Takeaways from this episode:
Just Keep Swinging — Robert “Don Pooh” Cummins has played a huge role in the careers of some of music’s most well-known names. As a franchisor and entrepreneurial leader, he continues to look for people who exhibit the willingness to persevere.
The Jamie Foxx Moment — Celebrities frequent Robert “Don Pooh” Cummins’ Brooklyn Chop House restaurant. One amazing night saw the multi-talented entertainers provide exposure for the brand that rivals a Super Bowl ad placement.
A Mission to Diversify — Robert “Don Pooh” Cummins got into the food industry to diversify his portfolio. Now a mainstay in the space, he is on a mission to increase access and close opportunity gaps.
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Robert “Don Pooh” Cummins has enjoyed success from music to food. He’s done it all by having a keen eye for talent and a willingness to keep trying.
As a veteran music industry titan, working with the likes of Mary J. Blige, Jay-Z, Nas, and Diddy, Robert “Don Pooh” Cummins’ life and success has provided him with a bevy of experience and a litany of cool stories. One story involves The Notorious B.I.G adding the “Don” to Robert’s childhood nickname to create the moniker he still uses today.
His nickname is fun, but Robert Cummins is no joke in entrepreneurship. While still in the music industry, Don Pooh had the foresight to diversify his portfolio as music was rapidly changing from the days of physical copies and anticipated releases.
“You know, it’s entertainment and food and restaurants and hospitality. They’re all pretty much synonymous with each other because obviously as an executive, I was always, you know, entertaining people at restaurants,” says Don Pooh about his logic for diving into the food industry on the Restaurant Influencers podcast hosted by Shawn Walchef of CaliBBQ Media.
It turned out to be the right move.
One of his first deals as a franchisee gave Robert Cummins the opportunity to develop 16 Papa John stores in New York City. From there, he successfully opened two Checker’s franchises in NYC.
With his proven track record, Don Pooh embarked on an ambitious endeavor to make IHOP a community staple in Brooklyn. He accomplished that when he opened the first restaurant in Downtown Brooklyn in 2007.
Ever the visionary entrepreneur, Cummins with partners Stratis Morfogen (former Restaurant Influencers guest) and David Thomas, opened the extremely popular Brooklyn Chop House in 2019. The restaurant garnered almost instant recognition.
Brooklyn Chop House is frequented by the likes of Jamie Foxx, Cardi B and Offset, and many more music and entertainment’s elite. In fact, Brooklyn Dumpling House, an automat offshoot of Brooklyn Chop House, is partnering with one of its most famous patrons, Patti LaBelle, to bring their incredible delicacies to the freezer aisle of Wal-Mart.
“We keep going,” Robert “Don Pooh” Cummins says of his perseverance. “We try again, we lose again, we try again. And you don’t get here by winning all the time. No one won all the time.”
Maybe not. But Don Pooh has certainly had some tremendous wins and is positioned to bolster his personal win column while teaching others to do the same with his upcoming memoir entitled “How I Hop”.
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