’s? Who was on speed dial? What were the hurdles you had to overcome? What type of DIY projects did you take on?

CDS: The birthing of this business was pretty insane since I was pregnant throughout and gave birth 2 months after opening. We had experience this time though, as it was our third restaurant opening and we'd learned a TON. Our accountant/mentor was on speed dial, along with our other restaurant mentors and business advisors. We found the space in November 2021 and opened in July 2022, so it took nearly 8 months to launch. Day-to-day was filled with phone calls to vendors, interior designers, staffing interviews, DIY projects, cleaning, site visits with contractors, the list goes on and on.

MS: Anything that could be a DIY project was. We were on our own this time, no big financial partners, so we stretched every single dollar to get to opening day. I was always reaching out to my friends and mentors for advice and tips, and calling in every favor I'd saved up. That’s one of the beautiful things about working in restaurants. The relationships you make last a lifetime. We are a different kind of family. Always there. Always supporting.

Freddy's Pleasantville owners, Christina and Matt, share how every project is a DIY project as restaurant owners — **Work in progress**

Renovating Freddy’s dining room and bar

In building a business from the ground up, what were the unexpected hurdles?

CDS: So many things pop up unexpectedly during buildout. Broken equipment, things that need repair or replacement, i.e. existing soda systems, outdated POS equipment, flooding basement when it rains. Our liquor license took almost a year to come through. That was a big one. We operated on a temporary permit that needed to be renewed for $150/month for a year. We didn't have that issue at our previous two restaurants, so we weren't aware that the temporary permit came with COD terms (cash on delivery). Not having 30-day terms on alcohol for almost a year was a chokehold on our cash flow and also limited our earnings on alcohol since we couldn't afford to buy in bulk like you normally would.

What strategies have worked well in bringing customers, clients, and audiences through your front door?

MS: Social media was a huge influence in getting the word out for us. It's a low/no cost way to promote the business until we had a few dollars to invest in traditional advertising and marketing and bring things tot he next level. After about a year of operating, we were able to invest in partnering with a marketing consultant to really take things to the next level. ;) So far, Yelp and Meta ads, shopping cart advertisements and ads in local publications have been a success for us.

**It’s never too early for a dry run**

Matt testing out Freddy’s counter seating

Having gone through the business development process, what's been the most gratifying aspect of owning your own business?

MS: Creating jobs and a work environment that everyone enjoys is truly the most gratifying aspect of owning a business. We go to work every day and love what we do. Sure its stressful to own your own business, but its on our terms. We're working this hard for ourselves and that feels good, especially after COVID and especially after doing it for others for so long and being taken advantage of.

What’s the best advice you’d give someone starting their own business?

CS: Whatever your launch date is, add 2 months. Whatever your budget is, add at least a 20% cushion!

MS: GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING! ;)

This question has been the most fun to ask business owners - what are all of your hype songs?

CS: Wow, best question I've ever been asked. Not sure I have 1. More like 100. Depends on the mood I need to invoke. I'm a HUGE music fan and always have music playing at home and obviously in the restaurant all day.

MS: Any 90s Hip Hop or Pearl Jam. I'm a Gen Xer through and through.

Listen to Christina and Matt’s hype songs on the Heard It On Main St. playlist on Spotify

Heard It On Main St. with Christina Drake Safarowic and Matt Safarowic, Owners of Freddy’s Pleasantville

Heard It On Main St. with Darell Brown, Owner of ProProject Bookkeeping

Heard It On Main St. with Rick Powers, Benito Repollet, and Donna Powers of LiteMirror