What We Built

Jenny: Should we get started? Yep, let's go. Yeah, let's— you guys are ready? Everybody's rolling. We're rolling. All right.

Alex: From idea to open doors, we followed Chef Rasheeda Purdy through the highs, the lows, and the late nights of bringing Ramen by Ra to life in New York City. And today we’re closing this chapter with someone who knows that road quite well.

Jenny: It’s Chef Tom Colicchio. We’re so happy to have you here. From his early days at Gramercy Tavern to founding the award-winning Crafted Hospitality restaurant group, Tom has built a culinary legacy rooted in excellence, mentorship, and advocacy. You may have also seen him as a longtime head judge on Top Chef.

Alex: Yeah. So together Tom and Rasheeda are going to reflect on what it really takes to build something that lasts.

Jenny: So welcome to The Build, Episode 10 — reflecting on what we built.

Tom: Thanks for having me.

Jenny: Thanks for being here.

Jenny: Hey, thanks for you being here too, Rasheeda.

Rasheeda: Thank you. Last one.

Jenny: The last one.

Rasheeda: Yes. Emotional.

Jenny: We’ve been talking now for about four months with Rasheeda about her journey, and I know you chronicled your journey of becoming a chef in your latest book, which is just amazing.

Tom: Right. There was actually a documentary made on the opening of Craft.

Jenny: There was?

Tom: Wow, yes. It was done by a producer from ABC News and it was supposed to be for Nightline. They approached me, it was supposed to be a how-to series, and then they just focused on Craft. It was right during 9/11, so they scrapped it and it ended up airing on PBS. It didn’t have the outreach Nightline would have had. But yeah — it was interesting. That project was delayed by almost a year.

Jenny: By almost a year. Wow.

Alex: Was it painful to bring back some of those memories of going through the opening process, or did it bring pride?

Tom: Pride. Pride — but I haven’t watched it in years.
When they reached out to me to do Top Chef, I said no three times. Finally they got me to do someone on camera, then asked me to come to LA for a screen test. I told them no, but I sent the documentary. That was it. Then they offered me the job.

Jenny: So that was your audition?

Tom: That was my audition, yeah.
But it was good. I’m glad we did it. But it’s hard — as you know, it's hard doing a restaurant. I think the second restaurant is probably more difficult than the first.

Rasheeda: I can only imagine.

Tom: Why? Because you know how painful it’s going to be, but you still do it. And there’s more at stake — especially when the first one was successful. Coming off the success of Mondrian and Gramercy Tavern, this was me on my own without Danny. Something to prove. A little scary.

Jenny: But after number two, does it get easier?

Tom: Going from one to two was hard. Going from two to three was more difficult.

Rasheeda: Interesting.

Tom: You start building a team. You can do a lot from one and two by yourself, but then you need to build out a team — and you give up a lot of control when you do that.

Jenny: You give up a lot of control in terms of creative vision, operational, financial — everything.

Tom: Yeah. Especially once you hire another chef. You’ll put that chef in a box — you don’t want to walk into your restaurant and see something you can't envision at all. But you still have to give that chef some freedom. And it’s hard. As a chef, you want to control things.
I’m sure you're going through this now.

Rasheeda: Yeah. Ramen by Ra is something that came through the pandemic as it relates to my passion for ramen and the culture, and opening at the Bowery Market in 2023 as a standalone little kiosk. It grew — grew in ways we didn’t imagine, so fast.

But I really see where you're coming from about the second one. When we opened the Bowery location, you didn’t have anything to judge me on except “Is it going to be good?”

Rasheeda: Now you're judging me from the Bowery Market. I was like, wait — do I still have it?

Alex: And time lagged too. In today’s society, things turn so fast. You worry you'll be forgotten. People won't remember—

Rasheeda: Exactly. None of those thoughts came to mind until Monday. Until Monday.

Alex: Tom, how long were you between Gramercy and Craft?

Tom: Most people forget — I was at Gramercy for two years while Craft was open. I didn't leave Gramercy to open Craft.

Alex: Got it, okay.

Tom: In fact—

Alex: You had no break.

Tom: No break at all. I had just started shooting Top Chef, Craftsteak was opening, and I was leaving Gramercy. No stopping.

Alex: So take us back — what were some struggles of running a restaurant while building another and starting a TV show all at once?

Tom: Biggest struggle — we were taking a first-generation space. Nowadays it’s easier to snag a second-gen space with infrastructure built. We started from scratch — everything built by hand.
Craft was craftsmanship. A labor of love. Way over budget.

Alex: Anyone ever been on budget?

Jenny: No such thing.

Alex: No such thing.

Jenny: How far over budget did you go, Rasheeda?

Alex: Were you double or—

Jenny: Less?

Rasheeda: No, probably double. Double.

Jenny: And to fill Tom in — Rasheeda fired her first contractors halfway through.

Tom: Smart. Sometimes you have to.

Jenny: About halfway through the buildout.

Tom: My contractors went bankrupt.

Jenny: No!

Tom: Yes. During the buildout.

Jenny: What did you do?

Tom: Struggle. People stopped showing up. People weren't getting paid. Disaster. Sometimes firing is the smartest thing you can do.

Rasheeda: Your body pushes you to speak up. That’s what happened — I had to speak up or go home mentally sick. My body was like, “Speak up and nip it in the bud.”

Tom: Smart. Takes courage.

Jenny: And in business — you look at the data, but you also listen to your gut. Sounds like that’s what Rasheeda did.

Rasheeda: Indeed.

Jenny: Tom, were there other moments you made gut decisions you're glad about?

Tom: Oh God — the entire career is gut checks.
Everyone tried to talk me out of doing Top Chef.
I joke that the reason I said yes is because at food festivals Bobby Flay would sign 400 books and I’d sign 20. I didn’t think he had a better book — he was on TV.

I thought maybe TV would help the restaurant. I had no idea it’d last 23 seasons.

Jenny: So competition with Bobby Flay drove you to TV!

Tom: Thank Bobby.

Alex: As Rasheeda introduces something new to New York — Breakfast Ramen — did you feel you needed a lot of explanation when you introduced something new yourself?

Tom: Yes — and we over-explained it.

At a certain point I told my staff, “Stop explaining. Put the menu down and walk away.”

We removed the sauce and condiment section in the first week.

Tom: My GM Katie was my sounding board. Losing her was hard — she always gave honest, sharp feedback.

Jenny: How did you retain her?

Tom: She left after 15 years to pursue meditation. But I believed in her long before she believed in herself. A lot of people — women especially — don’t think they’re ready. I had to tell her, “You are ready.”

Mentorship is confidence-building. Training. And accepting people will leave — and that’s okay.

Jenny: How was it for your first service, Rasheeda, having your team with you?

Rasheeda: Wonderful. The friends-and-family event showed how we can flow and work together.
If I moved, she knew the next step. Natural. Face-forwarding, talking while working, engaging guests — that line was real.

Tom: How big is the restaurant?

Rasheeda: Around 200 square feet. Very small. Ramen shop — counter-facing like omakase.

Tom: Finding people who are clean in front of guests is key.

Rasheeda: Exactly.

Tom: And hospitable. You’re customer-facing now — not in a basement kitchen.

Rasheeda: Yes.

Alex: Tom, since you’ve opened basement kitchens and open kitchens — do you hire differently now?

Tom: Honestly — with staffing now, you take whoever you can get. But ideally yes, different skill sets.

Tom: My question — what does success look like to you, Rasheeda?

Rasheeda: Success for me is inspiring someone and taking them to the next level. It’s not about me.
My mentors — Chef Marcus, Chef Melba — gave me confidence.
I want to be that for someone else — especially for women in male-dominated spaces.
Visibility matters.

Tom: Seeing someone who looks like you — huge. The industry is finally changing.

Rasheeda: New York helps. Feedback is instant — good and bad — but bad is valuable. At Bowery Market I learned to pivot fast. People forget I can hear them — but that raw feedback made me better.

Jenny: How do feedback and reviews impact what you do? Advice for Rasheeda on what to ignore and what to listen to?

Tom: Some reviews are so off you ignore them. Others hurt — but they’re true — and you fix it.
When Gramercy got two stars, I thought we deserved one.
We made changes — slowed covers, raised check averages, improved quality. It worked.

Reviews are funny — some gold, some noise.

Rasheeda: My first review was Helen Rosner at The New Yorker. DOH walked in behind her. I was like, “Why?”
I had to do everything in front of her. But I got an A — and she gave a great review.

Tom: That’s great.

Tom: At Beekman Hotel, a critic said the space “had no energy.” He came the day after Christmas. Of course it didn’t.

Alex: Do reviews move the needle?

Tom: Word of mouth is more important.
But reviews help ego and team morale.

Jenny: Rasheeda has a strong social following — that’s her community.

Tom: Then that’s gold.

Alex: Tom, how do you approach menu building?

Tom: Seasonality. Always.
I write proteins, produce, mushrooms, herbs — then mix and match.
When opening a new concept, I don’t look online or in magazines. I don’t want influence.

Jenny: How do you create a brand with longevity?

Tom: You don’t try to build a brand. You do honest work.
Hospitality matters.
If your brand is “farmers market” and a Sysco truck pulls up — you’re done.

Alex: Earlier you half-joked about talking Rasheeda out of opening. Why?

Tom: This past year was our worst ever. Staffing, food prices, economy — all tough. Concerned about where things are headed.

Jenny: Any pitfalls for first-time restaurateurs?

Tom: Yes — unrealistic financial plans.
If hitting your numbers requires perfection — you’re in trouble.
And if someone isn’t working out — contractor, manager, cook — fix it fast. Impacting guest experience is worse.

Alex: Hard when you can’t find staff.

Tom: Hard — but necessary.

Jenny: Rasheeda, anything challenging or exciting for this next chapter?

Rasheeda: Not much I'm questioning. Being small helps — I can see cracks early. A six-seater and a window is sustainable.
People say, “I thought you’d go bigger,” but the industry doesn’t support that now.
No one else is offering this. Our community matters. Maintaining consistency matters.

Tom: How many menu items?

Rasheeda: Six bowls.

Tom: That’s it?

Rasheeda: Six bowls — plus bao buns, tea, broth cups.
Breakfast ramen all day — 9am to 6pm.
People get it now. At Bowery, they were confused. Now it’s clear.

Jenny: Tell Tom about the window.

Rasheeda: The window opens first — bao buns and broth cups, inspired by breakfast and bagels.
Then inside reservations start at 10am.
Asa ramen is breakfast ramen in Japan — but no one did it here. I connected it to New York flavors.
Bacon, egg, and cheese ramen. Steak and egg. Lox. No one else is doing this.

Tom: Cool.

Rasheeda: I’m doing it for the kid around the corner, the woman from Harlem, the visitor from New Orleans. I want the counter to feel communal.

Rasheeda: Can I ask you a question?
Do you feel restaurants are going smaller now?

Tom: Yes.

Rasheeda: Why?

Tom: Cost. Staffing. Control. Energy.
Small spaces feel busy. A half-empty big restaurant feels dead.

Jenny: People used to think small restaurants couldn’t make money. Still true?

Tom: You can make money. There's a limit, but windows and counters expand revenue.
And you’ll likely open another store.

Rasheeda: At the opening people said, “You need a bigger space.”

Jenny: Tell Tom what you're charging per bowl.

Rasheeda: My most expensive bowl is $30.

Jenny: She has steak and ribeye in it.

Tom: What does it cost you?

Rasheeda: About $8.

Tom: You can charge $32.

Rasheeda: Wow.

Tom: You need to run a 25–26% food cost now. Raise it. You can always lower it.

Jenny: The difference between $30 and $32 to the customer is nothing — but big for your margin.

Rasheeda: Maybe there's a reason there’s a glitch — I need to change my prices.

Jenny: There you go.

Rasheeda: I’ll keep you posted.

Alex: Tom, any final advice for Rasheeda?

Tom: Yes — take time for yourself.
Don’t lose yourself in the restaurant. Step outside sometimes.

Rasheeda: Thank you.

Alex: Rasheeda, any final questions while you have Tom here?

Rasheeda: Not now — but when you come, I probably will. Please come. I’d love to sit with you.

Tom: I’ll be there. Definitely.

Jenny: Thank you both so much. This was such an engaging and interesting conversation. Fun. Best of luck.

Jenny: All right — slurp soon.

Alex: Slurp soon.

Jenny: We’ll all be slurping soon — including Todd and Luca.