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Joe Rogan Experience #1487 - Janet Zuccarini & Evan Funke

Janet Zuccarini is the CEO & owner of Gusto 54 Restaurant Group. Evan Funke is a master pasta maker and the chef-owner of Felix Trattoria in Venice, CA.

Joe RoganhostJanet ZuccariniguestEvan Funkeguest
Jun 5, 20201h 51mWatch on YouTube ↗

At a glance

WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT

Elite LA restaurateurs confront pandemic chaos, passion, and survival

  1. Joe Rogan talks with restaurateur Janet Zuccarini and chef Evan Funke about running their acclaimed LA restaurant Felix during the COVID-19 pandemic and concurrent protests/riots.
  2. They detail the financial fragility of the restaurant industry, constantly shifting regulations, and the scramble to pivot to takeout while negotiating with landlords and banks.
  3. The conversation also dives deeply into Evan’s craft of handmade pasta, ingredient sourcing, fire cooking, and the philosophy behind authenticity in Italian cuisine.
  4. They close by reflecting on broader societal breakdowns—from policing to government leadership—while insisting on remaining optimistic and adaptive in order to survive.

IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING

5 ideas

Restaurant economics are fragile, even for successful operations.

National average profit margins are around 4%, many restaurants have less than a month of cash, and COVID-19 exposed how quickly even acclaimed spots can be pushed toward closure when revenue drops to zero.

Survival requires rapid adaptation, not waiting for normal to return.

Felix reinvented itself as a takeout-and-kit operation in 48 hours, created at-home pasta and steak kits with detailed instructions, and aggressively renegotiated leases and construction timelines to stay alive.

Regulations are complex, inconsistent, and often unclear for operators.

Janet describes wading through overlapping state, county, and city rules—17+ page health documents with vague language like “consider” and unrealistic requirements—while receiving almost no warning about reopening timelines.

True culinary craft demands long apprenticeships and restraint.

Evan spent months in Italy making pasta 10 hours a day, values traditional, minimally manipulated cooking over flashy techniques, and believes consistency and deep repetition are what separate great chefs from trend-chasing cooks.

Ingredient quality and terroir are as critical as chef technique.

Felix imports specific Italian flours, sources vegetables from multiple microclimates, and uses particular wood combinations for grilling; Evan argues 90% of cooking is the ingredient, 10% is technique, and the chef’s job is often “not to screw it up.”

WORDS WORTH SAVING

5 quotes

This business has always been disgusting. And if you don’t love this business to the core, it’s fucking terrible.

— Evan Funke

Food cannot taste better.

— Janet Zuccarini (to Evan, after first tasting his cooking)

Ninety percent of cooking is ingredients, ten percent is technique.

— Evan Funke

The pandemic really showed the inherent weakness of this industry that we run on razor-thin profit margins.

— Janet Zuccarini

There is no restaurant life without restaurant death.

— Evan Funke

Impact of COVID-19 and protests on restaurants and small businessesRegulations, safety protocols, and uncertainty around reopeningEconomics of restaurants: thin margins, labor, rent, and survivalCraft of handmade pasta and regional Italian culinary traditionsIngredient sourcing, terroir, and wood-fire steak cooking techniquesEntrepreneurship, expansion, and the shock of sudden shutdownsCultural shifts, policing, and optimism for social change

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