Kismet’s Sara Kramer & Sarah Hymanson Took A Chance On L.A. And Each Other
The co-owners of Kismet, Sarah Kramer and Sarah Heimanson, reveal that running a restaurant is less about food and more about surviving relentless crises—fires, pandemics, strikes, and plumbing disasters—while maintaining a deeply trusting partnership forged over decades in New York kitchens. What began as a bold, naive leap into Los Angeles life has become a decade-long testament to resilience, with their success built not on perfect planning but on emotional agility, crisis management, and the ability to pivot quickly. Their new Rotisserie concept, born from a landlord’s casual question, became the lifeline that kept them afloat during the pandemic and now powers four locations. They argue that the real challenge isn’t cooking—it’s leadership, people management, and the emotional toll of never being able to truly turn off. Their advice? Start with a strong team, solid finances, and a willingness to learn from failure, and above all, get your kids a job early to build real-world resilience.
Running a restaurant is less about food and more about crisis management—plumbing failures, fires, strikes, and emotional burnout are the real daily battles.
The Rotisserie concept saved Kismet during the pandemic and became a profitable, scalable model that now operates four locations.
Trust and emotional resilience are the foundation of their decade-long partnership—conflict is inevitable, but they’ve learned to resolve it quickly and move forward.
You don’t need to have the same vision to succeed—differing work styles (one starts from the big picture, the other from the details) can complement each other perfectly.
The most important skill for restaurant owners isn’t culinary talent—it’s people management, leadership, and the ability to make tough decisions under pressure.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
Welcome to the Power Awards & Kismet's Legacy
Host Carrie Diamond sets the scene from the second annual Cherry Bomb Power Awards in Beverly Hills, introducing Sarah Kramer and Sarah Heimanson as recipients of the Bomb Squad Award for community-building. She shares her personal journey of falling in love with LA through their eyes.
Kismet at 10: Evolution Through Crisis
“We really just had to rethink priorities and like cut fat, as they say. A lot of it had to be very unemotional, like any amount of feelings, sentimentality that we had toward our daytime service... we've just gotten very good at getting rid of those feelings quickly.”
The Rotisserie Lifeline: From Takeout to Profitability
“Without rotisserie, Kismet wouldn't exist. Yeah, we would still be standing. And so we're incredibly lucky to be able to keep Kismet going.”
The Power of Partnership: Trust Over Time
“I think over the years it's really built a huge foundation of trust, which is like a very special thing in any kind of relationship... I feel like it's taught me a lot in terms of relationships generally.”
The Naive Leap: Why LA Was the Right Choice
They reflect on their decision to move to LA with no ties, no plan, and only a friend and a connection to Mary Sue Milliken’s son. They admit it was a crazy choice—but one that taught them the beauty of naivete and the generosity of LA’s food community.
“It is not the food. That's the easy part. And hope that you're lucky enough to have good people working for you because you need that.”
“So, you know, without rotisserie, Kismet wouldn't exist. Yeah, we would still be standing. And so we're incredibly lucky to be able to keep Kismet going.”
“During the pandemic again, We really just had to rethink priorities and like cut fat, as they say. A lot of it had to be very unemotional, like any amount of feelings, sentimentality that we had toward our daytime service or toward things that we had to let go of. We've just”
Host
Guests
Sarah Kramer
person
Sarah Heimanson
person
Kismet
other
Kismet Rotisserie
other
Carrie Diamond
person
Mary Sue Milliken
person
Susan Feniger
person
Erin Patinkin
person
Meredith Dairy
brand
Flo Dill
person
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