What we discuss in this episode
Mike Budny: how to keep a Polish restaurant in Los Angeles (and what it means for restaurateurs in Poland)
Episode 007 of mysite talks is a conversation with Mike Budny, former owner of “Polka Restaurant” in Los Angeles – one of the few Polish cuisine spots in LA. It’s a practical story about gastronomy “abroad”: taking over a venue, not killing it with a revolution, counting delivery fees, and surviving when costs grow faster than margin.
Mike describes Polka as legacy – a brand that ran for 30 years (since 1994) and after selling “disappeared” in identity: the new owner changed concept and name. Mike still owns the rights to the name “Polka” in LA.
Why taking over can be smarter than starting from scratch
Taking over gives what you can’t buy with a campaign in month one: a guest base and revenue from day one.
What to keep and what to change gradually
Some dishes pay the bills. In Polka:
- pierogi
- schnitzel
Mike upgraded plating and ingredients gradually and spread renovations across 3–5 years.
Delivery: 10–15% revenue and 25–30% platform fees
Delivery was ~10–15% of revenue, with 25–30% platform commissions.
Marketing: TV → social media (and why it’s still 50/50)
Today marketing is still:
- word of mouth
- online presence
Basics:
For consistent communication: mysite.ai.
Costs of labor: minimum wage x2
Mike shows a hard truth: you can raise prices, but margin doesn’t always follow. Minimum wage in his story rose from ~8.25 USD to 17.24 USD.
AI: the first thing he would do today
AI can support marketing regularity across platforms. If you want to turn this into a process (content plan, review replies, topics), check mysite.ai.
What to watch next
- Revenue‑driving marketing: Michał Kowalski
- Numbers and KPIs: Jacek Czauderna
- Standards and organization: Adam Chrząstowski
More talks: mysite talks.
