Meet Robert Weyers of Phoenix Diners Collective in Central Phoenix

Today we’d like to introduce you to Robert Weyers.

Robert, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. After high school, I spent a few years finding my interests and passions and deciding where and what to study. Ultimately I attended Arizona State University and studied Public Service and Policy with a concentration in Sustainability. I focused on food system sustainability and community leadership and organization. I started working in the restaurant industry while in high school and caught the hospitality bug early on because I love food and people it was a perfect atmosphere for me to thrive. I continued to work in the restaurant and hospitality industry while attending university. I always imagined myself leaving the restaurant industry after graduation, but when it came time to do so, I realized I had no interest in doing anything else but work in the hospitality industry. I’ve been in the industry a little over a decade now and have been fortunate to work at some incredible restaurants with wildly talented people. I started the Phoenix Diners Collective in 2017 with my friend Tyka Chheng with the idea to build a platform to showcase all this talent we knew existed in Phoenix. We’ve been going strong for two years now and have had the chance to work with some super amazing people!

Has it been a smooth road?
The restaurant and hospitality industry is tough. Getting to where I am, or where I was when I started the Phoenix Diners Collective took a lot of effort and was challenging at times. Like anything, it gets better every day is a day to learn and to grow and to get better what you’re doing. Owning a small business is hard! But I owe my success to the positive and negative experiences I have had, whether it is the restaurants or venues I have worked at or the people I have worked with or worked for. I am lucky that I have been able to overcome these obstacles over the years and learn from them.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
The Phoenix Diners Collective is all about celebrating and empowering the culinary community here in Phoenix. We believe the collective can be a creative outlet for inspired chefs, mixologists, musicians, and artists who want to express themselves. The strength of our community lies in its foundation and the Phoenix Diners Collective is simply providing a platform to amplify the talents of Arizona’s culinary creatives. We showcase unique and inventive stories by partnering with an array of local chefs, artists, musicians, and mixologists to bring guests one-of-a-kind dining experiences.

In addition to pop-up dinners, the Phoenix Diners Collective offers catering services and restaurant/bar consulting. I am super proud of what the Phoenix Diners Collective has accomplished over the last few years. We have had the opportunity to work with some super amazing people– this is a big one for me. The fact that people relate to our mission and passion and want to work with is so special. And I’m even more proud that the general public is so interested in what we do and supportive of our events. We have produced events for 100+ people and we have had super intimate dinners with less than 20. No matter the size, I am always blown away by the experience we can deliver and how much fun people have. It’s crazy to me that we are at the point now that we sell out our events within the first few days of announcing them removing the stress of ticket sales is awesome.

The Phoenix Diners Collective is unique because we operate based on slightly different principles compared to a typical business. We are much more focused on Phoenix’s food community and making sure it is a place of respect and positivity and accessibility. I look at success as providing our community with a sustainable future, whether it is social, economic, or environmental.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I think Phoenix is one of the best cities in the US, especially when discussing the food and hospitality industry. Despite being such an enormous city, the community of industry people is relatively small and super close-knit. We have some of the best restaurants in the country here, and some of the top talents, too. In my experience, people are supportive and very positive here. I honestly don’t think that the Phoenix Diners Collective or a company with our same mission and structure would be successful in another city. If someone is just starting in the food/hospitality industry, I would say that Phoenix is a great place to be.

Pricing:

• Ticket price varies by event, but is usually between $50-$100.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.phxdc.org
• Phone: 4802021521
• Email: robby@phoenixdinerscollective.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/phxdc
• Other: www.instagram.com/robby.eats

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