4 Company Founders Tell Us About Their Favorite Restaurants
Presented by
Justworks
Justworks is the ultimate HR platform for small and growing businesses. The founders of Mama Glow, Seed&Spark, Daybreaker, and Octave, all Justworks customers, know this very well. Justworks makes it easier to start, run, and grow a business with simple software and expert support for benefits, payroll, HR, and compliance. Which makes more time for the important things in life - like eating at restaurants.
Here you’ll find some of the favorite restaurants of four founders using Justworks - Sandeep Acharya of Octave in San Francisco, Emily Best of Seed&Spark in LA and NYC, Latham Thomas of Mama Glow in NYC, and Radha Agrawal of Daybreaker in NYC too.
For more on Justworks click here. And click here to enter for a chance to win up to $2,000 to bond with your team over a meal.*
Latham Thomas’ Favorite NYC Restaurants
Latham Thomas is the founder of Mama Glow, a global maternal health and education brand serving birthing people along the childbearing continuum. A doula and lifestyle guru, Latham is also the co-founder of The Continuum Conference and the Mama Glow Foundation, a bestselling author, and an advocate for reproductive justice and birth equity and works to bridge policy gaps in maternal health. Here are some of her NYC eating highlights:
“This place is an upscale Japanese restaurant where we bring clients and hold a lot of dinner meetings. It’s spacious enough to dive into presentations at the table and intimate enough to foster the connection you want to achieve with the potential client. They have a wonderful assortment of mocktails so you can stay in hosting/entertaining mode when bringing new business out to dinner.”
“As a transplant from California, I appreciate the vegan Mexican options in the city. We love this place because it’s festive and bustling with people but also a great place to catch up with the team for a year-end review. The nachos are our absolute favorite and they have frozen margaritas and shareable bites as well. We order out a lot from here for the team as well.”
photo credit: Noah Devereaux
“A staple in our restaurant rotation, Loring Place serves seasonal American cuisine. Chef Dan Kluger always comes out to speak to the patrons and sends lovely dishes to our table to try out. We have celebrated new business by toasting over meals at this restaurant. We have entertained clients here as well. Our executive team dines here a lot to discuss business. It’s a perfect place to bring clients as well.”
photo credit: Kate Previte
“This Mexican restaurant is a wonderful place to celebrate a staff member’s birthday and has the most epic chips and guacamole. Their frozen palomas are exquisite! The summer months make this a particularly great hang on Fridays when we close shop early.”
Emily Best’s Favorite NYC & LA Restaurants
Emily Best is the founder and CEO of Seed&Spark, a crowdfunding platform and resource for film and entertainment creators to work with audiences to tell stories celebrating diverse voices. A writer, director, and producer of narrative and documentary films, Emily worked in restaurants (including NYC’s now closed Annisa) for 17 years before switching to film - so you know her recommendations are the real deal.
“These two restaurants on the same block in DTLA are from the same owner and when our office was nearby, one of us was there every day. They’re the sweetest and most creative spots with really simple, fresh Japanese/Californian comfort food. The interiors are painted by the owner who covers the spaces in tons of gorgeous indoor plants which she also propagates and sells. Value for money is 15/10.”
“I can’t think of a better spot for Happy Hour for a Brooklyn-based team. Edie Ugot is one of the most dynamic chefs I have ever known, and she can make the simplest food beyond luxurious.”
“If we closed a big client deal and I wanted to take the team somewhere to celebrate, this is where I would try to get a reservation, no question. Mary Attea’s food is endlessly innovative and always incredibly special and delicious.”
Sandeep Acharya’s Favorite SF Restaurants
Sandeep Acharya is the co-founder and CEO of Octave, a mental health startup with in-person and virtual clinics in California and New York, that aims to make high-quality mental healthcare more accessible. Before starting Octave, Sandeep led strategy at One Medical Group and invested, operated, and consulted in healthcare, retail, and technology. Check out his San Francisco restaurant picks.
“San Francisco has great sushi! Ebisu, in the Inner Sunset is my favorite sushi restaurant - it always has fresh fish and some really nice rolls to try. They don’t take reservations and can get quite busy, so definitely plan on a wait if you don’t get there early. My personal favorite is their Family Affair roll.”
photo credit: Krescent Carasso
“The San Francisco Bay Area just seems to have many more Burmese restaurants than anywhere else I’ve been, and Burma Superstar is the most popular. Burmese food is very different from other Asian cuisines and quite delicious - lots of spice in some dishes, complex and fun ingredients. I make sure to take people here (or order delivery) when they are visiting town. Definitely try the Tea Leaf Salad or Lentil Samusa Soup.”
“State Bird Provisions is both a great meal and a great experience for a small group. The food is served “dim sum” style, with servers bringing out small plates on carts for diners to choose from, alongside a few entrees that are pre-ordered. The menu is constantly changing, so it’s hard to recommend a dish, but you really can’t go wrong.”
Radha Agrawal’s Favorite NYC Restaurants
Radha Agrawal is the co-founder and CEO of Daybreaker, which throws morning dance parties in 28 cities around the world. A social entrepreneur and community architect, Radha brough Daybreaker to living rooms during the pandemic with Daybreaker+, a digital platform that teaches people how to tickle their happy neurochemicals open through brain body practices. Check out her NYC restaurant picks, including favorites from her Greenpoint neighborhood.
“The best gluten free and dairy free pizzeria and organic, perfectly prepared American fare in NYC - it’s been around for 15+ years and there’s a reason it’s stood the test of time. It hits all the notes. It’s my go-to whenever I’m in the city. If you don’t go there, you missed NYC pizza. It also happens to be my twin sister Miki’s restaurant so I know how much love, intention, organic ingredients I can count on, and “foodieness” goes into every dish!”
“Madre is our absolute number one favorite restaurant in Greenpoint. Chef Bryan Noury is a legend. All the top restaurateurs in Greenpoint eat there - go there immediately. They have the best oysters in the city, the best non-alcoholic cocktails in the city, and the best chicken dish in the city.”
“We love the Polish culture in our Greenpoint neighborhood so the list wouldn’t be complete without a trusted borscht spot. Karzma is irresistible - it’s so authentic, the prices are from 1980′s, and it’s the real real.”
“The views are truly the most breathtaking, romantic views of the city with surround sound views of sunsets, fireworks and the city. Food is classic American Fare.”