This week on Duffified Live, Chef Brian Duffy chats with “Big Daddy” Chris Braccili, owner of “The Rusty Nail” in Ardmore, PA. Chef and Chris have been friends for 20 years and their relationship spans from the days when a young lad named Brian Duffy was nothing more than a young struggling chef with a family at home, a tremendous amount of drive, and a twinkle in his eye.

For the past 21 years, Braccili has run The Rusty Nail on the simple premise of treating people with respect, removing angry people from both his life and his bar, and bands. Lots and lots of bands.

Big Daddy hasn’t only created a culture that is rich in hospitality, he has also created a legendary dive bar where EVERYBODY knows your name. We have a long talk about how to treat people, what you can do as an operator to create an environment and a culture that not only retains employees but makes your guests and entertainers continuously return, and so much more.

Chris is a great guy with a HUGE personality and a great sense of being a quality individual. I’m proud of him for his successes, thankful for the opportunities that he has given to young bands, and even to me when I was looking for extra work. He runs his property and treats people well. It’s a great model for others to follow.