With The Palm rolling out a brand refresh and celebrating its 85th anniversary this year I thought it would be relevant and meaningful to interview Bruce Bozzi Jr. His great grandfather founded The Palm and Bruce runs it today. There aren't many restaurant groups around that are as large as The Palm and still family run. The brand refresh includes a new logo, plates, uniforms and menu items like the donuts for dessert. The Palm is great because there is something for everyone and it's timeless yet not pretentious at all. I caught up with Bruce over a fantastic dinner at The Palm Too, to discuss how he makes it work. 
JZ: How's The Palm doing?
BB: The Palm is doing great. In 2008 and 2009 we were hit like everyone else but this year has been a great year and cover growth is positive. Cover growth is important because it means people are coming. I get nervous especially when the market is so volatile. I think people understand that the Palm consistently delivers and it's a safe haven kind of place.
JZ: Do you remember your first paycheck?
BB: I do. I was 16 and worked for a clothing store in Amagansett called Dash. When I was 19 I started working at The Palm Too. I was in a theater program at the Neighborhood Playhouse on 54th between First and Second. On Monday through Thursday after the program I would put on a suit and bring checks and answer the phones.
JZ: What's your routine everyday?
BB: It depends where I am. I have a 4-year-old daughter Ava, I do father stuff with Ava in the morning then the nanny comes around 8:30. I try to go to the gym and I like to be in a restaurant by 9:30. When I'm in New York I go from one restaurant to another.
JZ: Do you have lunch in one and dinner in another?
BB: I will either spend a day in each one or bop around. I'm always walking the restaurants especially during lunch. I do a lot of assisting, supporting and encouraging. Just helping to set the tone for fun. I'm constantly doing a line check to be sure all the food tastes good and is the right temperature. I want to be sure everyone looks good and the uniforms are pressed. It's all very natural to me. I'm not really lining people up I'm just walking through the restaurant. I do everything with a hug and in a fun way so people are very comfortable. I have a marketing office based in D.C. so we will talk a lot in the afternoon about what we are planning. It changes everyday and is the same everyday. I go to our corporate office in DC the fourth week of every month. That's where our heavy duty culinary and HR meetings happen. We are connecting with all the departments then going back out in to the world.
JZ: How many Palms are there?
BB: 1,700 employees in 28 restaurants. It is a lot to manage. It's not easy.
JZ: Do you love working with your family?
BB: I love it. It's not always the easiest thing. My father is incredibly wonderful, gracious and supportive. I have never really had an issue with my father. My father's partner is tenacious, smart and a bit tougher but I have never really had an issue with him. It's more the dynamics of a family business in general that I sometimes find challenging.
JZ: Do you have any advice for people who work with family?
BB: You have to take a lot of deep breaths and really remove your ego from the business. I have friends that work in corporate businesses and that can be great because you go to work then you leave for the day. In a family business you take your work with you to family dinners. You just have to remember to just be quiet. That when the workday ends even if some of your family members are trying to engage you just shouldn't. Everyone's an expert so just agree. Also, everyone comes to you to complain. You have to treat the business carefully and with a lot of respect.
Biagio Iannece, who has been at The Palm Too for 32 years, shakes the warm donuts to coat them in sugar.
JZ: What's your favorite dinner to get at The Palm?
BB: The New York steak and the sautéed spinach. I don't normally indulge in the hash browns but I love them. I also really like the chicken parmigiana.
JZ: What do you know now that you wish you knew when you started?
BB: I wish I knew on some level to appreciate and take some more time with people who aren't here anymore who helped make The Palm what it is. I wish I would have spent more time with my dad working when he was in that mode in his life and seen him work more in the restaurant.
JZ: Do you love your job?
BB: I love it. I feel that way more now than ever because my job is all about family and culture. After all these years of working at The Palm I know it in my bones. It's a fun job and I feel blessed. It's a family business and I'm very proud of the tradition of The Palm. It's very unique. There aren't many businesses especially restaurants that can tell our story. We have the history. If you fast-forward 85 years a lot of the restaurants that exist today are not going to be here. The Palm is still here