Welcome to our Substack!

Chef/Owner Sean Richardson of Rune Talks About His Mission

My name is Sean Richardson. I am the sole owner and executive chef of Rune in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Rune started as a passion project born from a previous failure. Or, perhaps I should say previous lessons learned from the first restaurant I owned which only lasted 18 months. Until now, I had never really thought of writing about my experience of building Rune into what I hope it can be – a staple neighborhood restaurant in Fort Wayne, and a restaurant that can be thought of in the national spotlight as a place offering delicious food and cozy hospitality.

Hopefully, this can be a good way to connect with people who have found our restaurant interesting and inviting enough to become regulars. I know there are some of you out there.

Jay Rozelle of Rozelle Lawn and Landscape — Instagram

Last week, I had coffee with a friend of mine – Jay Rozelle. What Jay has done since purchasing his family's landscaping business, Rozelle Lawn and Landscape, in the early 2000s is transitioning the residential and commercial focus to how landscapes should start with how they will give back to the environment they are a part of. He made this sweeping change over time because at the core of what he does and most important for him is what he leaves behind for the future of the environment. Jay has done the landscaping at my house and will help me at the restaurant this spring. If you are interested in Jay’s mission and the amazing work he does, click here for more details.

Through our conversation, I realized I have shied away from the reason I am so passionate about restaurants and the food culture I am a part of. After I closed my previous restaurant, The Golden, I felt like the message of supporting local food, local farmers, and where your dollars go when you decide to eat at Rune, over whatever chain restaurant you can insert here, had gotten stale. I felt preachy. I felt like I never stepped off my box. But, Jay reminded me that is exactly the reason why you might choose our dining room over others on any given night. He reminded me that the edge we have as a local business over the ever-sprawling scape of chains is the personality that I bring to Rune.

Rune Beverage Director — Mae Strubel

The truth is that it takes multiple very talented people to keep the quality I hope people are already expecting from Rune. But, the messaging has to come from me. So, I am starting fresh with this Substack. If you are here, you must want to know why I chose to open a restaurant, and why I think it has something different to offer. I am in an intense relationship with food and where our food comes from. I have become friends with the people who grow the food we use at Rune. I have been a listening ear for them when they have hardships, and they have given me their ear when I needed someone to hear about how difficult it is to run a restaurant.

It all begins with the farmers. That is one of the sentences I wonder if you will ever get tired of hearing me say. But, it is true. They have a connection to the land. I am continuously inspired by that connection. I take the responsibility of treating that connection with care. I want Rune to be a place where you can see that connection and care through the food and warm hospitality.

Jeff and Zach of Hawkins Family Farm — Instagram

In a climate that seems to be pulling away from natural connections made from one human being to another, or one human being to the land we call home, I have valued these relationships enough to build a business that matches the ethos of people like Jay, Myron from Berry Hill Farm, and Zach from Hawkins Family Farm. The objective is to support the culinary and hospitality scene backing Rune and to foster others to take their shot and breathe their personality into their own dining rooms, kitchens, or bar rails. Hopefully, we are just getting started…

Until next time,

Sean