The Modern Mann

PLAYBACK: A Restaurant Ruined My Life

PLAYBACK: A Restaurant Ruined My Life

The Modern Mann


Published: 31 January 2025 at 16:59 Europe/London

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Episode notes

With zero experience running a professional kitchen, home cook Robert Maxwell poured his life savings into his passion project: a gastropub-inspired Toronto restaurant. It became a crash-course in coping with stress, managing his cashflow, and curbing his ego.


"I was Don Quixote. I was chasing a windmill. I didn’t see the obstacles in my way."


In this funny, forthright interview with Olly, Robert reveals how chasing a dream led to him selling his house, hitting the bottle and falling out of love with the thing he loved the most... cooking.


This interview first aired in June 2018 - now remastered and with an update from Robert in 2025.

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