The hurdles we must overcome to be successful as restaurateurs are daunting at best, but what does it look like in the most extreme cases? Today we chat with Chef Jarad McCaroll of the Ocean Club located in the Caribbean Islands. With stiff competition, high expenses, and scarce resources this is easily one of the most challenging restaurant environments in the world. Jarad sits down to share how they’ve overcome these obstacles and many more to thrive and expand stateside.
For more information on the chef and his restaurant, visit https://oceanclubstbarths.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
Can a sandwich save the world? Today we chat with Hannah’s Bretzel founder Florian Pfahler who’s setting the standard for green operation in our industry. With more than half a dozen restaurant’s under his belt, Florian proves that it’s possible to scale sustainably. Today we discuss the path to profitability and sustainability as he’s scaled from one to many units over the past two decades.
For more information on Hannah’s Bretzel, visit https://www.hannahsbretzel.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
You probably listen to this show, hear the success stories, and wonder, "Could that be me?"
Yes, it absolutely can be you.
I'm inviting you to join me for the FREE 5-Day Restaurant Profitability Challenge, beginning April 22nd to unlock the simplest path to scaling your restaurant’s profitability.
This is for every restaurateur who's tired of being overwhelmed and earning less than they deserve.
Here's a breakdown of what each day has in store:
- DAY 1 we’ll cover the 3 Keys to Scaling Profitability
- DAY 2 we’re Mastering Margins
- DAY 3 we Scale Income
- DAY 4 we Diversify Revenue Streams
- DAY 5 we open the floodgates by Scale Awareness & Customer Frequency
Each session is just 40 minutes a day—they’re actionable and will transform your business.
I know the breakthroughs that come when you push past the frustration and overwhelm that's why I'm packing 5 days with training, live coaching, and accountability to guide you from day one to five.
This FREE challenge is your chance to finally create the life and business you've been dreaming about.
Some folks need an incentive to act, so here’s yours…
I’m giving away over $4,000 worth of free software to help you scale your profitability.
Secure your spot by clicking here and let's embark on this transformative journey together.
We’re better together. As an industry, there’s nothing we can’t accomplish if we work in collaboration with each other. But who’s going to be the hero that brings us together? In Orange County, California, that hero’s name is Stephen Ronnow. Stephen is the creator of the Restaurant Executive’s Luncheon, a monthly invitation-only event that brings together restaurant owners and operators in the spirit of community, collaboration, and education. Today we sit down to discuss what it takes to build something like this and Stephen provides the step by step process you can use to build something similar in your neck of the woods.
For more information on Stephen and his company, be sure to check out his linkedin profile.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
For those of you that know Gocha Hawkins, the first thing that probably comes to mind is fashion. As a celebrity stylist and reality TV star, Gocha made a name for herself styling the rich and famous. In recent years, she’s turned her attention to the hospitality industry, launching a breakfast concept in Atlanta, Georgia. For most, this would have been a recipe for disaster but, surprisingly, the concept has thrived. Today we sit down to discuss how she made the transition from stylist to restaurateur and how she scaled to multiple locations and a product line in the midst of the pandemic.
For more information on her and her restaurants, visit https://gochasbreakfastbar.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
In any industry but, especially in ours, it’s vital to control the controllables. For most of us, sales is not one of the things we can control or even influence. But what if we could? Today we’re sitting down with Jonathan Morse, founder of TripleSeat, an event management software helping restaurant owners scale sales and create predictable revenue streams through events and catering. We’ll pair my winning strategies for generating event business with his software which makes it easy to close sales and book more business. At an average net of 30-35%, this event strategy could revolutionize your business.
For more information on Tripleseat, visit https://tripleseat.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
Chef John Currence did not set out to build an empire when he opened his first restaurant in Oxford, Mississippi but that’s what happened. John is a guy a lot like us. He built one concept, then two, then three in a very linear way over time. Then can Big Bad Breakfast. This is a restaurant that John launched for $65,000 and it became a national brand in a matter of years. Today we discuss how his brands have evolved to reach a national stage and how he’s had to evolve as an entrepreneur and chef in response.
For more information on the chef and his brands, visit https://citygroceryonline.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
Chef David Lawrence has paved the way for anyone with culinary aspirations to follow. He’s worked in some of the best restaurants in the world and he’s opened successful restaurants of his own. David has accomplished this with a smile on his face the whole time, avoiding the overwhelm and the melancholy so closely tied to leadership positions within our industry. In our conversation today, we unpack the chef’s formula for consistent success. As it turns out, aspiring to live a good life, leads to a great life.
For more on the Goodnight’s visit https://www.goodnightsrestaurant.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
Do you ever wish you had a crystal ball that could tell you what your customers will care about in the future? Candace Macdonald and Andrew Freeman have built that crystal ball. Today they run us through their 2024 industry trends report so that we can stay ahead of the curve and at the forefront of our guests minds.
To download the industry trends report, visit https://www.carbonategroup.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
As a business owner, we’re all making strategic bets on the future…trying to create something people will love today while maintaining relevance in the future. There aren’t many of us making bigger bets than Justin Amick. Justin is betting big on the “eatertainment” space, pioneering it in his own market with his eyes set on national domination. Today we discuss what it takes to open a 30,000 square foot concept and the strategies he uses to pack the house.
For more information on Justin and his concepts, visit https://www.paintedhospitality.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
For many of us, our point of sale system will be one of the largest investments we make when opening our restaurants. It’s also one of the most critical. None of us got into this industry to become technologists and so I thought it wise to discuss the best practices and mistakes to avoid with a POS expert. Mike Willard, owner of Washburn POS, is that expert. Mike has spent decades in the POS industry and today he runs us through how these devices have evolved over the last several years and how to get the most out of our investment.
For more information on Mike and Washburn POS, visit https://www.washburnpos.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
Aging gracefully is not always the easiest thing to do. Our world has changed so much in the last 10 years and our values have as well. That has led some brands to thrive while others have withered. Hooters, a divisive brand to many, intends to maintain its position in the cultural zeitgeist and today we chat with Larry Linen, their COO, to discuss what’s changed with the times and what’s stayed the same over the last few decades.
For more information on Hooters, visit https://www.hooters.com/.
Show Notes Bumpers
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
We all wear many different hats but the hat we seem to wear the least is that of a business owner. Chef Adrianne Calvo launched her restaurant at 22 year old and miraculously has managed to overcome the odds, surviving the great recession and a global pandemic. How did she do it? She may have started as the chef of her own restaurant but over time evolved into a restaurateur, running her business instead of allowing her business to run her. Today we discuss how that evolution took place and the obstacles she had to overcome to transform into the owner her business needed.
For more information on the chef and her restaurant, visit https://chefadriannes.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
If someone was to ask me what is the most common issue that comes up for today’s restaurant owner or operator, it would be labor. Finding great people, effectively managing that talent, and retaining those individuals sits at the forefront of our minds. Few industry experts have a more unique vantage point to our labor crisis than Jordan Boesch. Jordan is the founder of 7Shifts, a labor management tool revolutionizing the way we onboard, manage, and retain our teams. Today we sit down with Jordan to discuss what’s working for his restaurant clients and how to get the most out of our scheduling software.
For more information on 7Shifts, visit https://www.7shifts.com/.
__________________________________________________________
Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
We all look to the brands in our industry that have been massively successful out of the gate for inspiration but there’s much more to learn from the brands that have been forced to turn things around. Today we chat with Jeff Drake, the CEO of Protein Bar and Kitchen. Jeff was brought in to turn around this decade old brand and has done so beautifully. We sit down to discuss who and what needs to be adjusted to change the perception of a restaurant brand.
For more information on Protein Bar & Kitchen, visit https://www.theproteinbar.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
By my count, there are about one thousand different elements that need to come together to run a successful restaurant. Today’s guest, Les Tomlin, has gotten that number down to about three. Les is the founder of Pizza Forno, a first of its kind vending machine, scaling rapidly across North America. I know most of us never aspired to own a vending machine in our industry but there’s a ton to learn from the efficiency and high level strategy that Les put into creating this disruptive company. Today we talk branding, marketing and manufacturing.
For more information on Pizza Forno, visit https://pizzaforno.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
How do you motivate an employee that doesn’t want to work for you? For so many of our line level employees, a restaurant job is a pitstop on the way to their true destination and, as a result, most owners struggle with motivating and leading them. But it doesn’t have to be that way according to Scott Greenberg. Scott is a motivational speaker that turns phrases like culture and values into actionable information. We sit down today to discuss the tactics, tools, and strategies he’s perfected to turn underperformers into superstars.
For more information on Scott, visit https://scottgreenberg.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
As you know, I've coached hundreds of restaurateurs to scale profitability through effective marketing and optimizing operations. These bonus episodes serve as mini-coaching sessions where I provide you with quick lessons to help you achieve the same amazing results without spending a dollar on marketing and advertising. Enjoy!
__________________________________________________________
Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Travis Talbot is a renaissance man who’s dedicated his life to learning and teaching. Far from the day to day grind of restaurant life, the chef travels the world, immersing himself in new cultures and cuisines for the benefit of his clients. We may not all aspire to be jetsetters but we are here to learn and Travis does not disappoint, sharing the tools and strategies he’s used to improve his life and the lives of restaurant owners globally.
For more information on the chef and his businesses, visit https://ttexperiment.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
Everyone loves a mom and pop restaurant. For some families, it’s a direct path to generational wealth. For others, it can be an anchor, tying future generations to 100 hour weeks and a high stress lifestyle. Today we sit down with Niko Karatassos to share a success story. Niko’s father opened their first restaurant back in 1979 and many decades and restaurants later, the company is still thriving. Niko shares the path and the best practices that have led to his family's success.
For more on the family and their restaurant group, visit https://buckheadrestaurants.com/.
__________________________________________________________
Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
As you know, I've coached hundreds of restaurateurs to scale profitability through effective marketing and optimizing operations. These bonus episodes serve as mini-coaching sessions where I provide you with quick lessons to help you achieve the same amazing results without spending a dollar on marketing and advertising. Enjoy!
__________________________________________________________
Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
I met Justin Kingsley Hall in Whitefish, Montana of all places. We were both consulting on a gorgeous restaurant project there. He oversaw the culinary program and I was brought in to refine and optimize the front of house. A friendship evolved and I wanted to have him on the show to discuss the lessons he’s learned after decades of building out his own restaurants and fixing the restaurants of others. This is a glimpse into the life of a chef not bound to a restaurant.
For more information on the chef, visit https://kindlingculinary.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
We’ve all heard a ton about AI over the last couple of years but, for the most part, it feels like a solution for someone else in another industry. I’m here to argue that AI might be the solution to every independent restaurant’s marketing problems. Today we sit down with Nicole Donnelly, a professional marketer and AI expert to discuss how we can leverage AI to run and market our businesses more effectively.
For more information on Nicole and her programs, visit https://aismartmarketing.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
As you know, I've coached hundreds of restaurateurs to scale profitability through effective marketing and optimizing operations. These bonus episodes serve as mini-coaching sessions where I provide you with quick lessons to help you achieve the same amazing results without spending a dollar on marketing and advertising. Enjoy!
__________________________________________________________
Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
For over 30 years, Michael Mina has dominated the restaurant scene and today we sit down with the chef to find out how. In today’s conversation we dive deep into the tactics tools and strategies Michael has developed over decades to acquire talent, develop leaders, scale operations, and ensure profitability. This is a masterclass in restaurant ownership and operations.
For more information on the chef and his restaurant group, visit https://www.michaelmina.net/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
Today’s labor crisis stems from a labor shortage. There just aren’t enough people willing to work in restaurants anymore…or are there? Today we’re sitting down with Amir Hemmat of Welcome Tech to uncover the solution to our labor crisis. Amir and his company have access to literally millions of legal workers qualified and excited to work in our industry. Who are these folks and where do they come from? Tune in to find out.
For more information on Amir and Welcome Tech, visit https://welcome.tech/.
__________________________________________________________
Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
As you know, I've coached hundreds of restaurateurs to scale profitability through effective marketing and optimizing operations. These bonus episodes serve as mini-coaching sessions where I provide you with quick lessons to help you achieve the same amazing results without spending a dollar on marketing and advertising. Enjoy!
__________________________________________________________
Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
During our time in this industry we’ve watched countless healthy restaurant concepts go under. But today’s guest, Jeff Fenster, seems to have finally figured it out. His concept, Everbowl, has scaled massively over the last few years despite an economic downturn and a global pandemic. We sit down to discuss the strategy he used to become massively successful in a vertical that seemed destined for failure.
For more information on Everbowl, visit https://www.everbowl.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
What comes to mind when you hear the words “vegan food.” For many of us, it’s burlap clothing and plates made of cardboard, but Steven Salm is out to change that. Steven founded Planta, a vegan restaurant that transcends every boundary placed on that genre of food. The branding, the buildout, and the culinary program all speak to what it is: one of the most compelling restaurant concepts in the last 20 years–even for carnivores. In our conversation today, we unpack the strategy he developed and executed to bring veganism into the mainstream on a national level.
For more information on Planta, visit https://www.plantarestaurants.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
As you know, I've coached hundreds of restaurateurs to scale profitability through effective marketing and optimizing operations. These bonus episodes serve as mini-coaching sessions where I provide you with quick lessons to help you achieve the same amazing results without spending a dollar on marketing and advertising. Enjoy!
__________________________________________________________
Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
What transforms a single unit family owned and operated restaurant into a regional giant with nine locations? Today we chat with Eric and Alex Adler, cofounders of the Puesto restaurant chain in Southern California. They, like so many other families, built a restaurant to share their love of food and culture with their community. But, unlike so many others in our industry, they’ve thrived, building 10 restaurants in 10 years. Today we discuss the strategies and tools that they used to scale their family restaurant.
For more information on Puesto, visit https://www.eatpuesto.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
Today we’re talking with Seth Cohen of Sweetfin about brand equity, marketing, messaging, real estate and scaling a blockbuster concept in a post pandemic world.
For more on Sweetfin visit https://www.sweetfin.com
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
Great restaurants stem from running great businesses and today we’re going to talk about the business of running restaurants. Our guides on this exploration of what a successful business plan looks like will be Karl and Sarah Worley, a married couple who turned their love of biscuits into a thriving restaurant brand.
They’ve built their business on the back of foundational principles and bleeding edge management strategies that have revolutionized their lives and their restaurant. Today we unpack the tactics, tools and strategies they’ve used to scale Biscuit Love from a food truck into a regional brand.
For more on Biscuit Love visit https://www.biscuitlove.com
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
As you know, I've coached hundreds of restaurateurs to scale profitability through effective marketing and optimizing operations. These bonus episodes serve as mini-coaching sessions where I provide you with quick lessons to help you achieve the same amazing results without spending a dollar on marketing and advertising. Enjoy!
__________________________________________________________
Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Chef Bruce Bromberg is not the typical restaurant magnate that comes to mind when you think of a national restaurant group. More than anything, he’s a chef, leveraging the universal truths he’s learned over the years in innovative ways. His ability to translate the fundamentals of cooking to the fundamentals of business has led to his meteoric success. Today we sit down to discuss the essential elements involved in building a successful brand and business that can last decades.
For more information on the chef and his restaurant group, visit https://www.blueribbonrestaurants.com.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
If you want to know the truth, without one ounce of sugarcoating, just call Brian Malarkey. The Celebrity Chef has spent almost two decades betting big on his version of what success looks like. Big venues, high stakes and higher revenues. Post pandemic, where everything is thinking small and capitalizing on a flush economy, he’s taking a different path.
In today’s episode Brian and I chat about how he got to where he is today and where he thinks we’re headed as an industry.
For more on the chef visit https://www.brianmalarkey.com
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
As you know, I've coached hundreds of restaurateurs to scale profitability through effective marketing and optimizing operations. These bonus episodes serve as mini-coaching sessions where I provide you with quick lessons to help you achieve the same amazing results without spending a dollar on marketing and advertising. Enjoy!
__________________________________________________________
Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
The idea of venture capital doesn’t typically enter the mind of most restaurant owners but those opportunities do exist. Today we’re sitting down with Schatzy Schatzberg, an industry veteran on the lookout for the next big restaurant concept. We discuss what it takes to win in this competitive market and what makes a restaurant concept truly investible.
For more information on Branded Strategic and Branded Hospitality, visit https://brandedstrategic.com.
__________________________________________________________
Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
Over the years we’ve had a ton of industry veterans on the show. There’s so much to learn from someone who’s owned and operated a restaurant for decades. But, some of the new kids on the block have a lesson or two up their sleeves as well. Today we’re chatting with Colin Wyatt, a seasoned chef who left New York City in an effort to build something for himself. Today we discuss the path that led to his first restaurant and the lessons he’s learned since opening it almost two years ago.
For more information on the chef and his restaurant, visit https://www.twelvemaine.com.
__________________________________________________________
Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
As you know, I've coached hundreds of restaurateurs to scale profitability through effective marketing and optimizing operations. These bonus episodes serve as mini-coaching sessions where I provide you with quick lessons to help you achieve the same amazing results without spending a dollar on marketing and advertising. Enjoy!
__________________________________________________________
Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
The typical business plan for most of us is to make great food, open the doors, and hope for the best. But, in today’s competitive market, we can’t afford to wait for our customers to come to us. Ashishh Desai of Menufy and HungerRush learned this lesson early in his career and there are countless lessons to be learned from the way he skillfully scaled his company. Today we sit down to discuss what an outbound marketing strategy looks like for the modern restaurateur and how, with just a little bit of effort, we can stand out in a crowd.
For more information on him and the solutions we discussed today, visit https://www.hungerrush.com/.
__________________________________________________________
Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
As you know, I've coached hundreds of restaurateurs to scale profitability through effective marketing and optimizing operations. These bonus episodes serve as mini-coaching sessions where I provide you with quick lessons to help you achieve the same amazing results without spending a dollar on marketing and advertising. Enjoy!
__________________________________________________________
Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Most restaurants don’t make money. The ones that do, typically make very little. This is our reality and many of us have embraced it. But what about the group no one talks about: the restaurants that are making a killing, quietly and consistently. They all seem to be following the same formula and today we sit down with restaurant expert, David Scott Peters, to distill out the essential elements of that formula. Believe it or not, it has as much to do with people as it does process.
To learn more about David and his programs, visit https://www.davidscottpeters.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
When looking for inspiration, it’s hard to look to the big guys. They have big budgets and massive reach. But what about the small guys on their way to becoming big? Today we sit down with DJ Duporte, who heads up the marketing effort over at North Italia, a casual dining concept set to scale to the moon in 2024. In our conversation we discuss the messaging that’s working, how to effectively seed a new market, and the trends he’s seeing in the market today.
For more information on North Italia, visit https://www.northitalia.com/.
_________________________________________________________
Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
As you know, I've coached hundreds of restaurateurs to scale profitability through effective marketing and optimizing operations. These bonus episodes serve as mini-coaching sessions where I provide you with quick lessons to help you achieve the same amazing results without spending a dollar on marketing and advertising. Enjoy!
__________________________________________________________
Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
I don’t believe there’s anything more vital to the success of an independent restaurant than the location we choose. Defining the perfect location has become even more complicated in recent years and that’s why I reached out to today’s guest, Robin Gagnon. Robin is a restaurant real estate expert and today she shares the best practices and mistakes to avoid when it comes to choosing, leasing, and selling a restaurant in today’s tough environment.
To learn more about Robin and her company, visit https://www.wesellrestaurants.com/.
__________________________________________________________
Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
More often than not, when outsiders decide to become restaurant owners, the results are disastrous but there is so much to learn from those rare success stories. Today we sit down with Michael Chon, a businessman turned restaurant man and his culinary director Chef Samuel Kim to discuss what they’ve done better than most, what they’ve learned along the way, and what they’re planning to achieve next.
For more information on their restaurant group, visit https://www.kijung.com/.
__________________________________________________________
Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
As you know, I've coached hundreds of restaurateurs to scale profitability through effective marketing and optimizing operations. These bonus episodes serve as mini-coaching sessions where I provide you with quick lessons to help you achieve the same amazing results without spending a dollar on marketing and advertising. Enjoy!
__________________________________________________________
Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
What are you chasing? Is it the money, the fame, or maybe the acclaim that comes with being a successful restaurant owner? Deep down, I think we all know that if we follow our passions, we’ll get all three. Few stories illustrate this more beautifully than today’s guest Chef Karen Akunowicz. In our conversation, she shares her evolution from chef to restaurateur and how momentum is as much an asset as it is a liability.
For more information on the chef and her concepts, visit https://www.karenakunowicz.com.
__________________________________________________________
Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
Every year I look back on the man I was just 12 months ago and think “man, what a fool that guy was.” Believe it or not, that’s a good thing. It means I’m learning and growing. In my experience, the best way to expedite that process is to study the more established brands in the market, take the lessons they’ve already learned, and add them to my toolkit. Today we sit down with Jim Little, Director of Culinary Innovation for Big Angus Steakhouse. Jim’s path from Executive Chef to Corporate Director is packed with best practices and lessons learned. In our conversation we explore the most direct path to success and how to innovate and inspire despite difficult market conditions.
For more information on Black Angus, visit https://www.blackangus.com/.
__________________________________________________________
Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
As you know, I've coached hundreds of restaurateurs to scale profitability through effective marketing and optimizing operations. These bonus episodes serve as mini-coaching sessions where I provide you with quick lessons to help you achieve the same amazing results without spending a dollar on marketing and advertising. Enjoy!
__________________________________________________________
Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
You know Chip Klose. He’s been on the show before. Chip is a restaurant consultant that has recently released a new book called Restaurant Marketing Strategy. We sit down today to discuss what inspired him to share his winning blueprint with the world and we tease out the key ideas presented throughout the book. Restaurant marketing is my favorite thing and few do it better than Chip.
You can buy his new book Restaurant Marketing Strategy on amazon.com.
_________________________________________________________
Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
Today’s guest is one in a million. Chef Brian Landry has thrived as a chef and restaurateur in one of the most competitive culinary environments in the world, New Orleans, Louisiana. Not only that, Brian has managed to scale his restaurant group into other markets nationally. Today we sit down to discuss how he’s managed to grow despite the growing labor crisis, rising food costs, and a global pandemic.
For more information on the chef and his restaurant group, visit https://www.qedhg.com/.
__________________________________________________________
Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
Adam Guild on hacking digital restaurant marketing
By now we’ve all figured out that the digital presence of our restaurant is as important as its physical location. With countless tools out there, it’s nearly impossible for a restaurateur to figure out what’s best. So today we sit down with Adam Guild, founder of Owner.com; a restaurant tech expert with a deep understanding of what’s moving the needle for restaurants today. In this far reaching conversation we discuss the tools of today, the solutions of tomorrow, and how taking a human approach to technology can help us all thrive.
To learn more about Adam and his company, visit https://www.owner.com/.
__________________________________________________________
Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
Annie & Craig Stoll on the cultural evolution of restaurants
How many of us have had a front row seat to the changing tides of our industry over the last 25 years? Restaurants, our communities, and our guests have all changed dramatically and we’re still feeling the implications of those changes today. That’s why I wanted to sit down with Annie and Craig Stoll of the Delfina restaurant group in San Francisco. Since the late 90’s they’ve weathered the changing tides of our industry evolving, but never deviating from their initial vision of what a restaurant should be. We sit down to discuss culture, accountability, and how a steadfast focus on excellence can provide a consistent return on investment.
For more on them and their restaurants, visit https://www.delfinasf.com/.
__________________________________________________________
Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
Adam Goldberg on the evolution from founder to CEO
Before partnering with the band Kiss and taking over as CEO of rock and roll restaurant group, Rock & Brews, Adam Goldberg had already founded a successful pizza chain with over two dozen locations. Adam is an expert at the two skills we must acquire to achieve success in this industry: developing the plan to start and charting the path to scale. In our conversation, he shares the essential elements of a scalable restaurant concept and the proven path to scale successful brands.
For more information on Rock & Brews, visit https://www.rockandbrews.com/.
__________________________________________________________
Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
Katie Reicher on the path to your dream job
There are many paths that lead to the same destination. For most chefs, they travel from restaurant to restaurant honing their skills until they eventually land their dream role at their dream restaurant. Today’s guest, through the power of focus and intention, seems to have found a shortcut. In our conversation Chef Katie shares how she landed her dream restaurant right out of culinary school and how she capitalized on that opportunity to land her dream job.
For more information on her restaurant, visit https://greensrestaurant.com/.
__________________________________________________________
Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
Eric Wyatt on what we can learn from corporate chains
The beauty of coming up in a corporate environment is that you learn the blueprint for success. Today’s guest, Eric Wyatt, has worked for some of the most prolific brands in our industry and has leveraged that collective wisdom and experience in his latest role as the CEO of Norms Restaurant Group. In our conversation he shares the proven principles he’s used to climb the corporate ranks and lead some of the best brands in the world.
For more information on Norms, visit https://norms.com/.
__________________________________________________________
Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
You’re only as good as your tools, every chef knows that. But what happens when the tool you need hasn’t been created yet?
Today we chat with Joshua Sharkey of meez, a former chef who sought to build the solution to his own problem.
In our conversation we discuss the challenges facing the modern chef and what it took to create the Culinary Operation System for the chef of the future.
For more information on meez, visit https://www.getmeez.com.
____________________________________________________________
Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Not all of us dream of growing a massive brand but, today’s guest, Temoc Morfin did. As a first time restauranteur, Temoc defied the odds in scaling to a dozen locations before deciding to franchise in partnership with Grammy award winning artist Pitbull. In our conversation, we unpack the tactics and tools he used to scale from one to many and how hard work and the right intention have enabled him to scale his family business into a national chain.
For more information on Cilantro Taco Grill, visit https://cilantrotacogrill.com/.
____________________________________________________________
Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
No matter where we are in our lifes or careers, we could benefit from coaching. The greatest athletes in the world have coaches and for an obvious reason: investing in our betterment improves every aspect of our lives. Today we chat with Alisa Cohn, a famed executive coach who’s worked with the best of the best. In our conversation, she shares the tactics, tools and strategies she’s used to make the best even better.
That’s Alisa Cohn! You can pick up her book From Start-Up to Grown-Up: Grow Your Leadership to Grow Your Business wherever books are sold.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Regardless of industry, starting and growing a business is a painful process. It hasn't been a perfect road, but Jason Berry of Knead Hospitality has worked to create a more sustainable path. From four day workweeks to blissful partnerships, today Jason shares the recipe he’s created for a better business and a better life.
For more information on Knead Hospitality, visit https://www.kneadhd.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
The numbers tell the story. Statistically, it’s nearly impossible to scale within our industry which is why so few do so. Keith Benjamin is the exception. With over 15 locations under his belt, Keith has broken the mold by systematizing that “it factor” we’re all looking to achieve. In today’s conversation, we discuss how to build with intention, the tools to create massive awareness, and the essential elements of a cool concept.
For more information on Keith's restaurant group, visit https://uptownhospitality.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Bo Davis has made a name for himself within our industry by creating MarginEdge, a restaurant management software that helps owners and operators better control costs and scale profitability. But, what most don’t realize is that Bo began as and is still a restaurateur himself. In today’s conversation, we unpack what it took to create a successful restaurant brand and how building tech to solve his problems helped him do it.
For more information on MarginEdge, visit https://www.marginedge.com/.
____________________________________________________________
Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Today’s guest plays by his own rules. Chef Donald Young is one of the youngest Michelin-awarded chefs in the world who, after years of working in traditional brick and mortar restaurants, gave it all up to build a pop up concept in the heart of Chicago. In our conversation we discuss what it takes to truly master a craft, the power of a beginner’s mindset, adn the courage it takes to start over again.
For more information on the chef, visit https://www.ducksel.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Eighty percent of restaurants don’t survive for longer than five years. Today we speak with Katy Casbarian, the owner/operator of Arnaud’s, a New Orleans restaurant that has survived for over 100 years. We discuss what it takes to create a business model that caters to both locals and tourists and how to run a successful business despite a century of varying economic conditions. As it turns out, in the competition between consistency and innovation, consistency is king.
For more information on Arnaud’s restaurant, visit https://www.arnaudsrestaurant.com/.
____________________________________________________________
Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
How many times have you purchased a piece of tech believing that it would be a gamechanger for your restaurant? We’re all looking for this magical tool that will help us make the numbers make sense and give us a firm grasp on the inner workings of our business. That’s why we’re chatting with Darien Bates. He knows tech and, as the former CTO of &pizza, he knows restaurants as well. Today we discuss how technology and data will influence the way we run restaurants tomorrow and in the years to come.
For more information on Darien and Fourtop, visit https://www.fourtop.ai/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
James Beard award-winning chef Rob Rubba seems to have it all: a blockbuster restaurant that’s great for the environment, a happy staff, and work life balance that most of us would kill for. None of this happened by accident. In today’s conversation, we sit down with the chef to discuss how he architected the life and career of his dreams through the intentional peeling away of everything that did not serve him, his team, or the environment.
That’s Chef Rob Rubba. For more information on the chef and his restaurant, visit https://www.oysteroysterdc.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Most of us don’t own a luxury hotel or a three star Michelin restaurant but that doesn’t mean that we’re not able to incorporate elements of luxury into our brands and our customer service experience. Today we chat with Chris Adams of the Ellis Adams Group, a luxury lifestyle consulting group that specializes in making folks feel special. In our conversation, Chris unpacks the small but important elements that make our guests feel seen and special.
That’s Chris Adams. For more information on the Ellis Adams Group, visit https://www.ellisadamsgroup.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Pastry Chef and restaurateur Karen Krasne has defied the odds. Her concept, Extraordinary Desserts, has had a line out the door perpetually for more than a decade–but that’s not the most interesting part. Extraordinary Desserts has built a cult-like following in the San Diego area without following trends, receiving media attention, or going viral on social media. Today we discuss how keeping it simple can have extraordinary results.
That’s Chef Karen Krasne. For more information on Extraordinary Desserts, visit https://extraordinarydesserts.com/.
____________________________________________________________
Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Today’s episode is a continuation of our last episode, delving into actionable advice on how to build a restaurant in today’s difficult market. We pick up where we left off which Michael Benson, Mike Hatch, and Will Knox discussing how to open a restaurant successfully, how to maintain the investment, and, when the time comes, how to maximize the value we get when selling it.
Today’s panel includes:
Michael Benson, founder of Southern California Restaurant Design Group, a company specializing in back of house design, equipment, and installation.
Mike Hatch, principal at Hatch Design Group, a company specializing in restaurant design and branding.
Will Knox, founder of the Knox Company, specializing in restaurant real estate and concept development.
That’s Michael, Mike, and Will. For more information on these gentlemen and their businesses, please check out the links in the show notes.
____________________________________________________________
Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
So many of our listeners have reached out asking for actionable advice on how to build a restaurant in today’s difficult market. In response, I’ve cobbled together three industry experts to walk us through all facets of the process including best practices and mistakes to avoid.
Today’s panel includes:
Michael Benson, founder of Southern California Restaurant Design Group, a company specializing in back of house design, equipment, and installation.
Mike Hatch, principal at Hatch Design Group, a company specializing in restaurant design and branding.
Will Knox, founder of the Knox Company, specializing in restaurant real estate and concept development.
In part one of our conversation we’re tackling restaurant concept creation, choosing the right location, and beginning your buildout on the right foot.
That’s Michael, Mike, and Will. For more information on these gentlemen and their businesses, please check out the links in the show notes.
_________________________________________________________
Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
What does a truly holistic model for a restaurant look like? Today we chat with Chef D. Brandon Walker to find out. The chef has turned his latest concept, The Art Room, into a working social experiment. He serves fast casual and fine dining fare. It’s a completely indoor and outdoor concept with a high end art gallery nestled in the middle. If that wasn’t enough, he’s implemented universal tipping across the board and has cross trained the entire staff. He’s doing things differently and has come by the show to discuss what’s working, what hasn’t, and what’s next.
For more information on the chef and his restaurant, visit https://www.theartroomdtla.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Jesse Cole is not an restaurateur, but, like so many of us, he is an entertainer at heart. I’ve brought him on the show to discuss his baseball team, the Savannah Bananas, and how they’ve redefined what it means to attend a professional baseball game. This is a masterclass on exceeding customer expectations, building an unforgettable experience, and staying true to the mission of your brand.
For more information on Jesse and his books, visit https://findyouryellowtux.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Pizza is hard. Most of us know we’re in a commodity business but I feel like the pizza industry feels it more than most. So how do you stand out from the crowd? Today we’re chatting with Kevin King of Donatos Pizza. This chain has scaled massively over the years by successfully differentiating itself through culture, community, and an excellent product. In our conversation, Kevin shares what it took to get the franchise model off the ground and his plan to turn a pizza parlor into a financial rocketship.
For more information on Donatos Pizza, visit https://donatos.com/.
____________________________________________________________
Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
It seems like Kurt Zdesar can’t stop winning. He got his start at McDonalds and, in a matter of years, became the person in charge of Nobu’s European launch and expansion. He parlayed that success into his own brands, expanding from Europe into the American market and has thrived globally. In our conversation today, we discuss what led to Nobu’s success and how he leveraged that formula to build his own blockbuster brands.
For more on Chotto Matte, visit https://chotto-matte.com.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
How in the world is Gregg Majewski not a household name? He was mentored by Dave Thomas of Wendys, grew Jimmy Johns from three to three hundred locations, and has acquired and scaled some of the most famous fast casual restaurants in the country.
Today we sit down to discuss his formula for repeatable success and his commitment to mentoring others for the betterment of our entire industry.
For more information on Craveable Brands, visit https://www.craveablebrands.com.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
If the labor crisis has only taught us one thing, it’s that there’s a new generation of restaurant worker who sees the world differently than we do. It’s not up to them to mold themselves to our old ideal, it’s up to us to find a way to connect in a way that resonates with them. In this world of social media and bite sized content, Jason Berkowitz may have found the solution. After helping to scale some of the most prolific restaurant brands around the country, Jason has taken on the mission of educating everyone’s team. Today we discuss what’s worked, what hasn’t, and the future of onboarding and education.
For more information on Arrow Up, visit https://arrowuptraining.com.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Is one million dollars too much insurance coverage or not enough? How does my insurance coverage need to change as I go from one location to many? For many of us, we sign up for insurance when we sign our lease and don’t think about it again until we really need it. But having the right coverage can mean the difference between a second chance and a final chapter. Today we sit down with John Cassetta of CoverWallet to discuss the things to consider and the mistakes to avoid when choosing the right insurance coverage for our restaurants.
For more information on John and Coverwallet, click here.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
Kelli Alldredge is not one of us, but she may represent the best of us. Despite having no previous experience in our industry, she’s managed to take the Chicken n Pickle restaurant national by focusing on the only thing that matters: people. Today’s episode is a masterclass in community activation and how to deliver on the promises we make to ourselves.
For more information on Chicken n Pickle, visit https://chickennpickle.com/.
____________________________________________________________
Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
The most direct path to success is to follow in the footsteps of the already successful. After 30 years in various leadership positions at the famed Union Square Hospitality Group, Mark Maynard decided to go independent. Rather than starting his own restaurant, he’s chosen to help other restaurateurs implement the best practices of his former employer. Today we discuss the strategies that made Union Square so successful and tools we can use to achieve the same.
For more information on Mark, visit https://www.maynardconsulting.net/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Sometimes the only difference between those who succeed and those who fail is the decision to not give up. Today’s guest, Chef Brad Wise, is a testament to the grit required to build something prolific in our industry. In our conversation we discuss how to overcome a slow start and how he turned a failed bar into the hottest steakhouse concept on the West Coast.
For more on his restaurant concepts, visit https://www.trustrestaurantsd.com/.
____________________________________________________________
Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Niko Viramo is the CEO of the Wild Thyme restaurant group but he’s also a student of business. He’s also a teacher at a prestigious university. Niko is probably one of the most savvy and well educated entrepreneurs I’ve ever spoken with and, today, he shares his universal truths around building and growing a strong restaurant brand.
For more information on Wild Thyme, visit https://wildthymegroup.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Today we chat with Casey Cooley, a franchising expert who helps Jeremiah’s Italian Ice franchisees effectively launch blockbuster locations all over the country. In our conversation, we discuss the marketing strategy they’ve developed that takes franchisees from 2 months out to a month after opening.
For more information on Jeremiah’s Italian Ice, visit https://jeremiahsice.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
We learn by doing but we also learn by teaching. Chef Brian Duffy is a successful restaurateur in his own right. After opening his own places, he became a household name as a featured expert on Bar Rescue, parlaying his fame into a successful consulting practice. We sat down today to discuss best practices and lessons learned from opening over 100 different restaurant concepts over the last decade. In our conversation, we explore the key elements of a successful restaurant and the necessary ingredients to scale profitability.
For more information on Chef Duffy, visit https://chefbrianduffy.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
If we’re paying rent 24 hours a day, we must generate revenue 24 hours a day. But, with food costs and the cost of labor skyrocketing, our revenue models are evolving. Enter Mike Sebazco of Famous Toastery. With over two dozen locations and counting, this one shift business is shifting the way we look at operations and profitability. We sat down today to discuss how thinking small can have a massive impact on your restaurant.
For more information on Famous Toastery, visit https://famoustoastery.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
“Don’t back down. Don’t apologize. Don’t compromise,” are the words of Tai Ricci, a founding partner of San Francisco’s Hi Neighbor Hospitality Group. She’s grown her restaurant group to 6 locations over the last 10 years and today we sit down to discuss how she did it and who she needed to become to accomplish such lofty goals. As it turns out, personal development is professional development.
For more information on Tai's restaurant group, visit https://www.hineighborsf.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
They say if it’s not broken don’t fix it. But that’s setting a pretty low bar for improvement. Andrew Lee of bb.q Chicken took a brand that was far from broken and made it better. Today we’re discussing the secrets to scaling, successful branding strategies, and how to optimize your operations for the future.
That’s Andrew Lee. For more information on bb.q Chicken, visit https://bbqchicken.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
From my first day in this industry I was told that the profit lies in the bottom of the glass. Successful beverage programs lead to successful restaurant concepts. Today we sit down with L.P. O’Brien, founder of LP Drinks, a consulting agency specializing in helping great concepts create next level bar programs. In our conversation we discuss the essential elements of a successful bar program, mistakes to avoid, and what’s trending in the world of beverages.
That’s L.P. O’Brien. For more information on L.P., visit https://www.lpdrinks.org/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Chris Tripoli has built major restaurant chains, worked as an independent owner and operator, and eventually found his way into a successful restaurant consulting practice. After working with countless brands over the years, he began to see common problems and common solutions. In today’s conversation, we unpack the most common problems owners face and the practical solutions to solve them.
For more information on Chris, visit https://www.christripoli.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
During our time in this industry we’ve watched countless healthy restaurant concepts go under. But today’s guest, Jeff Fenster, seems to have finally figured it out. His concept, Everbowl, has scaled massively over the last few years despite an economic downturn and a global pandemic. We sit down to discuss the strategy he used to become massively successful in a vertical that seemed destined for failure.
For more information on Everbowl, visit https://www.everbowl.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Today we’re chatting with Michael Shain who, after long stints as a member of the leadership team at Union Square Hospitality Group and Death and Co., has decided to strike out on his own. In our conversation today we discuss, in a granular way, what makes a restaurant successful and the tools at our disposal to accomplish exactly that.
For more information on Michael, visit https://greathandshospitality.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Matt Smith has been the marketing mastermind behind some of the most innovative brands over the last decade. His work with the Simmer Group, Madera, and One Table Restaurant brands has taken him from executive to thought leader within our industry. In our conversation today, we discuss his latest move to the experiential dining group Milkshake Concepts and his plan to help the company scale up by creating massive awareness.
For more information on Milkshake Concepts, visit https://www.milkshakeconcepts.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Swagyu is a national brand with retail locations, multiple restaurants, and a direct to consumer model that ships all over the world. But, just prior to the pandemic, its founder hit rock bottom. The story of Steve Brown is one of the most inspirational restaurant stories to come out of the pandemic and today we sit down to discuss how he went from rock bottom to top of the world.
For more information on Swagyu, visit https://www.swagyuchopshop.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Today we sit down with Joth Ricci, the president of Dutch Bros Coffee, who used the pandemic as an opportunity to innovate and scale a family business into a true contender in the coffee space. In our conversation, we discuss how innovative thinking paired with powerful technology can change the trajectory of our businesses.
For more information on Dutch Bros Coffee, visit https://www.dutchbros.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
There are restaurateurs out there that just seem to have the golden touch. Everything they open gets patronized by celebrities and there are lines out the door from day one. Today we sit down with Mark Birnbaum of Catch Restaurant Groupto discover the tools and strategies he’s used to create success after success.
For more information on Catch, visit https://www.catchrestaurants.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
In life, sometimes our paths diverge from those we love. When the pandemic hit, my executive chef and business partner went one direction and I went another. Today we sit down together to talk about the epic wins, the heartbreaking defeats, and the moments in between. Success can be defined in many different ways these days, especially if you’re a chef. This is a broad conversation spanning our past together and the bright future ahead for all of us.
That’s Chef Sammy Monsour. For more information on Sammy, visit him on Instagram using the handle @samuelmonsour.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Are you interested in learning how to become the chef of a successful restaurant or starting your own catering company? Have you ever wanted to launch a pop up restaurant or a traditional brick and mortar? Today’s guest, Jason Fullilove has done all of that and so much more. In our conversation, we explore all of the options you have as a chef these days and how to capitalize on each.
For more information on Jason, visit http://www.jasonfullilove.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Betsy Hamm didn’t set out to become the CEO of a 100+ unit donut franchise but, when the moment arose for her to step up, she took the opportunity to go global. In our conversation today, we’re discussing how a donut shop can grow from a thousand person town to a thousand location brand and why marketing is a blade that we must constantly sharpen.
For more information on Duck Donuts, visit https://www.duckdonuts.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Daniel Shemtob is an award winning chef, a successful restaurateur, a Food Network star, and, most recently, the creator of Snibbs, a footwear line made just for us. I wanted to sit down with him to discuss the blueprint he’s used to create success after success across every aspect of our industry. Today we talk about nurturing innovation, overcoming obstacles, and the non-linear path that leads to success.
To learn more about Snibbs, go to Snibbs.co and use promo code FULLCOMP to get 10% off your first pair.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
Considering your legacy and the legacy of the business you’ve worked so hard to build is a worthwhile effort. Today we chat with Ari Weinzweig of Zingerman's Deli who, after breaking every rule in the book to build his $75M empire, is choosing to give it all away. We’re also joined by Natalie Reitman-White who helped him accomplish this noble goal. This conversation proves that a vision for a better tomorrow leads to a better today.
You can reach out to Ari directly using the email address ari@zingermans.com. For Ari’s educational blog, click here. For more information on Natalie and Perpetual Purpose Trusts, visit https://www.alternativeownershipadvisors.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:
Snooze is a breakfast joint like many others but with a few key exceptions. Today’s guest, Clint Hughey, is one of those exceptions. Clint is Snooze’s Director of Impact and works to strengthen the bond between Snooze, its team, and its community. I think most of us take the entrepreneurial leap to create a greater impact in the lives of others, today we sit down with a subject matter expert to learn how to maximize those efforts.
For more information on Snooze and their programs, visit https://www.snoozeeatery.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
After 30 years with restaurant conglomerate Lettuce Entertain You, Geoff Alexander could teach a masterclass on building and scaling a restaurant brand. And that’s exactly what he’s done for us today. In this far reaching conversation we discuss the essential elements of leadership, how to build a brand from the ground up, turnaround strategies for struggling brands, and how to outsmart the competition.
That’s Geoff Alexander. For more information on Wow Bao, visit https://www.wowbao.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Pura Vida is more than a restaurant, it’s a wellness brand that's selling peace of mind through nourishment. Today we sit down with the founders Omer and Jennifer Horev to discuss the essential elements of brand building and how to effectively scale without brand dilution.
For more information on Pura Vida, visit https://www.puravidamiami.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Our guests, even our most loyal guests, can cook at home. They don’t come to us for nourishment, they come to us for entertainment. Food and beverage done well is performance art and few have done it better than Eleven Madison Park. Today we chat with Natasha McIrvin, former head of the dreamweaver program at EMP. Her job was to build a system that ensured surprise and delight were baked into every guest experience. In our conversation she shares the system she built and the tactics she used to transform servers into the weavers of dreams.
To check out what Natasha is working on now visit https://www.thankyou.nyc/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
The world looks different post pandemic and so do a lot of restaurants. The same experimentation that we’ve put into our menus is now finding its way into our buildouts. My guest, Udi Hershkovitz, has been in the restaurant game for over 2 decades and he’s ready to try something new. Today we talk about his 25 year old restaurant and how it inspired him to open a second concept in a shipping container.
That’s Udi Hershkovitz. For more information on Udi and his restaurant concepts, visit https://www.eatsabarabas.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Lauren Fernandez went from working in restaurants, to working on restaurants, to influencing the industry at scale. After cutting her teeth as a corporate executive turned franchisee, she’s taken the lessons she’s learned and crafted not only an educational platform, but an investment engine for those that come after her. Today, we discuss what she's built and how it works to ease the burden of independent restaurateurs.
For more information on Lauren and Full Course, visit https://www.fullcourse.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
The best companies in the world are agile. They’re analyzing data and then testing the market in small but significant ways to see what’s working and what isn’t. That’s why I sat down with Russ Hawkins. Russ is the leader of Agilence, a company that the big guys hire to process their data and create profitable strategies. Today we talk about what data we should be analyzing and how to test the market to ensure positive outcomes.
For more information on Agilence, visit https://www.agilenceinc.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
If you think it’s hard to build a brand, try turning one around. The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf scaled to 1,200 locations globally but, after decades of success, the wheels of progress began to slow. That’s when today’s guest, Sanjiv Razdan, was brought in as CEO. It was his job to take a great business and evolve it into a great company. Today, we discuss what it takes to begin again when you’re already in the middle of it and the tools he’s crafted to ensure that his new beginning has a happy ending.
For more information on Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, visit https://www.coffeebean.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
Miguel Hernandez is a genius. You have never heard me begin a show this way before, but I was absolutely blown away by the fresh perspective Miguel is bringing to restaurant ownership and operations. This is a guy who’s scaled to 4 locations in just a couple of years and has financed his growth exclusively through the profits from his active restaurants. Today we discuss how to pick a winner, double revenues, and scale profitability.
For more information on Rreal Tacos, visit https://rrealtacos.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
I always looked at the big restaurant groups out there with envy. How amazing must it be to own 6, 8, or more locations? At what point do you get rich? At what point do you go from backup dishwasher to brand evangelist. Chef Lisa Dahl has grasped the brass ring. Over the last two decades, she’s built a restaurant empire. In today’s conversation, we look back on what got her to where she is today and where she’s headed next.
That’s Chef Lisa Dahl. For more information on the chef and her restaurant group, visit https://www.dahlrestaurantgroup.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
How do ambitious brands punch above their weight class? Today we’re chatting with Carolyn Walker of Response Marketing, an agency that specializes in helping the little guys compete with the big guys. In our conversation we tackle the big misconceptions when it comes to restaurant marketing and Carolyn provides actionable information on how we can better position our brands to not only compete, but to win.
For more information on Response, visit https://response.agency/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Bryce Fluellen has one of the most important jobs in our industry. As the Executive Director of Everytable, it’s his job to transform line level employees into managers and evolve those managers into restaurateurs. In today’s conversation we discuss Everytable’s Social Equity Franchise model and the steps they’ve taken to build the future of Everytable and our industry.
For more information on Everytable, visit https://www.everytable.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
The only thing I ever wanted was to own my own bar…until I owned that bar. Then the only thing I wanted was to own a bar and a restaurant. There’s something within so many of us that pushes us to scale, despite the overwhelm that we’re are already suffering from. Charles Bililies took a different route with Souvla. His growth has been measured and strategic and I believe there’s much we can learn from his methodical process. In today’s conversation we discuss his strategy for scaling and the benefits he’s enjoyed from taking the patient path.
For more information on Souvla, visit https://www.souvla.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
I’ve always likened opening a restaurant to having a child. Over the years, you watch it evolve and you do your best to positively influence its growth. The struggle is how to convey what you’ve become to an audience that only remembers what you were. In this episode we’re chatting with Matt McAllister, the Head of Marketing at Yelp for Restaurants about the power of storytelling and how it can influence even your toughest critics. We’re all working to get better everyday and, today, Matt shares the tools and tactics he’s developed to let people know.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Fred Castellucci’s story is a familiar one. He grew up in his family’s restaurant, worked there through high school, and then pursued higher education to chart a new path for himself. But, like for so many of us, Fred got sucked right back in. This is where things get interesting. When Fred jumped back into the family restaurant, he turned it around. He then opened more restaurants and, today, he and his family own 10 restaurant concepts. Today we chat about how Fred turned the tide of that struggling restaurant into a wave of prosperity for his whole family.
For more information on Fred's restaurant concepts, visit https://www.chgrestaurants.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Restaurant expert videos & webinars
In most cases, the folks that help start a great restaurant concept are not the folks running it at scale. Most leaders within a startup fail to meet the new challenges they’re presented with in a larger organization. But not Bob Ray. Bob went from managing a single restaurant location to COO, overseeing the massive growth of the Margaritas Mexican Restaurant chain over the last 30 years. In our conversation today, we discuss the kind of leader Bob was and what kind of leader he had to become to scale a small restaurant into a big company.
For more information on Margaritas Mexican Restaurant, visit https://www.margs.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
What does restaurant college look like? Where would you go if you wanted to learn how to create a sustainable business and a global restaurant brand? If you said TGI Fridays, today’s guest, Ricky Richardson would agree with you. Over his decades long career at TGI Fridays, Ricky learned the tactics, tools, and strategies that this massive company used to take over the globe. He then turned around and used that same blueprint to help scale Eggs Up Grill into a regional giant. Today, he shares that blueprint with us.
For more information on Eggs Up Grill, visit https://eggsupgrill.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Marketing is hard. It’s hard because it’s nondescript and it’s a moving target. Restaurant marketing looked different in 2020 than it does in 2023. But there are experts in the field and we’re chatting with one today. Meet Paul McEnany. Paul is the founder of Plein Air, a marketing agency that specializes in helping great restaurant brands grow. Today he unpacks the same gameplan he gives the big guys, so that we can use it too.
For more information on Plein Air, visit https://www.itspleinair.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Tyler Simmons wants to sell your trash. Our industry is famous for the amount of waste we create and Tyler is here to help. Today we’re talking about Too Good To Go, a company dedicated to eliminating food waste by elevating trash to treasure through innovative marketing and powerful tech tools. In an industry desperate for reasonable solutions to foundation problems, this just might be one.
For more information on Too Good to Go, visit https://toogoodtogo.com/en-us/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
What comes to mind when you hear the words “vegan food.” For many of us, it’s burlap clothing and plates made of cardboard, but Steven Salm is out to change that. Steven founded Planta, a vegan restaurant that transcends every boundary placed on that genre of food. The branding, the buildout, and the culinary program all speak to what it is: one of the most compelling restaurant concepts in the last 20 years–even for carnivores. In our conversation today, we unpack the strategy he developed and executed to bring veganism into the mainstream on a national level.
For more information on Planta, visit https://www.plantarestaurants.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Before Cyrus Batchan became a bar owner and a Michelin-rated restaurateur, he was a lawyer and that’s what drew me to this conversation. How many nights have you laid awake wondering if tomorrow was the day you were going to get sued? We’ve all consulted with lawyers in the past but I wanted to see how a lawyer-turned-restaurateur would go about setting himself up for success and limiting his liability. Today we chat with Cyrus about the things to do and the things we should avoid in an effort to become a better restaurateur.
For more on his latest project, visit https://www.camphor.la/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Jack McGarry has achieved the accolades most of us dream about. He’s been awarded the best bartender in the world and his NY bar, The Dead Rabbit, was awarded the distinction of Best Bar in the World, a few years after that. But that’s not the end of Jack’s story. Since hitting the top, Jack has redefined excellence through the lens of bar ownership and has spent the last several years working to become the best owner he can be. Today, we discuss what that looks like in theory and how it manifests itself in practical application.
For more information on The Dead Rabbit, visit https://thedeadrabbit.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
A great business starts with a great plan but, in our industry, those plans can take many different forms. Today, we chat with Michael Jantz-Moon of DC Vegan, a catering company turned deli turned bar concept that’s revolutionizing the way people eat and think in the DC area. In our conversation, we unpack how this storybook ending began with a bulletproof plan and discuss the ways in which we can all plan to win.
For more information on DC Vegan, visit https://www.dc-vegan.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Che Ramos is quickly becoming a household name within our industry. His efforts to create an inclusive environment within the beverage industry are what initially sparked my interest but, once he had my attention, I was floored by the amount of value he was providing across every digital platform. In today’s conversation we tackle diversity, inclusion, and what it takes to make a damn good drink and a memorable cocktail list.
That’s Che Ramos. For more information on Che, visit https://blackbourbonguy.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
How do you become a restaurant expert? You take the time to learn from the experts themselves. Sam Fonseca received the education of a lifetime working at In & Out, Cane’s, and Dave’s Hot Chicken. In today’s conversation, we discuss the lessons he learned from the greats and how he’s leveraged that knowledge to scale Roll Em Up Taquitos into a national brand.
For more information on Roll Em Up, visit https://rollemup.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
We’re back with part two of our interview with Jim and Sabin from Cousins Maine Lobster. We continue our conversation by diving deep into the skills needed, best practices adopted, and the lessons learned as the cousins navigated their way through the difficulties of scaling a restaurant concept to massive proportions.
That’s Sabin and Jim from Cousins Maine Lobster. For more on the guys and their restaurant group, visit https://www.cousinsmainelobster.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Today’s conversation is part one of a two part series. I sat down with Sabin and Jim from Cousins Maine Lobster. Maybe you know them from Shark Tank, maybe you don’t. What you should know is that these two cousins have scaled one food truck into a $55 million dollar business over the last 10 years. Over the next two episodes, we’ll unpack the tactics, tools, and strategies they used to build a restaurant empire.
For more on the guys and their restaurant group, visit https://www.cousinsmainelobster.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Ben Kaplan of Plnt Burger is taking the fight for burger supremacy to the streets. He’s a man that isn’t content with owning the vegetarian fast casual market. He wants to cannibalize the whole burger industry. Today’s conversation gets right to the heart of what matters most to our consumers. Ben’s idea is to win hearts and minds by winning their bellies first.
For more information on Plnt Burger, visit https://www.plntburger.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
I’d say my life is divided into two parts. Here on the show, my job is to ask the questions that I believe you want to know the answers to and then listen to the answers. But there’s another side to my life. As a coach, folks just like you ask me questions and it’s up to me to provide the answers. I wanted the opportunity to share the other part of my life with you and, recently, the opportunity presented itself. In today’s episode you’ll hear me being interviewed by my close friend and colleague, David Scott Peters for his show. In our conversation, I unpack the frameworks and mental models I’ve developed to help restaurant owners and operators scale profitability in any season.
To pick up some of the tools and templates I mentioned on the show visit https://joshkopel.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Chef Jamie Lynch still cooks. It was his skill in the kitchen that afforded him the opportunity to open his first restaurant. But that’s not how he scaled to five restaurants across two states. At some point we no longer work in a restaurant, we work in the restaurant business. In our conversation today, we chart his transition from esteemed chef to an acclaimed restaurateur.
For more information on the chef and his projects, visit https://www.chefjamielynch.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
For over a decade, I ran my restaurants the way I was taught to run other people's restaurants. I led my teams the way others had led me and I never questioned it. But what if you never got that education?
Andrew Dana owns more than half a dozen successful restaurants and he began his journey as a restaurateur with absolutely no operational experience. He just did what he thought was right and followed his gut instincts. Today we go through how an industry outsider is challenging the way we look at our restaurants and our industry.
For more information on Call Your Mother, visit https://www.callyourmotherdeli.com.
We all hope to be successful, but how many of us plan to be successful? Susan Sarich of SusieCakes took the time to plan every aspect of her restaurant. The research and development that went into her business plan resulted in the success she had after opening.
Having weathered two economic disasters and with dozens of locations under her belt, her plan seems bulletproof and, in today's episode, we walk through that plan step by step.
For more on SusieCakes Bakery, visit susiecakes.com.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Ken Grossman is a craft brewing pioneer. In the late 1970's, he, along with about half a dozen other brewers, started the first craft breweries in the US. Over 40 years later, the other guys are no longer in business and Ken's company is worth over one billion dollars. Today, we discuss what it took to survive in those early days and the critical decisions he made that paved the way for him to become the king of craft brewing.
For more information on Sierra Nevada, visit https://sierranevada.com.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Marketing is this big, intimidating thing for most of us. For many of us, marketing starts and stops with social media. For many more of us, we aspire to have the time needed to even get that far. That’s why I thought it would be incredibly valuable to chat with Kim Freer. Kim Freer is the Chief Marketing Officer of Wetzel’s Pretzels, an old brand innovating in very new ways. Today we discuss what marketing looks like in practical application–outside of social media–and how it can have a transformative impact on our restaurants.
For more information on Wetzel’s Pretzels, visit https://www.wetzels.com.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Winning in a major market requires a very different approach than opening a restaurant in a secondary or tertiary market. That’s why I was so excited to chat with Michael Tipps. Michael and his company Invictus Hospitality do many different things, but the one thing they’re most known for is taking successful concepts from major markets and scaling them across the country. Perfecting that process has revealed universal truths to Michael and his team about what a formula for restaurant success look like and in this episode he runs us through that formula tip to tail.
That’s Michael Tipps. For more information on Invictus Hospitality, visit https://www.invictushospitality.com.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Personally, I believe that the biggest hurdle for most of us when it comes to escaping day to day operations is finding the right person to replace ourselves. Aside from what it takes to find the right person, it’s the risk that holds most of us back. The risk of spending more than we’ve ever paid ourselves on someone that may not be right for the job. But, what if we could be sure that the person we’re hiring is the right fit for the role? Today we chat with Phillip Baltazar. Philip is a new kind of consultant using science and data driven methods to ensure the people we hire are perfect for the job. In this episode we cover everything from hiring your replacement to hiring a server.
That’s Phillip Baltazar. For your complementary team diagnostic, visit Team Diagnostics / CI Survey.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
As business owners, we need to take a hard look in the mirror to determine what's working and what isn't. Today's guest, Robert Greene did just that, but, instead of tackling an industry, he chose to tackle the human condition.
Robert is a NYT bestselling author who's researched the intricacies of power, mastery, war and human nature.
In reading his work, I walked away with a better understanding of myself, my business, and my customers. In our conversation, Robert shares how he's internalized the lessons he's written about to help athletes, executives, and world leaders.
For more information on Robert's projects, visit https://powerseductionandwar.com.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
The hardest part of ownership isn't owning the business, it's in owning the choices you've made and the impact they have on you and your team. Today, we chat with multi-million dollar culinary clothing maven, Ellen Bennett. Ellen wrote a book that's one part biography and one part action plan for aspiring entrepreneurs. In this conversation, we run though what the past 10 years has been like for Ellen, bringing to light the leadership lessons that have made her company so successful.
You can pick up Ellen's new book Dreams First, Details Later at major retailers everywhere.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
To call Paul Pruitt a restaurant consultant fails to describe the depths of his contributions to our industry. Paul is a hospitality futurist who, in the decade I've known him, has predicted every major evolution that our industry has experienced.
In this episode, Paul and I discuss the future of our industry and how holistic hospitality could be the solution to all that ails us.
For more information on New School, visit http://newschoolconsulting.com.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
What if the labor crisis is a result of a leadership crisis? Could we build a better industry simply by becoming better leaders?
Celebrity Chef Robert Irvine specializes in overcoming the impossible. Today we discuss how this career soldier from a modest background built an empire and the lessons in leadership he learned along the way.
For more information on the chef, visit https://chefirvine.com.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
In this episode, we chat with Kim Malek, the founder of Salt & Straw. Kim's ice cream company abides by every foundational business principle while breaking every rule in the restaurant industry. Tune in to learn how to thrive using the new rules of the restaurant industry.
For more on Salt & Straw visit https://saltandstraw.com.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Who do you look to for inspiration? For me, it's always been Wolfgang Puck. Not only is he a talented chef and restaurateur, he's proven himself to be a world-class entrepreneur.
Even without a formal business education, the chef has built an international empire. In today's conversation, we unpack the critical decisions he made to get to the top and how he overcame overwhelming obstacles along the way.
For more on the chef, visit https://wolfgangpuck.com.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
We always talk about leading with value and Candace and Andrew from Carbonate are a shining example of this. In service to our industry, they’ve produced a free trend report for the last 15 years. In our conversation we not only cover what’s now and what’s next, we discuss practical ways to implement these trends in your restaurants.
For more information on the company, visit https://www.carbonategroup.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
What transforms a single unit family owned and operated restaurant into a regional giant with nine locations? Today we chat with Eric and Alex Adler, cofounders of the Puesto restaurant chain in Southern California. They, like so many other families, built a restaurant to share their love of food and culture with their community. But, unlike so many others in our industry, they’ve thrived, building 10 restaurants in 10 years. Today we discuss the strategies and tools that they used to scale their family restaurant.
For more information on Puesto, visit https://www.eatpuesto.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Thomas Harvey is a big city guy that chose to open his restaurant in a small town. When everyone else was thinking big, he thought small, in a powerful way. Thomas has made a name for himself nationally by using the proven tactics and strategies he learned in larger markets in Falls Church, Virginia. In our conversation, he shares how using your restaurant to build community is a universal solution to a persistent problem.
For more information on his restaurant, visit https://harveysva.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Are you sitting on a great lease for your restaurant? Is your restaurant’s lease about to come up for renewal? Are you grinding away with a lease that’s destroying your profitability? A great lease will make or break a young restaurant, setting you up for long term success or sucking the profit margin out of an already difficult industry. Today we chat with Dale Willerton, the lease coach. In our conversation, Dale lays out best practices and mistakes to avoid when it comes to choosing the right location, signing your first lease, and renegotiating your lease renewal.
To get a free copy of his book, visit https://www.theleasecoach.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
What do I preach on this show? Business fundamentals and proven tactics, tools, and strategies that provide repeatable results. Today, we throw all of that out the window. Meet Ahmet and Anastasia of Mandolin. This married couple listened to their gut and shot from the hip and, over the last 13 years, created an iconic brand so powerful it’s become bicoastal. We’re discussing how to build community, a business, and a marriage out of love of culture and each other.
For more information on Mandolin, visit https://www.mandolinmiami.com.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Grant Kneble is a restaurateur…now. But he didn’t start out that way. Grant is one of the many that, through luck and random circumstance, found his way into the hospitality industry from, of all places, tech. Grant is an SEO wiz and, I’d argue, that is probably the single greatest factor in his success. Today we chat about how his restaurant’s online presence has dominated his brick and mortar competition.
For more information on Freddy J’s, visit https://freddyjs.com.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
We often have such a clear vision for what our lives and our businesses will look like before we open. And then the flood comes and we’re so busy trying to survive that we forget to thrive. We forget why we got into this to begin with. And that “why”, for most of us, was love. Love of community, love of food, and love of revelry. Meet Mark Bitterman, a man who’s never forgotten his why and, no surprise, it’s served him well. Today we chat about finding our true North, holding on to it, and building a business to last.
For more information on The Meadow, visit https://themeadow.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Every problem has the same source and same solution: people. But, in the midst of a labor crisis, can we afford to be choosy in restaurant hiring? How hard can we push teams before we push them out the door? Greg Provance is a restaurant hiring expert and he’s come to chat about how to transition from managing employees to leading leaders. Today we talk tactics, tools, and strategies to level up ourselves and our teams.
For more information on Greg, visit https://www.gphospitalitypartners.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Think about all of the promises you’ve made to yourself. When you hit a certain revenue goal, that’s when you’re going to take that vacation. Think of all the plans you have to support and inspire your teams once you can afford it. Today’s guest, Kwini Reed, believes those intentions can become actions today. In our conversation, she shares exactly how she transformed building a restaurant and her life into that future vision in the present moment.
For more information on her restaurants, visit https://www.poppyandrose.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
When you have 30 years of restaurant consulting experience, you learn a lot. You get better over time, and what becomes clear are the truths that stand the test of time. Today we chat with Izzy Kharasch, an expert in restaurant consulting who’s had a front row seat to the evolution of our industry over the last 30 years. Our conversation runs the gamut from marketing gold to robot employees.
That’s Izzy Kharasch. For more on Izzy’s company, visit https://hospitalityworks.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
In the restaurant industry, booze is our best friend and our worst enemy. It drives profitability, but the misuse and mishandling of booze can just as easily drive us out of business. In today’s episode, we speak with acclaimed mixologist and bar owner Derek Brown who’s advocating for a new take on an old vice.
For more information on mindful mixology, visit positivedamageinc.com.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Our guest today is Troy Hooper, a restaurant coach and consultant, who’s put his money where his mouth is and created eight different restaurant concepts, all under one roof. In this episode, Troy shares the blueprint he’s used to scale countless restaurant concepts as well as grow his own.
For more information on Troy’s company, visit https://www.krpusa.com.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Repetition is key to mastery. Today’s guest, Mark Braver has worked for some of the best concepts in the country and has personally opened over 30 restaurant locations. The lessons he’s learned through this process have led to a formulaic view of our industry that have not only made him a better operator, they can make us better too.
For more information on The Fifty/50 Restaurant Group, visit https://www.thefifty50group.com.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
What does it take to acquire one million followers on instagram? In this episode we sit down with Jabin Troth of Licensed to Distill to discuss the step by step process he used to create a massive audience on social media and the tactics he used to transform that audience into a loyal community. If you’ve been struggling with what to say and how to say it on social, this is the episode for you.
That’s Jabin Troth. For more information on Licensed to Distill, visit https://www.licensedtodistill.com.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
One of the blessings that was born from the pandemic was the Independent Restaurant Coalition. A group of less than two dozen restaurateurs came together to advocate for all of us, and it was through their efforts that over 20 billion dollars was distributed to independents that desperately needed the funds. But, as the fight for survival ends, the fight to thrive begins we sit down with the IRC’s CEO, Erika Polmar, to discuss what’s next for the coalition and for the industry at large.
That’s Erika Polmar. For more information on the IRC, visit https://www.independentrestaurantcoalition.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
How do you get better at doing anything? Practice makes perfect and, today’s guest, Aaron Noveshen has over 30 years of experience in building big brands. It began with his own brand, World Wrapps, and evolved into a restaurant building engine for entrepreneurs looking to win from day one. We sat down to discuss Starbird, his latest venture that fuses together the lessons he’s learned from building countless brands for others and the latest restaurant tech available.
For more on Aaron Noveshen and Starbird, visit https://www.starbirdchicken.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
What’s up with big chefs opening restaurants in small markets? The quest for that answer led me to Chef Quentin Garcia, who left successful restaurants in Napa to open a fine dining restaurant in Merced, California. His restaurant is literally the only fine dining restaurant in the area and today we sat down to discuss how his big city cuisine is faring in a small town.
For more on Quentin’s restaurant, visit https://www.rainbirdrestaurant.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
World-famous restaurateur Will Guidara is back with his latest project — and it’s not a restaurant, it’s a book. Will was made famous by the over the top service he provided at Eleven Madison Park and, as it turns out, there was a method to the madness.
In this episode, Will and I sit down to discuss the formulaic way that he set expectations for his guests' experience and the process he created to exceed those expectations.
Be sure to pick up a copy of Will’s book, “Unreasonable Hospitality”, when it releases on October 25th.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Chef Ray Garcia is known for far more than his successful restaurants, he created an entirely new category of cuisine. Being a culinary pioneer isn’t without its difficulties though, and today we discuss how challenging his community’s perceptions around food created a landmark restaurant.
For more on Chef Garcia and his upcoming projects, visit https://chefraygarcia.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
There are folks out there who see the world differently, and those visionaries are building very different restaurant concepts. In reinventing the model, they have no competition and there’s a ton we can learn from the trail they’re blazing.
Today we chat with Chef Melissa Martin of Mosquito Supper Club, a new kind of restaurant located in a very old place. In our conversation, Melissa shares the inspiration behind the unique concept and how she’s built a national audience off the back of a local restaurant.
For more on Mosquito Supper Club, visit http://www.mosquitosupperclub.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
If we want to run a better restaurant business, we need to become better businesspeople. Today we chat with Vitaliy Katsenelson about improving our lives and our businesses by getting our soul in the game.
This isn’t about self help or aligning your chakras, this is practical advice built on real life experience. Vitaliy’s decades of experience as a value investor provide a unique perspective into what makes a business sustainable and how business owners can evolve into founders.
Check out Vitaliy Katsenelson’s book “Soul in the Game, Volume One” wherever you buy books.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
I don’t know today’s guest, Timm Chiusano, personally…but I do. I do because I follow him on TikTok where he crafts daily stories that walk you through his life. Timm’s not a daredevil or a world traveler, he’s just a regular person. A corporate executive with a wife, a child and a penchant for protein bars.
So why do I tune in daily to see what he’s up to? Honestly, I’m not sure and I thought that was worth a conversation. So I’m sitting down with Timm to figure out what makes him interesting enough that I and half a million other people follow him daily.
You can check out all things Timm by visiting www.timm.work.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Maybe we’re trying too hard with all of the discounts and specials. Think about it, what would your favorite restaurant need to do to convince you to come back? Very little, right? More than anything, you just need to remind your best guests that you still exist and that’s where a guy like Sergio Perez comes into play.
Sergio is the head of omnichannel for Bojangles and he’s taken this regional brand and given them a national audience. If you’re looking get more digital face time with your guests, this is the guy to listen to.
For more on Bojangles visit https://www.bojangles.com
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Great restaurants stem from running great businesses and today we’re going to talk about the business of running restaurants. Our guides on this exploration of what a successful business plan looks like will be Karl and Sarah Worley, a married couple who turned their love of biscuits into a thriving restaurant brand.
They’ve built their business on the back of foundational principles and bleeding edge management strategies that have revolutionized their lives and their restaurant. Today we unpack the tactics, tools and strategies they’ve used to scale Biscuit Love from a food truck into a regional brand.
For more on Biscuit Love visit https://www.biscuitlove.com
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Brad Metzger has been the glue binding our industry together for more than a decade. He and his team have helped set the trajectory for countless chefs, owners and operators, helping them build the teams they need to thrive.
He’s one part career counselor, one part therapist and one part big brother, and when he decided to bring our industry together by creating a first of its kind conference in Los Angeles, everyone was impressed but no one was surprised. Today we sit down with him, his partner in crime Jacqui and celebrity chef Burt Bakman to discuss what it takes to create community and why it’s desperately needed at this moment.
For more on LA Chef Con visit https://www.lachefconference.com
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Bruce Nelson never dreamed of becoming the Chief Financial Officer of a restaurant group, he wanted to be a restaurateur just like the rest of us. But, when he achieved his dream of restaurant ownership, his life became a nightmare. Coming off hard years and the closure of the restaurant, he took the time to figure out why.
It was the math. On a foundational level, his business was doomed to fail from the beginning because he was using bad math. In today’s conversation Bruce walks us through what a sound financial strategy looks like to create a wildly profitable restaurant.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
David Morton is a restaurateur and a student of the game. His ambitions go beyond making food or money, he’s trying to make a difference. David is blazing new trails in our industry, establishing partnerships and opening restaurants in ways that haven’t been done before.
In this episode, I sat down with him to discuss his family’s restaurant legacy and how the businesses he’s building today will influence the restaurant industry of tomorrow.
For more on his restaurants, visit https://www.dmkrestaurants.com
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
The team over at Mezli believes the restaurant of the future won't need employees and they’ve invested over $3 million dollars to prove it. Mezli is a fully automated restaurant with no employees. They launched last week and have come on the show to share how it’s gone and where it’s going.
For more on Mezli visit https://www.mezli.com
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Sandra Noonan is running a tech startup within the fast casual concept Just Salad. She works on the bleeding edge of sustainability, pushing towards a restaurant model that serves the needs of our planet as well as it serves her guests. It hasn’t been an easy road and today Sandra walks us through what’s worked, what hasn’t and what we can do to help usher in the future of sustainable living.
For more on Just Salad visit https://www.justsalad.com
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Just because your last restaurant was a hit doesn’t mean the next one will be. And, as restaurateurs, we spend a lot of time after a closure trying to figure out what went wrong. Through trial and error, some of us are lucky enough to parse out a recipe for consistent success. John Meadow of the prolific restaurant group LDV has done just that. In today’s conversation we discuss the elements he’s put together to ensure the next restaurant that opens is more successful than the last.
For more on his restaurants visit https://ldvhospitality.com
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Full Comp brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
If you’re looking to level up your bar program, Jason Asher is the expert that comes to mind. His company, Barter & Shake is directly responsible for influencing the evolution of cocktail culture over the last decade. Today we talk about the how to turn a drink into an experience, what a successful bar program looks like and how improving your bar improves your business.
For more on Barter & Shake visit https://www.bartershake.com
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Full Comp brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Steve Konopelski is a former ballet dancer turned broadway performer turned professional chef turned celebrity chef turned media personality. Steve’s personal and professional evolution speaks to the aspirations we all have and today we chat about the intention and the strategy that took Steve from "doing" to "being".
For more on the chef check out his youtube channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/SteveKonopelski
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Full Comp brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Today we're talking with Seth Cohen of Sweeten about brand equity, marketing, messaging, real estate and scaling a blockbuster concept in a post pandemic world.
For more on Sweetfin visit https://www.sweetfin.com
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Full Comp brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Warren Rustand is the most successful human I know. Warren is a basketball hall of famer, he's served US presidents, been the CEO of 10 companies and mentor to countless CEO's and, candidly, he's been an amazing father, husband and friend. Today, Warren will give you the tactics, tools and strategies he's used to live the life of his dreams.
For more on Warren or to buy his book visit https://warrenrustand.com
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Full Comp brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Today we chat with Emilio Cervantes of Fuente Coffee. A beverage entrepreneur who has help restaurant owners and operators scale their coffee programs to $250,000, $500,000 and even $750,000 dollars. We discuss marketing, brand strategy, messaging and salesmanship to help you weaponize your coffee program.
For more on Fuente Coffee visit https://fuentecoffeeco.com
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Full Comp brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Sean Finter is a hospitality legend. He coaches incredibuly successful hosptialty professionals at the highest level and, in this conversation, he shares the same lessons he teaches them with us today.
For more on Sean and his program visit https://www.barlaunch.com
Full Comp brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Over the years I've had the privilege of watching the surgical precision with which Christian Page take stale restaurant brands and given them new life. And what works for him in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and even Hawaii can work for us too. Today we talk branding, marketing and timing with one of the masters.
For more on Christian visit https://www.boombang.restaurant
Full Comp brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Knowing how to cook doesn't mean you can farm and building a beverage brand is very different from building a restaurant. So, I've brought in some experts. Brett Lawrence and Stephen Young have not only built a successful hard seltzer brand, they built a brewery and a beer company before that. In today's episode we leverage their years of experience to determine the path of least resistance when building our own brands.
For more on Elephant Craft Seltzer visit https://elephantcraftseltzer.com
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Full Comp brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Stratis Morfogen has done business differently from the beginning and, over the last 30 years, it's made a dramatic impact in how successful he's become as a restaurateur. Today, we unpack lessons to be learned from both his successes and his failures on his path of industry disruption.
For more on his concepts visit https://www.brooklynchophouse.com
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Full Comp brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
In this episode, we chat with restaurateur and media mogul John McDonald who grown a successful media empire alongside his restaurant empire, leveraging the lessons learned from one to improve the other. Today we unpack why media matters.
For more on his restaurant group visit https://www.mercerstreethospitality.com/
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Full Comp brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Jim Taylor of Benchmark Sixty, believes he's found the solution to our biggest hurdle as an industry: the lack of predictability when it comest to sales. In our conversation he lays out how we can optimize restaurant profits, make major costs more predictable, and forecast more accurately.
For more on Benchmark Sixty visit https://www.taylorcoconsulting.com/
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Full Comp brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Corey Mintz is a failed cook and a successful writer. His latest book "The Next Supper: The End of Restaurants as We Knew Them, and What Comes After" carefully lays out the thesis for why success is so hard to come by in our industry. In today's conversation we discuss the obstacles within the restaurant business and practical solutions to overcome them.
Be sure to pick up his book, The Next Supper, wherever you buy books.
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Full Comp brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Michael Benson's company SoCal Restaurant Design Group has built some of the most prolific restaurants in California and today he's sharing the tactics, tools and strategies he uses to ensure his clients get the most for the least in the shortest period of time.
For more on his company visit https://www.socalrestaurantdesign.com/
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Full Comp brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
What is the only rule that matters in our industry? If you ask today's guest Selwyn Yosslowitz the rule is simple: keep it simple. Other than that, I'd argue Selwyn has broken every rule in the book. In our conversation Selwyn explains how big rents, big menus and big profits can all work together.
For more on Marmalade Cafe visit https://marmaladecafe.com
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Full Comp brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
There's a proven process to live our optimal lives and Rob Dube is here to share it with us. It's called The 10 Disciplines for Managing and Maximizing Your Energy and it changed my life. Today Rob and I run through some of my favorites.
To check out the course for yourself at a discounted rate visit https://www.the10disciplines.com/fullcomp
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Full Comp brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Do you run your restaurant or does your restaurant run your life. As entrepreneurs, we build these businesses with a singular goal in mind: freedom. But how many of us are really free?
Today we chat with Elliott Bisnow, co-founder of Summit and author of Make No Small Plans, a book about building a great business and a great life. In our conversation, Elliott breaks down the key decisions that led to his success so that we too can enjoy the freedom that we deserve.
Pick up your copy of Make No Small Plans wherever books are sold.
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Full Comp brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
How does a restaurant stay relevant for a decade? If that feels impossible, imagine if that restaurant survived a century. Today we chat with Mark Echeverria, a 4th generation restaurateur of the famous Musso and Frank Grill on Hollywood Blvd.
We'll talk about what it took to survive the last 100 years and how they intend to thrive for the next 100.
For more on Musso & Frank Grill visit https://mussoandfrank.com
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Full Comp brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
What does growth look like for restaurants moving forward? From my vantage point, things are looking a lot different. Restaurateurs are getting savvy and dynamic mixing a variety of business models and few exemplify this more that Criag Blum. Johnny Doughnuts is brick and mortar and mobile. Retail and catering. And there's much more on the horizon.
Today we chat with Craig about this dynamic restaurant model and how it evolves from here.
For more on Johnny Doughnuts visit https://www.johnnydoughnuts.com
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Full Comp brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Catherine Tindall and her company Dominion Enterprise Solutions specialize in helping restaurant get the most money from the Employee Retention Credit with the least amount of effort.
To find out how much you stand to earn from the tax credit, visit https://dominiones.com
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Full Comp brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
today we sit down with co-founder Aman Narang to discuss the ups and downs of servicing the service industry. If they were able to predict the future before, are they able to do it again?
For more on Toast visit https://pos.toasttab.com
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Full Comp brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
In this episode Josh Kopel is sitting down with Ryan Wilson, the great grandson of the founder and current CEO of Lawry's Restaurants to talk about how a dynamic business model created a generational company.
For more on Lawry's visit https://www.lawrysonline.com
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Full Comp brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Do you ever walk into a restaurant and it just makes sense? The lighting, the design, the floor plan, the sound, the food and the service. It tells a complete story. I'd argue it's easier said than done to achieve that level of harmony. It's takes an expert eye and operational experience to pull it off and the team over at Studio UNLTD as built a reputation for being best in the world in achieving that harmonious outcome.
Today we sit down with its founders Greg and Terri to discuss the do's and don'ts of restaurant design.
For more on Greg and Terri visit https://www.studiounltd.com
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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Katie Poppe is one of those success stories you read about and are wrought with envy. In 2019, seven years after opening of Blue Star Donuts, the business had 11 retail shops, 100 employees and total annual sales approaching $7 million.
She was riding high going into the pandemic but then the music stopped. Today Katie shares her path to success...what it took to get there initially and the extraordinary effort required to crawl her way back from the brink.
That's Katie Poppe. For more on Blue Star Donuts visit https://bluestardonuts.com
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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Free Download: 5 Steps to Achieve a 15% Net Profit
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You don't know what you don't know. What kept me up at night, no matter how many hours I put in at the restaurant, were people problems. How am I going to keep the good ones? What's a painless way to get rid of the bad eggs? And how do I make sure everyone is rowing in the right direction?
I feel like I always lacked the resources when it came to human resources.
That's why I was so excited to chat with Carrie Luxem. She specialized on creating leaders and building teams. Today she runs of through the fundamentals of what a successful people program looks like and how we can implement it in a cost effective way.
For more on Carrie go to https://carrieluxem.com
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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Free Download: 5 Steps to Achieve a 15% Net Profit
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First who, then what. Who is going to help this restaurant succeed followed by what do we need to do to make this restaurant succeed. Few decisions in life matter more than who we decide to partner with professionally.
Today we chat with the team from Source Collab. A restaurant group helmed by Chef Amber, Cindy and Beth, three women from different backgrounds that have come together to create something incredibly special.
For more on Source Collab visit https://sourcecollab.com
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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Free Download: 5 Steps to Achieve a 15% Net Profit
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out the FULL COMP media universe by visiting:
If every problem is a people problem then you really only need to get better at one thing right?
That's why I've called in Matt Rolfe. Matt is a people expert and he's leveraging his 15+ years in this industry to share what the top ten percent do that’s fundamentally different from the rest of the us.
For more on Matt and his company visit https://mattrolfe.com
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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Free Download: 5 Steps to Achieve a 15% Net Profit
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out the FULL COMP media universe by visiting:
The jury is still out on food halls. For some brands, they're a blessing and for some of us, they're a curse. There's something about the model that seems broken to me and I'm not the only one that sees it.
Today we chat with John Kolaski who's reimagining the food hall from the ground up. He's thinking big while working small and the results are inspiring.
That's John Kolaski. For more on K2 Restaurants visit https://www.k2restaurants.com
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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What do you do when you can literally do anything? Chef Gavin Kaysen worked with some of the most talented chefs in the world. He helmed awarded restaurants in major markets. He could have opened anything anywhere. And he chose to go back to Minneapolis.
Today we discuss the merits of following your heart and the positive impacts it can have personally and professionally. As it turns out, success is intentional.
That's Gavin Kaysen. For more on all of the chef's projects visit https://gavinkaysen.com
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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What is cool? What are those indescribable qualities that make a restaurant popular? Is it just me or does it seem to be a moving target year to year?
Jon Neidich seems to have the formula down, with each spot he opens being trendier then the next. But, and this is what's truly amazing, they have staying power.
Today we sit down to discuss what makes a restaurant perennially popular so that we too can become the kings and queens of cool.
That's Jon Neidich. For more on Golden Age Hospitality visit https://www.goldenagehospitality.com
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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What if, when you started your entrepreneurial journey, you had a playbook that guaranteed your success? Would you follow it religiously or would you deviate when inspiration strikes?
Shawn Lalehzarian had that playbook. After opening countless restaurants for big brands he went independent and paired a winning plan with a top trend to create a powerhouse restaurant.
In today's conversation we talk about the essential elements of the plan that led to his massive success despite a global pandemic.
That's Shawn Lalehzarian. For more on The Red Chickz visit https://www.theredchickz.com
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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If every restaurant is a snowflake, unique and special in its own way, then so is every chef and restaurateur. Chef Suzanne Goin is a total original. From the way she thinks, to the way she runs a restaurant to her advocacy work, the chef is on a whole other level.
Today we chat about the choices she's made that have led to her massive success and her plan to continue innovating into the future.
For more on the chef and her projects visit https://www.aocwinebar.com
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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Free Download: 5 Steps to Achieve a 15% Net Profit
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What's the first thing you do when you want to open your own restaurant? Liz Solomon wanted to open a restaurant but she went about it in a completely innovative way.
In today's conversation, Liz takes us on her path to a brick and mortar restaurant that began with an idea, then a catering company, then food carts, then a wholesale company and then...well I guess you'll just have to listen to find out.
For more on King David Tacos go to http://kingdavidtacos.com
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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Free Download: 5 Steps to Achieve a 15% Net Profit
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Who taught you how to be a great restaurateur? Was that person truly great in their role? Were you a truly great student in that season of your life?
Today we chat with Mario Del Pero, an objectively great restaurateur and entrepreneur who took the initiative to learn from great restaurateurs. In our conversation, he walks us along the path that led Mendocino Farms to 42 locations and the amazing opportunities that have come after that massive success.
For more on Mendocino Farms or Dom Food Group click the links in the show notes.
https://www.mendocinofarms.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dom-food-group/about/
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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If I didn't work for me, I'd want to work for Raji Sankar. I'd argue that I'd probably have more fun working for Raji. Her confidence, the way she inspires, her ability to put one at ease, even in stressful situations is the result of thoughtful, intentional leadership.
Today's conversation is a masterclass in mastering intention. In becoming the leader and building a business you can be proud of, even in the toughest of times. Her restaurant, Choolaah, represents the absolute best our industry has to offer and I couldn't be more excited to share her story with you today.
For more on Choolaah visit https://choolaah.com
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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Free Download: 5 Steps to Achieve a 15% Net Profit
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Michael Mina is the best in the biz. He's mastered excellence at scale. What's equally impressive is that he's done it alongside his partner Patric Yumul for the last 20 years.
Think about how much our industry has changed in the last 20 years. Today, the three of us reflect back on their decades long partnership together and look forward to the next chapter of their partnership.
For more on the Mina Group go to https://www.michaelmina.net
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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Free Download: 5 Steps to Achieve a 15% Net Profit
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Do you struggle with delegation? How about profitability? What about organizational efficiency? Well then I've got a guy I'd like for you to meet.
Today's guest is Mike Michalowicz, a famed author that's written two books that changed the trajectory of my professional life. Together we're going to sit down to tackle the key concepts from these books as well as lessons learned from Mike's own professional journey.
For more on his books and programs visit https://mikemichalowicz.com
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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Free Download: 5 Steps to Achieve a 15% Net Profit
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I know you want to become a better restaurateur. That's why you tune in every week. And I hope this helps but there are countless resources out there at our disposal.
Today we chat with one of the best restaurateurs I know, Maddie Alfano. In our conversation she unpacks how she got so damn good at becoming great so that you and I can level up too.
For more on her restaurant visit https://mariasitaliankitchen.com
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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So you've been thinking about it. You keep staring at that vat of hot sauce that you make from scratch every week and you're wondering how well it would do at your local grocery store.
Today we're talking with my buddy Billy Bosch of Iconic Protein who can offer some useful insight. Billy has taken the consumer packaged goods market by storm and in our conversation today he unpacks the process of going from an idea to the shelves of the most notable stores in the country.
For more on his products visit https://www.drinkiconic.com
Use the promo code FREECOMP to get Keto Collagen Powder ($25) for free. Be surety add it to the cart to redeem the deal.
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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You are in for a treat today. The conversation you're about to hear was one of the most educational experiences I've had since starting the show. T.K. Pillan is not of our industry but that has resulted in him creating a blockbuster concept by taking a different approach to restaurant operations and marketing. Today he unpacks the strategies he used to scale Veggie Grill nationally.
For more on Veggie Grill go to https://veggiegrill.com
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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What kind of leader do you want to be? Most of us don't even have time to think in those terms but today's guest believes that it's an essential place to start if we're going to be successful in this industry.
Meet David Dressler, cofounder of Tender Greens. David was the guy that created the culture needed to scale his restaurant from one to 30 locations in less than 10 years. Today he shares the tactics, tools and strategies he used to build a bulletproof culture.
To become a better leader today visit https://www.quietadvisory.com
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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Celebrity Chef David LeFevre is a damn good chef and he's applauded nationally for that. But the chef is also a prolific businessman who's dedicated his professional life to growing great restaurants that can pave the path for the next generation.
In today's conversation we unpack what it took to grow his restaurant group and how he's choosing to pay it forward.
For more on his restaurant group go to https://www.eatsimms.com
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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The young guns in are industry are full of new ideas. They're creating an entirely new business model for restaurants centered around media and the diversification of revenue. But what happens when you drop those new ideas into a 75 year old restaurant?
Today we chat with Matt Kirschner. A fledgling restaurateur ready to change the industry and impact his community. We'll get a front row seat to see what happens when old school meets new school.
For more on Red Knapps visit https://redknappsrochester.com
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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50 locations in 15 years. That's massive growth. Snooze is a restaurant born from the dreams of two brothers that became the mission of one of the best operators this industry has every seen.
Meet David Birzon, the CEO of Snooze, who took a good business and scaled it into a great company. In our conversation we talk about what it takes to scale a concept centered around community, sustainability and profitability.
For more on Snooze visit https://www.snoozeeatery.com
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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People post pandemic want an experience. Have you heard that before? But what kind of experience do they want?
This isn't an industry where the margins allow for a lot of trial and error so I reached out to Michael Dorf, the founder of City Winery.
Michael has created the perfect experience for his target market blending an elevated food menu with an in house winery and live entertainment. It's exactly what his customers want and today he's going to unpack how you can use the same formula to find out exactly what your customers want.
For more on City Winery visit https://www.citywinery.com/
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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It's a risk to get into this industry. It's a risk to open your own restaurant. And, for most of us, after we've taken those two big risks, our appetite for risk diminishes.
But, as the years wane on, there's this thing nagging within us. All of these amazing ideas for all of these incredible dishes and concepts that we're afraid to execute because, honestly, they're really out there.
That's why I reached out to the guys from Biite. These guys live on the edge of culinary greatness, curating interesting and entertaining pop up events within existing restaurant with the chefs that helm them.
In today conversation we unpack the essential elements of a memorable event, how to find your true audience and most importantly, how to sell out every single time.
For more on Biite Club go to https://biite.club
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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When you open a restaurant you've investing in more than a business, you're investing in a community. As we change and evolve as individuals so do our communities and few places more beautifully illustrate this capacity to change more than Portland, Oregon.
Today's we chat with, Portland's adopted son, Celebrity Chef Gregory Gourdet. Instead of staking his claim in his hometown of New York or following the trends out to Los Angeles, Gregory has chosen to walk a more complicated path, using this talent and his food to help mend together a community that is still struggling to become the best version of itself.
For more on the chef visit https://www.gregorygourdet.com
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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For years we've heard the tales of the days that robots would come to take our jobs. Well that day is today.
On this episode we're chatting with Benson Tsai an engineer turned restaurateur who took top talent from SpaceX and leveraged their genius to create an autonomous pizzeria.
Today we discuss the jobs his robots are taking and the opportunities that presents for all of us.
For more on Stellar Pizza visit https://www.eatstellarpizza.com
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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We know that there's restaurant tech out there that can make our jobs easier. There's tech out there that makes our customer's job a bit easier too.
But, is there tech out there that can help us scale our organization, making a single unit restaurant run like one of the big guys?
As it turns out there is and today we're chatting with Mike Connelly of Urban Plates who will break down the tech they've built and the tech they used to scale this small startup into a competitive restaurant chain.
For more on Urban Plates visit https://urbanplates.com
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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The pandemic decimated our industry on a global scale and, for many of us, it was the first time that mother nature played a major role in the way we do business. But, if you grew up in Southern Louisiana--and I did--you've been conditioned after countless natural disasters to safeguard your family and your business against the unpredictable nature of the changing tides.
Today we chat with Isaac Toups. A Louisiana native and restaurateur who offers a masterclass in what it means to be resilient in the face of overwhelming odds and the courage it takes to rebuild from scratch again and again.
For more on Toups' Meatery visit http://toupsmeatery.com
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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We talk every week about the changes occurring in the restaurant industry. And that makes sense because we work in the restaurant industry. But few things affect our businesses more than tourism and the very nature of travel has changed. I wanted to dig deeper into what going on so I reached out to Rafat Ali of Skift.
Rafat is an travel expert and his publication is the go-to resource of travel trends and the effect those trends are having on the larger industry. Today we talk about the trends and the disruptors making waves that will ripple into our industry and the way we connect with tourists.
For more on Skift go to https://skift.com
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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We all had a dream going into this life but so rarely do we actually achieve that dream. We're busy but we're broke. We're rich but we're working ourselves to death. We spend our days crunching numbers when all we wanted to do was cook.
But some of us have figured it out. And there's hope in that for all of us. Today we chat with Kim Malek, the founder of Salt & Straw, an ice cream company that abides by every foundational business principle while breaking every rule in the restaurant industry.
For more on Salt & Straw visit https://saltandstraw.com
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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Andrew Friedman has made a career of chronicling the life and work of some of the worlds most famous and most successful chefs. What makes him and his work so interesting is the effort that he puts into going beyond the food.
Andrew has had a front row seat to the evolution of our industry over the last 20+ years and today we discuss the good, the bad and the ugly.
To check out more of Andrew's work visit https://andrewtalkstochefs.com
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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What's that one thing that causes a restaurant to close? Well that's just the thing isn't it. There isn't just one. As restaurateurs we're affected by thousands of variables from weather to workforce and from competition to supply chain. How do we navigate our businesses through these murky waters?
That's the question Jonah Bliss is trying to figure out. Jonah is the founder of Curbivore, a conference working to help restaurant find the path of least resistance as they navigate overwhelming demand, supply shortages, city regulations and an evolving marketplace. Today we talk about what he's built and what he's learned along the way.
To get a free ticket to Curbivore be sure to click the link the show notes.
The global pandemic brought tragedy to our industry but, and I think this needs to be said, it brought opportunity as well. Restaurant owners and operators saw the pandemic as a catalyst for change and so did some of the organizations that support us.
Today's guest is Clare Reichenbach, the CEO of the James Beard Foundation. We talk about the evolution of our industry and the evolution of the foundation over the last 20 years and, especially, the last 24 months.
For more on how the James Beard Foundation can support you and your restaurant, go to https://www.jamesbeard.org/
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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When the pandemic hit, we all had survival on the brain. Some of us focused on our families, some of us focused on our businesses and, a select few, turned their attention to our industry.
Today we talk with Chef Edward Lee, who represents the absolute best of us, a true advocate for our industry serving up hope, change and inspiration for the future.
For more on the Lee Initiative visit https://www.leeinitiative.org
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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After opening 30 restaurants over the last 27 years, James Beard award winning restaurateur Kevin Boehm has become a visionary within our industry
In our conversation today we talk about the winning recipe he's created centered around great chefs, inspired design, and enlightened hospitality.
For more on Boka visit https://www.bokagrp.com/
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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People don't buy food, they buy a story. This will make me look thin. This will make me look cool. This will make me feel good.
What story is your food telling? What does it say about someone who chooses to patronize your restaurant?
If you don't know, the your guest probably doesn't know either.
That's why I reached out to Joseph Szala of Vigor Branding. They specialize in telling their client's stories and today he teaches us how to tell our own.
For more on Vigor visit https://vigorbranding.com
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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I want to talk about tomorrow. What do we need to know today that could benefit us tomorrow?
Chris Hemmeter is playing an active role in financing our future. He's an independent restaurateur, a venture capitalist and a thought leader within our industry. His company is financing the solutions that will change the face of our industry.
Today we talk about what's being built today and how it will support us in the future.
For more on his company visit https://www.thayerventures.com
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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What if the labor crisis is a result of a leadership crisis? Could we build better businesses and a better industry simply by becoming better leaders?
Could it be that simple? Is that even possible?
Celebrity Chef Robert Irvine specializes in making the impossible, possible. Today we discuss how this career soldier from a modest background built an empire off the lessons in leadership he learned while in the military.
For more on the chef and his projects visit https://chefirvine.com
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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It's hard not to be a little jealous of franchisees. They have this massive advantage over true independents. They get a copy of a proven playbook for success and start with brand recognition out the gate.
But, for those of us that chose the independent route, I think there's massive value in taking a peek at that playbook.
Today we speak with Lance Graulich, a franchising expert that mastered the art of franchising both as a franchisor and a franchisee. Today we take a peek under the hood of the machine that scales a concept from one to one hundred.
For more on his company visit https://www.ionfranchising.com
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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Where do you go to learn? A podcast is great but it's far from collaborative and certainly not an immersive experience, despite my best efforts. My answer to that question is a no brainer: The MAD Academy.
And today we speak with it's executive director Melina Shannon-DiPietro who's working to fill in the gaps between what we know and what we need to know to truly thrive as an industry.
That's Melina Shannon-DiPietro. For more on MAD and the MAD Academy visit https://madfeed.co
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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Today we speak with Mindy Segal, James Beard award winner and successful restaurateur about her own personal revelations and the massive impact it had on her life, her business and her team.
For more her restaurant go to https://www.mindysbakery.com
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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Today we chat with John Tallichet of Specialty Restaurants Corporation. A company his father started and grew to 80 restaurants. Today we talk about the evolution of that company over the years and the new course John has set for his family and his restaurants.
For more on SRC visit https://www.specialtyrestaurants.com
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Great teams win games. Great coaches breed great teams. So, how do we become a great coach. What qualities do we need to possess to ensure that no matter what we've got a winning team on our hands.
Melissa Koujakian is a winning coach. Every restaurant she's run has gone on to become a wild success and that's no accident. Today we talk about her intentional style of leadership, the importance of enthusiasm and the secrets behind building a team that lasts.
For more Republique visit https://republiquela.com
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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When the pandemic hit and delivery became king, it was an ugly process all the way around.
The transition to delivery and takeout was wrought with issues on our end. And the delivery companies bit off way more than they could chew.
But, for the most-part, we've figured our end out. Our offering, packaging and workflow are exactly where they need to be 18 months later.
But can the same be said for the delivery companies?
Today we chat with Ben Jones, the founder of Skipcart who's betting big that value in delivery will be defined by who's most reliable, not the cheapest.
Together we'll analyze the current hurdles related to delivery and what Skipcart is doing to overcome them.
For more on Skipcart go to https://www.skipcart.com
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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We're running out of options, as a species. Sustainability is more than a catchphrase these days, it's a moral obligation and a consumer expectation.
But what does sustainability look like in action? Is it scary? Is it expensive? Is it even a realistic endeavor considering the thousands of other things we have going on at the moment?
Today we talk with Chef Matt Orlando. He's a damn good chef and restaurateur. How good? When he opened his AMASS, Rene Redzepi and Thomas Keller invested. He's also leading the charge in sustainable practices and today he runs us through the things he does to protect the planet which protecting his pocketbook.
For more on AMASS visit https://amassrestaurant.com
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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Restaurant folks are cowboys, right? We're pirates on a ship shooting from the hip and trusting our guts to point us in the right direction. But, to be honest, that hasn't always served me well. What has always served me well, is looking at the data and planning accordingly. And, when I look to the future, I use the information I can pick up now to forecast the best path forward.
That's what led to this conversation with the folks over at Oracle. They just completed a massive survey of thousands of restaurant customers in an effort to determine exactly what our customers want and what they'll expect from us in the new year.
Today we sit down with Mike and Simon from their leadership team to run through what the data says and how we should interpret it.
To read the full report click here.
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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If you had a crystal ball and could see the future of our industry, who'd be delivering the food? Did I say who? What is delivering the food? This isn't going to be a show about autonomous automobiles traveling at 1 mile an hour down the sidewalks in your neighborhood, because I just don't see that getting the job done.
Today we're talking with Yariv Bash of Flytrex, a company using arial drones to deliver food for restaurants in the United States today. Let's take a peek into the not so distant future of food delivery.
TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES
[2:30] We're going to the moon!: Creating Flytrex
[5:20] The Vision: Hot, orderly, quiet, noninvasive, and affordable.
[6:35] Y'all, It's official; we live in the future: The drone delivery process
[8:32] The logistics: A degree of magnitude more efficient
[9:20] The Simplicity: If you have a driver's license, you're overqualified to operate the system.
[10:42] The future of the future: Who's going to compete with Flytrex?
[11:38] Distance and Timing: Straight lines, no stops, no traffic jams
[12:21] The Cost: Sure beats the pants off of 30% to 3PDs.
[13:02] The Location: Why North Carolina was a win-win place to start
[13:43] The plan: 80 million back yards
[14:18] The Limitations: What if I live in an apartment?
[15:14] The Process of Perfection: Making all the moving parts work for all stakeholders involved
[16:19] The Customer: Reconciling the needs of all involved
[17:15] The Software: Arranging the 1's and 0's to satisfy end-user preferences
[17:55] The Milestones: Federal approvals, Operations, and Tech Regulations
[18:45] Coming to a City Near You: Market considerations
[19:15] The Timeline: Projections for national availability
[20:09] What you need to know as a restaurant owner: This is a win-win-win solution
[20:45] From one dreamer to the millions of dreamers listening: Believe in your vision
For more on Flytrex visit https://www.flytrex.com
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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When did you give up on the idea of balance? How many promises have you broken to yourself or to friends and family? It's so damn hard because the needs of our businesses are immediate and constant. The fires we put out on a daily basis are sometimes literally so how can we step away? How do we unplug without shooting our future selves in the foot?
Tamara Loehr has an idea and it's pretty compelling. She advocates for blending and, in today conversation, walks us through the step by step process of seamlessly blending our personal life with our professional life.
TIME STAMPED SHOW NOTES
[2:35] The juggling act: The merit of asking permission and refusing to apologize
[5:25] Setting boundaries and establishing a rhythm
[6:49] Training your team: Putting systems in place that establish and uphold expectations
[8:55] Establishing core values, bucket lists, and how to have fun on the way through
[11:05] The value of doing the opposite: Creating magic by following your gut instincts
[14:16] Beginning to blend: From overwhelm to a value-driven life
[17:20] The power of mentors: Who to take advice from if you're trying to bring in 10M a year
[18:44] Communicating in Color Blocks: Categorizing your conversations for maximum effect
[20:02] The Power and Place for EOS, Scaling Up and Net Positive: When to use what to create maximum impact
[22:17] Slicing your pie: Unpacking and implementing the systems for getting started
[24:40] Living life on your own terms: Creating an effective support system
[29:25] Lessons learned: Money, community, and the value of carts before horses
For more on blending check out https://www.loehrblend.com
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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Without question, one of the foundational elements of our industry's future is food delivery. But, almost two years into the delivery revolution, many of us are still struggling with execution and profitability. But what if there was a roadmap that could guide us toward success?
Today we chat with Carl Orsbourn & Meredith Sandland, authors of Delivering the Digital Restaurant. Together, we tackle the big ideas in the book and offer some actionable advice on how you can capitalize on the massive demand out there for food delivery.
TIME STAMPED SHOW NOTES
[2:30] Building the playbook: The Origin Story
[6:08] Translating marketing: Understanding your niche's values
[7:35] The right offering for the right location
[8:20] Giving the customer what they want: Making money while experimenting
[9:50] Converting your customers off the delivery platforms
[13:40] Expanding revenue through delivery: How to serve your consumer demand
[17:20] Ghost Kitchens: The fundamentals of success
[20:47] Strategies for Surprise & Delight through delivery
[24:50] The rise of personalization & The future of Dine-In: It all comes down to data
[28:14] Shaping your restaurant to serve
[30:23] A hopeful view for the industry
To pick up their book visit https://www.deliveringthedigitalrestaurant.com
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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If you want to know the truth, without one ounce of sugarcoating, just call Brian Malarkey. The Celebrity Chef has spent almost two decades betting big on his version of what success looks like. Big venues, high stakes and higher revenues. Post pandemic, where everything is thinking small and capitalizing on a flush economy, he's taking a different path.
In today's episode Brian and I chat about how he got to where he is today and where he thinks we're headed as an industry.
TIME STAMPED SHOW NOTES
[2:10] Learning on someone else's dime: Wisdom on running restaurants
[3:22] Generating Income 101: Decide if you're cooking for the elite or cooking for the masses
[4:19] The benefits of larger venues
[5:05] Crushing the big game: Making it rain in The Roaring 20's (Part II)
[7:18] Brand Awareness: Love me or hate me, they will show up.
[8:24] The Business of Celebrity: Core focuses
[10:50] The key to training your staff for a true hospitality experience
[13:30] New deals: How to bargain with your landlord
[16:57] Opinion: Why ghost kitchens are stupid
[18:14] The steps to achieve success: Studying the playbook
[20:03] What to avoid: Lawyers, monster kitchens, and cooking for other chefs
[21:49] Plagiarism is a form of flattery: It's right there in front of you
For more on the chef visit https://www.brianmalarkey.com
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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Do you remember when you first started in this industry? Do you remember the excitement and the optimism. Back then we believed that anything was possible. What if we never lost that? What could we have achieved?
Today we talk to Brittney Valles. A restaurateur that carving her own path in this industry and, along the way, showing us what's possible when you pair talent and hard work with a brilliant mind and endless optimism.
TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES
[2:07] Unconventional mentorship in an unconventional industry
[4:43] The benefits of delegation
[8:45] Getting it right: Creating consistency in inconsistency
[11:15] Creating a brand: The value in saying yes
[12:20] Lessons in partnership: It's a marriage.
[15:10] Pretending to be humble: You'll never get there if you don't put yourself out there
[17:52] Gogo's Tacos: Building a brand that stands for something better
[21:20] Being mission-driven: Intention is everything
[22:22] Pushing back: Defending the cost of doing business well
[26:09] Sticking to your guns: Not everyone is your customer
[29:09] Using influence for the greatest good
[30:05] The power of winging it
For more on Gogo's Tacos and her foundation visit https://www.gogostacos.com
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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What's the best event you've ever been to? What made it special? What do you remember most vividly about the experience?
One of my favorites is Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans, an event as dynamic as the city it was born in. Today we chat with Eileen Wayner, the CEO of the foundation to talk about what it takes to create an event that is as educational as it is entertaining for the last 20 years.
TIME STAMPED SHOW NOTES
[2:18] For the industry, by the industry: determining what's important.
[5:42] The evolution of an event: delivering the world's best cocktail conference
[10:15] Connecting through the rich and robust spirit of New Orleans
[13:15] What makes a great event: inspiring attendance
[18:38] Luring people back to bartending as a career
[20:25] The work we need to do as an industry
[21:22] Looking to the future: what's coming next for Tales of the Cocktail
[23:44] We all thrive when we all thrive: Exploring values and responsibility
[26:55] Why Hospitality is the best industry in the world
That's Eileen Wayner. For more on Tales of the Cocktail visit https://talesofthecocktail.org
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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How do we communicate with our customers when they're not in our restaurant? Email has been the staple for decades but in a world where everyone is using their smartphone for everything, shouldn't we explore our other options?
Today we chat with Mike Yan, founder of Manychat, a chatbot platform that gives us the ability to effortlessly connect with our guest via text, instagram, facebook and much more. Together we unpack the different ways this new tech enables us to engage and delight our guests.
TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES
[2:10] Leapfrogging email: the origin story of ManyChat
[5:30] Success with Facebook Messenger
[7:24] The merits of chat marketing: a world of effortless possibility on autopilot
[15:20] How to get an 80% open rate on your marketing efforts
[19:24] How to run a contest to drive engagement through the roof
[22:32] Data collection might be the new CRM
[25:05] It's simple: get on board early or wait until you've lost the race.
That's Mike Yan. For more on Manychat go to https://manychat.com
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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I'm sure everyone ascribes to the philosophy of being the change you want to see in the world, but what does that look like in practical application? As hospitality professional, we have a unique opportunity to shape our neighborhoods by influencing what they consume and how they consume it.
André Hueston Mack is doing exactly that. Never in my life have I seen someone invest so much of themselves into their community and today we talk about the risks and rewards associated on betting on your neighbors to create a better neighborhood.
TIME STAMPED SHOW NOTES
[2:20] Learning the standards of self-expression
[5:00] Leaving Thomas Keller: Where uncertainty meets determination
[7:09] The slow burn of getting rich: "It was hard, but it was mine".
[9:22] Making the wine was the easy part
[11:02] Knowing who to impress: the key to success in salesmanship
[13:28] Running toward discomfort: Understanding your own strengths
[14:04] Pushing boundaries: Priorities, time management, and opportunity
[16:06] How hard could it be?: Scaling an empire outside your front door
[20:56] Ensuring a profitable ecosystem: The demerits of peaking early
[22:53] It's all about the neighborhood: Keeping it personal
[24:35] Preparing for the moment you're in the way
[26:10] What Albert Einstein, distillation, and For Dummies books have in common
[29:00] Choosing from a thousand options
[30:10] Everything you ever wanted is on the other side of your fear.
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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You are your restaurant and no one is ever going to know it or be able to run it better than you. But is that a good thing?
Today we chat with Michele Hecken, an executive coach who specialized in helping you get out of your own way--eliminating you as the bottleneck to growth and empowering your team to fulfill your dreams. Today we begin the process of offboarding ourselves.
TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES
[2:22] Offboarding: when delegation isn't enough.
[4:20] Getting fired from you own life: the choice to do something different.
[7:30] The symptoms of success: measuring your effectiveness as a leader.
[10:44] Why work/life balance is bullshit.
[13:11] Why assigning responsibility trumps delegating tasks.
[16:53] The struggle for restaurateurs: translating magic to the rest of the business.
[22:10] Accelerating the decision-making process.
[23:57] If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there.
[28:07] How to offboard yourself: getting clear on what matters.
[31:05] Don't be held by the shackles.
To get started with a FREE 25-Minute Coaching Session with Michèle, visit https://www.michelehecken.com/fullcomp
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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Who do you look to for inspiration? For me, it's always been Wolfgang Puck and not just because he's a talent chef and restaurateur, but because he's a skilled entrepreneur.
Even without a formal business education, the chef has built an international empire. In today's conversation we unpack the critical decisions he made to get it to the top and overcome the obstacles along they way.
TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:
[2:11] Rising from ashes: how a household name was born in the journey from one hell to the next
[5:11] Staying above the fray: how Chef defied the odds and stayed off the sauce
[6:35] Showmanship and status: the evolution of an industry
[8:51] Dreaming big, sinking in, and mastering hospitality as a craft
[11:59] Accelerating an education: lessons learned in the early days at Spago
[13:07] The critical decisions that shaped one of the world's best-known chefs
[15:35] Mistakes and what we can learn from the man who's failed his way to unparalleled success.
[20:34] Get knocked down, get back up: fear as a motivator
[22:15] Staying relevant: a lesson in innovative evolution and finding balance
[24:30] Chef's recipe for success
[27:24] Marketing greatness: why personal relationships are the backbone of success
[29:51] Pandemic perspective: projections from the man who sees opportunity where others don't
[31:47] Passing a legacy on: hopes from a father to his children for a healthy succession
[34:08] Defining and communicating success
[35:56] The gift of listening: advice from a legend
For more on the chef, visit https://wolfgangpuck.com
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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How many hats are you wearing on a daily basis? One? Two? Two hundred?
The only way we're going to get better is by getting better at sharing our workload with others.
That's where Emily Morgan comes in. Emily is a delegation expert and today she walks us through the mindset and strategies we need to pull this off along with the pitfalls to avoid.
TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:
[3:14] Out of the weeds: WTF do I do with myself now?
[4:25] The discipline, art, and science of delegation
[6:05] The 5 types of bottlenecks we threaten our businesses with
[10:20] Checks and balances: getting realistic about your habits
[11:49] Expenses and investments: understanding what you're worth
[13:13] Reversing the math
[13:55] The 5 Golden Rules of Delegation: best practices to set your goals
[15:05] We are special unicorns: discovering what's possible to delegate
[17:21] The low-hanging fruit: get rid of the easy stuff first
[18:45] How to create the steps and build the systems
[20:30] How to avoid delegating a broken machine
[22:08] The first 5 things to pull off your plate
[23:21] The science of delegation
[24:25] Delegating the end result: the value of defining success
[25:27] Feedback: how to solicit honesty and communicate productively
[27:30] How to avoid setting your hair on fire
[28:18] Determining good enough: the 80% rule
[29:00] Committing to the boring stuff
[29:40] Clearing space for your impact
To check out everything Emily referenced on today's show go to https://www.delegatesolutions.com/fullcomp
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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What does the restaurant of the future look like? Well, if we've figured anything out in our time together it's that I could look like many different things.
I think Chef Steve Brown has stumbled upon a really intriguing business model. He's evolved the pop up model into a restaurant incubator, creating massive demand and awareness for his brands.
In our conversation we unpack what went into conceptualizing and executing this restaurant ecosystem and how he leveraged his unique personal brand to bring it to the masses.
TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:
[2:] Taking partnership to the next level: creating a brand vibe with the love of your life
[5:01] Being in hospitality vs. being in the hospitality business
[6:56] Anything but a restaurant! How the Swagyu pop-up was born
[8:15] It wasn't marketing... it was survival.
[9:39] The Wagyu concept: born the Coachella of culinary battles
[11:25] Taking it on tour: You can't perform the concert in the same town every day
[12:48] The last supper: how a moment of desperation tripled revenue
[16:07] Swagyu Study Hall: how Covid shaped next-level hospitality
[17:13] "Uhh, Chef, we don't see it...": the journey into Brick & Mortar
[18:36] Making what was for the 1% accessible to the 99%
[19:36] Capitalizing on sh*tty strip malls: the golden ticket that made Swagyu Chop Shop possible
[20:54] The Wagyu Smashburger: how the greatest oxymoron in the history of food became a huge success
[23:46] What's better than zero waste? Negative waste.
[24:16] And the beat goes on: the success keeps rolling in at every turn
[25:13] Failing your way to success: trust your gut and understand your audience
[27:43] Why Chef Steve Brown was able to rise from the ashes of Covid
[29:09] Choosing the good choices: "I'd rather be miserable than without clarity."
[29:49] Now what?: The future of Swagyu
[31:12] "Wouldn't it be so funny if this worked?"
[33:17] Listen for the mic drop: Chef detonates the Hiroshima of truth bombs.
[33:43] "You wanna know how to expand this fast? I'll tell ya..."
[36:00] Multiple revenue streams done right: Chef Steve divulges an EPIC strategy
[37:41] Massive expansion during the great recession: where he's finding his employees
[38:38] The creativity doesn't end at the plate: make big moves that might seem crazy.
For more on all of his projects visit https://chefstevebrown.com
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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I'm always amazed when someone with absolutely no prior experience in our industry can open a place and dominate the market. Today we chat with Dana Shertz of the RMD Group who did just that.
In our conversation he shares how he was able to take the lessons he learned while scaling Calloway Golf and leverage them to create a hospitality empire.
TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:
[3:16] Lessons from the sports industry: unpacking the fundamentals of business with Dana Shertz
[5:22] Building a relationship-focused business: How to leverage your vendors for success
[7:02] Pivoting to restaurants: the road that led a sports professional into the hardest industry on earth
[8:17] How to create a banger out of the gate: getting your financial house in order
[10:25] The top KPIs to keep track of and optimal review frequency
[12:30] The overlap between consulting and operating
[13:35] Pandemic drama: thriving through challenges
[14:53] Pulling in a crowd: the art and science of tapping into demand
[17:07] To compete or play your own game: the mentality of success
[21:04] The universal issues: what a consultant sees when they can see everything
[21:51] The benefit of mentoring others: learning how to work and think in different ways
[24:04] Cultural shifts: changing your mindset to align with generational values
[26:38] A philosophy of mutual investment: how to get the best out of your people
[28:11] A mentor's mentors: the people who shaped and influenced Dana Shertz
[29:52] What will change and what won't: the bird's eye view
[31:28] Keeping a focus on what's important: camaraderie in the industry
For more on the RMD Group go to https://rmdgroupsd.com
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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There are a thousand roads that can lead to success in our industry but only one road that leads to profitability. Today we're talking numbers with Anne Gannon, founder of the Largo Group.
In our chat today we're going to explore what the formula for success looks like by examining some of her most successful clients and unpacking the tactics, tools and strategies they've used to achieve massive profitability.
TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:
[2:56] How to stop playing catch-up: The trends worth tracking weekly.
[4:20] Analyzing your restaurant.
[5:26] The labor crisis: an economic perspective and evaluation.
[7:01] Bottom line revenue: budget and operational inefficiencies
[8:15] The reality of labor: You can't have it both ways.
[9:55] Lessons from the best: where passion and practicality collide.
[11:51] Profitability: you are in control of your own destiny.
[13:50] An industry comparison: where we can shift, and what we can embrace.
[15:33] The KPIs you should be tracking and the tools to do it with.
[17:24] Nauseating, but necessary: what we really should be considering when we invest in a POS.
[19:28] What we shouldn't return to: the hidden dysfunction in the successes of 2019.
[21:43] Cashflow is king: remembering the pain of being top-heavy.
[23:53] Setting yourself up moving forward.
[25:25] Financial aid resources you don't know about yet. (Here, have some money. You're welcome.)
[26:56] What we don't know we don't know: Accounting doesn't actually suck (really!).
[28:20] Congratulations are in order.
For more on her company go to https://www.thelargogroup.com
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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What is Chutzpah? I think Guy Kawasaki described it best as “calling up tech support to report a bug on pirated software”. In a word, chutzpah is audacity, and I really want to explore how being skillfully audacious can transform a restaurant and a restaurateur into something more.
In this episode, we’re talking to Mason Harris, who wrote the book on audacity and how it can be systematized and weaponized to turbocharge our restaurants.
TIME STAMPED SHOW NOTES
[2:32] How the early days of email led to the philosophy of Chutzpah.
[5:48] What exactly is chutzpah? “Audacity?” “Gumption”? Maybe…“Intestinal fortitude”?
[7:03] A world view, a set of behaviors, and a skill set: It’s all in how you implement it.
[7:55] The Trifecta: Need, Pain, and Opportunity.
[11:12] Service, training, staff, and food: How to be a trailblazer in the restaurant industry.
[13:40] Messaging: the role of authenticity in trailblazing.
[15:03] The power of clarity: why understanding the nature of your decisions matters.
[20:00] The lens of intention: positioning yourself to make critical decisions.
[22:55] Humility in action through the good times and the bad.
[27:30] The Chutzpah Mentor: The story of Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse
[29:10] How to Return a Tire to Nordstrom: An Exceptional Tale of Chutzpah in Service
[32:25] Remembering the value of your impact.
To learn more about Mason Harris, visit https://www.thechutzpahguy.com/
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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When I think about Mark Birnbaum, I think about the word cool.
This dude has 50,000 followers on instagram, his trendy restaurants have lines out the door nightly and celebrity investors dump boat loads of cash into everything he creates.
But, at his core, he's a restaurateur, just like you and me. And his path to success was formulaic and well thought out. In today's episode Mark shares the formula he used to build a restaurant that doesn't follow trends, it creates them.
TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:
[2:25] After-Prom King: Hustling cool through school.
[4:30] Finding gusto through tragedy.
[6:41] Higher margins, and better experiences: An innovative one-stop experience.
[12:50] The essential elements of cool: Good food, good service, good vibe.
[14:51] Design is everything: Creating the perfect vibe.
[18:05] Determining success: When you know something is or isn’t working.
[22:00] Lessons from the pandemic: What Catch did differently.
[25:30] How to make it in the restaurant industry: The reality of success.
[29:35] Less is more: Knowing how to spot a good deal.
[31:43] The recipe for getting where you want to go in the hospitality industry.
For more on The Catch Hospitality Group go to https://catchhg.com
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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To call Paul Pruitt a restaurant consultant fails to describe who he is and his contributions to our industry. Paul is a hospitality futurist who, in the 10 years I've known him, has predicted every major evolution that our industry has faced.
Today Paul and I chat about the present and the future of our industry and how holistic hospitality could be the solution to all that ails us.
TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:
[2:30] Catching rising stars:
[3:58] Kickin' it New School: It's not always about reinventing wheels.
[6:25] The importance of exploring what you can control, what you cant, and what will last.
[10:19] Horrible cupcakes on beautiful plates: The value of The Fun Sponge
[14:45] Tempering the algorithm: The balance contemporary thinking and innovation
[18:40] From concept to execution: Leaning into process, building a foundation, and creating cooperation.
[20: 40] Scaling a business is easy. Scaling culture is hard.
[26:17] Holistic thinking: Embracing a nonbinary perspective in your business.
[30:27] Exploring shades of grey: appreciating nuance, and refusing black and white decisions.
For more on New School go to http://newschoolconsulting.com
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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Today, Olo is a billion-dollar company with a captivated audience of restaurateurs excited about the future of restaurant tech.
But the story of Olo and its founder, Noah Glass, is far from an overnight success. Noah has spent the last 16 years evangelizing the merits of restaurant tech to an industry unwilling to change. But he never lost hope and he never gave up.
And I can only imagine that a man with that kind of vision and that kind of fortitude must have a clear vision of what’s coming next for all of us. Today we talk about the future of restaurants and restaurant tech.
TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES
[2:25] The ripple effect that planted a seed: Lessons learned from Silicon Valley
[5:11] Finding the courage: seizing the opportunity to realize a vision
[8:38] Evolving an ideology: rallying the troops and doing good while doing well.
[11:50] Evolving a leader: the challenges of scaling and having faith in your partners and values.
[16:38] How one restaurant Dallas, TX changed Olo’s framework.
[22:08] Embracing the Digital Age: Is the industry backsliding as we lean into tech?
[24:20] Imagining the future of the restaurant industry:
[27:25] Turning the tables: The kind of restaurant Noah Glass would open.
[31:15] The North Star metric: Customer lifetime value and what it means for your restaurant.
That's Noah Glass. For more on OLO visit https://www.olo.com
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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Over 100,000 restaurants were lost in the pandemic and there's so much we can learn from that. But there are also organizations that thrived during the pandemic. What did they do differently? What did they see that so many didn't? Today we chat with Joth Ricci of Dutch Bros who saw opportunity in tragedy and used the pandemic as a catalyst to build the coffee shop of tomorrow, today.
TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:
[2:38] Cutting teeth: lessons from and starting over and building from the ground up.
[4:28] Starting something with nothing: What defines a successful founder.
[5:20] Strategic planning, discipline, and defining yourself.
[6:43] Exploding the brand: Staying true to core values.
[7:40] The secret sauce: Ignoring the shiny light, keeping it simple, and being the very best at what you do.
[9:20] Examining Dutch Bros.: opportunities in technology, operations, leadership, and marketing.
[11:01] Achieving traction: setting the runway and hitting the ground running.
[12:23] Seizing The Great Pandemic Opportunity: putting rubber to the road when everything else stopped.
[14:32] Becoming a better leader: managing emotion in chaos, gaining perspective, and setting an example.
[17:53] Companies as a classroom: building teams through the lens of education
[18:22] Dutch Bros. 2.0: plowing into digital connection.
[20:07] Building a data-driven business: understanding your customers' journey.
[22:43] Be good at being who you are: the value in rejecting trends that don't serve your service model.
[24:34] You can't be all things to all people.
[25:54] Being big and being small: staying connected through community.
[27: 56] Baking social impact into the fabric of your business.
[29:44] Stay true to yourself, communicate who you are, and remember that service always wins.
For more on Dutch Bros., visit www.dutchbros.com
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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In episode 149 of FULL COMP, Josh talks to celebrity chef Tim Hollingsworth of Odium in Los Angeles about the lessons he learned during Covid as well as the evolution of his own restaurant as he incorporates fresh lessons into a fresh start. Join us as Tim explains what he's discovered about the impact of creating buy-in among staff, building great teams, and creating lasting and memorable experiences.
TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:
[1:54] Today's topic: What would you do differently if you could take the lessons Covid gave you forward?
[2:30] Lessons from The French Laundry with Tim Hollingsworth
[4:14] Why your philosophy matters, and how to build a team that buys in, and what makes a great working environment.
[6:12] Creating great culture: valuing balance and employee wellness to create great customer experiences.
[9:28] Your Restaurant 2.0: finding opportunities to change for the better.
[10:23] Understanding your clientele and how to serve them.
[12:12] The responsibility of training for success, focus, and cohesion.
[14:36] Restaurant concepts: using experience as inspiration.
[16:50] Storefronts: Are they the move? Pros and cons of brick and mortar.
[18:03] Celebrity Chefdom: choices that create celebrity status.
[21:36] How to know when it's time to grow: what matters and what doesn't.
[26:03] Making conscious decisions: advice from a celebrity chef on defining the worth of our industry.
For more on Tim Hollingsworth, visit timothyhollingsworth.com.
FULL COMP is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
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Here's what we're tackling in Season 6 of FULL COMP!
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In this quick recap we highlight some of our favorite moments from Season 5 of FULL COMP.
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"It'll all your fault." You hear those words internally every single day. I think we all do.
We run at such a quick pace that there's rarely time to celebrate the wins as we run from problem to problem.
But there's good news on the other side of that coin. David Scott Peters believes that in owning our role as owners and operators we can become the solution to every problem we face and today he lays out a clear path to delegate, manage operators and create accountability within our teams.
You can pick up his book The Restaurant Prosperity Formula wherever books are sold.
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I was raised in this industry. For over a decade, I ran my restaurants the way I was taught to run other people's restaurants.
I led my teams the way others had led me. And I never questioned it.
Until one day I did...and a whole new world opened up before my eyes.
But what if you never got that education?
Andrew Dana is an incredibly successful restaurateur sitting on over half a dozen locations and the dude had absolutely no operational experience prior to opening his first restaurant.
He just did what he thought was right and follow his gut instincts. Today we go through how an industry outsider is changing the way we should all look at our restaurants and our industry.
For more on Call Your Mother go to https://www.callyourmotherdeli.com
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Rome wasn't build in a day, it also wan't build by one guy.
Today we chat with Miles Canares who's built one of Los Angeles' signature food events, breaking through the noise in an incredibly competitive environment.
How did he do it? Through hard work and a central focus on building relationships that bring value to both parties.
Today we talk about what he's built, how he's built it and the way he was able to recruit high profile strategic partners along the way.
For more on the Family Style Food Festival go to https://www.familystylefest.com
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Are we getting screwed by our food vendors? Do you know where your food comes from?
Food Fraud is real and, for many of us, we've been paying a premium rate for lower quality goods for far too long.
That's where Sarela and Simpli come in. They're working to expose the greed and inefficiencies in our supply chain. Today we talk about the true path your food takes to get to your restaurant and why it matters so much.
For more on Simpli go to https://simpligood.co
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How's delivery working out for you?
Is it a thriving revenue stream or are you still struggling to get attention on those delivery platforms?
Are you running a breakeven or, worse yet, losing money on every transaction?
Today we chat with PJ Oleksak of Slice because, from where she's sitting, she has access to 2 criticial pieces of data:
Today we unpack that and a whole lot more but first we begin with how PJ made her way to Slice.
For more on Slice go to https://slicelife.com
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In this moment, we're not just rebuilding our businesses, we're rebuilding our industry.
What would you change if you had the chance?
For Dina Samson, change comes in the form of increased visibility. She's working to raise the voices of entrepreneurial women within our industry. She's also out front ensuring that the policymakers that directly effect our restaurants understand our priorities and our needs.
In today's conversation, we talk about her advocacy work and how she manages to juggle it alongside being both a restaurateur and a parent.
For more on Dina and all of her projects go to www.dinasamson.com
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Change is hard.
Becoming irrelevant is harder.
Today we chat we Joe Jackman who wrote the book on change.
Joe walks us through what real change can look like in our businesses, creating a blueprint for disruption and innovation within an industry that desperately needs both.
You can pick up The Reinventionist Mindset wherever books are sold.
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So many restaurant owners have desperately fought for survival over the last 15 months.
Why? Is it for the money or the glory? Because both have been in short supply...
We do this to serve a higher calling, and the best of us light the path forward.
Today we chat with Chef Steve Samson & Hans Luttman, partners and operators of Rossoblu in Downtown Los Angeles. Together, they share what it took to create a hit, the effort that went into enduring the pandemic and how those experiences have impacted their path forward.
For more on Rossoblu visit https://www.rossoblula.com
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Imagine, if when you started your entrepreneurial journey, you were provided with a plan for guaranteed success. Dennis McKinley did and he shares that plan with us today.
Dennis became a franchisee in his early 20's. He took that playbook, improved upon it and today sits as the franchisor of one of the fastest growing restaurant chains in the country. In today's conversation we take a peek inside that playbook for strategies we can implement in our own businesses.
For more on Dennis' concepts visit https://www.emergingfoodfranchises.com
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Nick Brune calls himself a chef but I'd call him a culinary entrepreneur.
The reason being is that he's as interested in the business of food as he is in cooking it.
In today's far reaching conversation we cover the path he took to master the business of hospitality, how he's applied those lessons to build multimillion dollar F&B businesses and how he's sharing those lessons with the world.
To learn more about Nick and to learn more from Nick visit https://fulltimechef.com
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Have you chosen your customers or have they chosen you? In an effort to achieve profitability many of us refuse to clearly state who is and who is not our target customer.
Kevin Tan chose a different path. In having a maniacal focus on his target customer, he's built a platform that's grown to over half a million users in just a couple of years. What's his revolutionary idea? Skipping the line at restaurants.
Today we talk about why such a simple solution has gone viral and how we can use the same strategies to create virility in our own restaurants.
For more on Snackpass go to https://www.snackpass.co
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Can we make more money today? Like right now? Are there simple fixes to the problems we've been suffering from as an industry for the last, I don't know, 1000 years.
Most of us don't make enough money and today we're talking with Chip Klose, who's trying to fix that. In our conversation, Chip lays out some simple, easy to execute tips and tricks for scaling profitability and our overall online presence.
For more on Chip, go to www.chipklose.com
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I'm not crazy. There are definitely people that make an absolute fortune in this industry. They're just few and far between and and many haven't been willing to share their recipe for success.
But you can learn a lot from observing the masters at work. And that's the vantage point from which the team over at Restauranttopia views our industry.
They're working with the best in the business to create extraordinary results and today David, Brian and Anthony share the tactics and tools used by the best to create unstoppable restaurant brands.
To check out more on David, Brian and Anthony go to https://restauranttopia.com
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I'm not crazy. There are definitely people that make an absolute fortune in this industry. They're just few and far between and and many haven't been willing to share their recipe for success.
But you can learn a lot from observing the masters at work. And that's the vantage point from which the team over at Restauranttopia views our industry.
They're working with the best in the business to create extraordinary results and today David, Brian and Anthony share the tactics and tools used by the best to create unstoppable restaurant brands.
To check out more on David, Brian and Anthony go to https://restauranttopia.com
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The future of restaurant marketing is the current state of marketing in every other industry: data. Marketing is no longer about compelling diners to come to our restaurants, it's about compelling them to give us their contact info so that we can start a conversation.
Today's marketing strategy is more about them than it us about us. Leading the charge into this brave new world is Matt Plapp, a seasoned marketer who's practicing what he preaches by offering more value than he's taking.
Today we discuss his most recent effort, the book Restaurant Marketing That Works, in which he lays out the strategies and tools he uses to help restaurants scale to massive proportions. By the end of today's conversation, you'll have the plan you need to market like the big guys do.
You can buy Matt's book "Restaurant Marketing That Works" on amazon today.
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There's a new breed of restaurateur and it's pretty exciting to see. A younger generation bringing the best of the past together with a new vision of the future.
Today we chat with Chicago power couple Jenner Tomaska and Katria Bravo in the weeks before the opening of their new restaurant. These two cut their teeth in some of the best restaurants in the country and today they're sharing the lessons from the past that helped them create the future of fine dining.
For more on Jenner Tomaska and Katria Bravo go to https://www.esmechicago.com
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We're still contending with a global pandemic in the midst of a labor crisis and this is another episode on sustainability. Are you shaking your head right now? How disconnecting am I from what's going on in your day to day lives?
Today is hard but we still need to prepare for tomorrow and the challenges we'll face then. Gen Z constitutes the largest population on the planet and they're intent on saving it. Sustainable practices are at the center of that movement and, at the center of the sustainability movement, we find Zuleyka Strasner, founder of Zero Grocery.
Today we unpack what it took to create a plastic free life and a plastic free business.
For more on Zero Grocery go to https://zerogrocery.com
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I always dreamed of being a successful restaurateur.
In those grand visions from my youth, I must have missed rubber apron hanging in front of my 3 piece suit as I washed dishes in the scullery, and yet, there it was.
Over the last 20 years of being an owner and operator, I've felt like a prince and, at times, like a prisoner.
Snoop Dillard has managed to escape, creating a veritable empire of businesses while maintaining a balance at home. Her path required as much strength as it did strategy and today she shares what it took to break free of day to day operations.
For more on Snoop's projects visit http://whoissnoop.com
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Is there anything more foundational to the hospitality industry than booze? Wether it's selling drinks to customers or grabbing drinks with co-workers, the social dynamics of the restaurant industry revolve around booze. Or at least they did...
The data is clear: people are drinking less. Today I chat with author Julia Bainbridge about the sobriety movement and what it means for both restaurants and cocktail culture.
For more on Julia and her work visit https://juliabainbridge.com
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What does success look like in the restaurant industry? For Ron Shaich, it meant driving Panera Bread to outperform both Starbucks and Chipotle over the last 20 year, ultimately creating a restaurant concept valued at $7.5 Billion Dollars.
How did he do it? The answer was surprisingly simple and today he takes us on the journey from a single unit cookie company to a billion dollar brand.
For more on Ron and his company go to www.ronshaich.com
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Idealism is great. We all want to be dream employers offering dream jobs to amazing people who love our restaurant as much as we do. But that's rarely the reality of our situation.
Who's fault is that and is there a way to make that vision a reality?
Today we chat with Gabriel Cole, a former chef, who's using his values to not only inform the way he does business but also to decide who to do business with.
In this conversation we tackle the obstacles involved in become the employers we want to be and what it takes to attract the employees we want to hire.
That's Gabriel Cole. For more on Just Fare go to https://justfare.co
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How many articles have you read about "the restaurant of the future?" It conjures visions of robot cooks and digital menus but no one really talks about how big it is or the steps the proprietor took avoid the massive failure rate we've been saddled with in the past.
I think that, more than anything, the restaurant of the future is sustainable and built to last a lifetime. Ed Szymanski and Patricia Howard of Dame believe that too and today they walk us through the bulletproof strategy they implemented to secure the future of their restaurant and their careers.
That's Ed Szymanski & Patricia Howard of Dame. For more on the restaurant go to https://www.damenewyork.com
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Change is in the air. We've felt it coming for years and we see it happening before our eyes in this moment. Today's buzzwords were the dreams of innovators from decades past. And innovation can be found everywhere.
Today we chat with Loren and Lisa Poncia, founders of Stemple Creek Ranch. Stemple Creek is not only famous for their regenerative agricultural practices but they're also the guys supplying protein to every Michelin rated restaurant in the Bay area.
In our conversation we talk about the path to carbon neutrality, the future of ranching and how, despite a global pandemic, 2020 was a profitable year for the ranch.
For more on The Stemple Creek Ranch go to https://stemplecreek.com
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We've all been burned. A bad business plan, a bad business partner, a global pandemic...
What happens next is what defines our lives and our careers.
Chef Claudette Zepeda built an award winning restaurant only to have it taken away but, rather than seeing that as the end of the story, she began a new chapter, leveraging her talent and experience to create the career of her dreams and a platform to help others achieve the same.
Today we unpack the lessons learned on that journey and discuss what the future holds for her, her team and the industry at large.
For more on the chef go to https://chefclaudettezepeda.com
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Layers. Great storytelling has tons of them. As restaurateurs we create these layers through food, beverage and ambiance to draw our guests into our world.
Today we take a trip into Sahra Nguyen's world and learn how the vendors we purchase from can say something about who we are and what we believe. That change can happen one cup of coffee at a time...
For more on Nguyen Coffee Supply go to https://nguyencoffeesupply.com
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Cameron Herold has built three companies valued at $100M each. His superpower is getting shit done. He's an operator of the highest caliber that is responsible for driving the growth of companies like 1800GotJunk and entrepreneurs like Elon and Kimball Musk.
Today we define what operational excellence is, what it looks like in practical application and how we can achieve it in our own restaurants.
For more on Cameron go to https://cameronherold.com
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April of 2020 was going to be a magical month for my restaurant. We had spent over a year working towards carbon neutrality and that was the month we were finally going to achieve it. Obviously my plans were derailed by the pandemic but, I've never lost sight of the importance of environmental responsibility.
What I learned through that process was that it's possible to run a sustainable operation and be profitable. One of our key strategic partners was Zero Foodprint.
In this episode, I chat with Anthony Myint, the director of partnerships at Zero Foodprint. In our conversation we get down to the nitty gritty, discussing what the move towards sustainability looks like as well as the associated costs, time commitments and, ultimately, the benefits.
For more on Zero Foodprint go to https://www.zerofoodprint.org/
Also be sure to check out these videos!
https://vimeo.com/478877793
https://vimeo.com/526756635
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Ken Grossman is a craft brewing pioneer. In the late 1970's, he, along with about half a dozen other brewers, started the first craft breweries in the US. Over 40 years later, the other guys are no longer in business and Ken's company is worth over one billion dollars.
In our conversation together we talk about what it took to survive in those early days and the critical decisions he made along the way to become the king of craft brewing.
For more on Sierra Nevada go to https://sierranevada.com
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Go big or go home. Remember those days? It seems a lot of folks have changed their minds. Restaurants with small footprints small menus are popping up everywhere.
Well, not in wine country and not with Dustin Valette at the helm. Dustin is leveraging over 50 years of combined industry know-how to create an iconic restaurant that's as ambitious as it's founders.
Today we talk about Dustin's vision for the Matheson and the steps he's taking to ensure it's a wild success.
For more on The Matheson go to https://www.thematheson.com
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As a business, creating and living by core values is a full time job. It's a choice that changes the very genetic code of our restaurants. When done right, they answer every question and create a roadmap to the future.
Today we chat with John Cappasola, a culture-first leader who spent the pandemic doubling down on his commitment to living and leading by Del Taco's core values.
Today we unpack how to scale culture across over 600 locations, even in the midst of a global pandemic and the result it has on recruiting, retention and growth.
For more on Del Taco go to https://www.deltaco.com
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For 50 years, Randy's Donuts has been a Los Angeles staple. The iconic giant donut seated above the restaurant can be seen for miles and on the big screen.
One man, Mark Kelegian, saw more than a restaurant, he saw an international brand that could transform this tiny restaurant into a global phenomenon.
Today Mark shares the tactics and tools he's using to take Randy's Donuts from one location to 1,000.
For more on Randy's Donuts go to https://randysdonuts.com
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Do you remember the transition from employee to manager? For most of us, the boss just handed us the keys one day and asked us to lock up. Within a month, we have a title, a lot more responsibility and a lot less money in our pocket.
What do you wish you knew before stepping into that role? A lot, right? Ken McGarrie set out to document every lesson he learned along the way to help the next generation of hospitality professionals. Today, we run through some of the big lessons covered in that book.
You can pick up a digital copy of The Surprise Restaurant Manager for 99 cents on Amazon today.
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When we reflect upon the overall failure rate within our industry and when we look at the current labor crisis we're facing, it easiest question to ask is "Who's to blame?"
The hardest answer to stomach is "us". To one degree or another, as an industry, we've dug the hole we find ourselves in.
But that's just the bad news. The good news is that means we're in the drivers seat.
Today we chat with Jason Vincent, a talented chef and restaurateur who has taken the time to look into his past to ensure a better future for himself and his team.
For more on the chef's restaurant visit www.giantrestaurant.com
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Why won't our people come back to work? What do we need to do to get them back and get them excited about rebuilding this industry together?
Restaurateur Michel Falcon has been asking the same questions and has come up with really useful answers. Today, we dive deep into the recipe he uses to create and manage world class teams and the tactics he uses to keep those teams inspired.
For more on the Michel and People First Culture go to http://www.michelfalcon.com
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What if we could create great businesses by doing good?
The biggest hurdle I've faced as a restaurateur is the unpredictability of sales week to week and month to month.
I believe Jacob Bindman may have created the solution to not only that problem but also how to feed the hungry at the same time.
Today, we're discussing the San Francisco New Deal. A charitable organization that's paying restaurants to feed the needy. Born out of the pandemic, Jacob and his team have managed to create a sustainable model that's helping both independent restaurants and those in need survive these difficult times.
For more on the SF New Deal visit https://sfnewdeal.org/
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The truth: unvarnished.
That's what this moment requires. As an industry, we need to take a hard look in the mirror and determine what's working and what isn't.
Today's guest, Robert Greene did just that but, instead of tackling an industry, he chose to tackle the human condition at large. Robert is a NYT bestselling author who's dug deep into the motivators and essential elements of power, mastery, war and human nature.
In reading his work, I walked away with a better understanding of myself and of you. Today Robert shares how he's internalized and utilized the lessons he's written about and, how he uses them to help athletes, executives and world leaders do the same.
For more on Robert's past and upcoming projects visit https://powerseductionandwar.com
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How do we overcoming the obstacles in our life?
Rarely we succeed by holding our ground. To overcome, we must push forward.
That forward march can look different for each of us. For serial restaurateur Victoria Freeman, it looks like opening another restaurant.
Today we discuss how her restaurant group managed to survive the pandemic and how they intend to come back stronger than ever in 2021.
For more on the Victoria's concepts visit https://www.vicsnewyork.com
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I've dedicated most of the last year of my life to asking these two questions:
How did we get here?
Where are we going?
Believe it or not, one of the most frequent question I get is:
How did you get here?
It seems many of you are curious as to how and why I started the show and exactly what is the nature of my relationship with Yelp.
Today I tackle those questions and many more with the help of Stephen McKeon, one of the guys from Yelp that helped make this show happen.
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We've spent a ton of time talking about pandemic pivots, but what about the evolutions that have resulted from this apocalyptic disruption? What about the permanent changes operators have made that are having a lasting positive impact on their businesses.
Ian Pomerville and the Spruce Peak Lodge are having their best year ever. Why? They didn't pivot, they've evolved their concept to meet the changing needs of their customers. They did this by leveraging the latest tech and tactics out there.
In today's episode Ian runs us through what they've done and the tremendous impact it's had.
For more on the resort go to https://www.sprucepeak.com
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I often wonder what the next generation thinks when they look at the way we do business. They grew up with the internet as a part of their daily life and they go to work in restaurants with POS systems older than they are. Well, it appears they've had quite enough of that...
Alex Canter is a new breed of restaurateur working to fix the problems he sees within the industry by creating the solutions himself. Today we discuss the tech he created to serve his own needs and how we, as an industry, can benefit from his efforts.
For more on his projects go to http://www.cantersdeli.com and https://www.ordermark.com
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We live in a polite society. We're taught the importance of asking for permission. But what happens when you don't. What happens when you decide one day to start a restaurant. No investors, no permit, no publicist, no permission. You just start.
Today we chat with Logan Sandoval who created Zef BBQ, a trendy BBQ joint on the edge of Los Angeles located in his parents garage. We discuss the inspiration behind starting the restaurant and what led to Zef getting national media attention despite its humble beginnings.
For more on Zef BBQ visit https://www.zefbbq.com
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I was born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. When I was in college, there was a guy just a little bit order than me working the fry line at a small fried chicken joint that he opened on the edge of campus.
That guy was Todd Graves and that fried chicken joint has become the $2 billion dollar Raising Cane's empire.
Today Todd and I run through what it takes to found and lead a restaurant to that level of success as well as what he's doing to pay his good fortune forward.
But first, we flash back to a simpler time when we were both two good ole boys tearing it up in Baton Rouge.
That's Todd Graves. For more on Cane's and Restaurant Recovery go to www.RaisingCanes.com
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The Happy Mouth Morning Show - https://restaurants.yelp.com/happy-mouth-podcast/
Restaurant Marketing School - https://restaurants.yelp.com/hospitality-marketing-podcast/
The Playbook - https://restaurants.yelp.com/the-playbook-restaurant-stories/
We've all got a lot going on. Sometimes it's hard to figure out how the headlines we see on the news directly affect our restaurants. But the truth is, what's going on out there does matter in here.
Few see this more clearly that Celebrity Chef Nyesha Arrington and restaurateur Philip Camino. These two have decided to bridge the gap between what's happening in the world and what's happening in our businesses.
Today we unpack the mission of their new project and what we all have to gain from bite-sized restaurant news.
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We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out the FULL COMP media universe by visiting:
The Happy Mouth Morning Show - https://restaurants.yelp.com/happy-mouth-podcast/
Restaurant Marketing School - https://restaurants.yelp.com/hospitality-marketing-podcast/
The Playbook - https://restaurants.yelp.com/the-playbook-restaurant-stories/
You've heard me say it before, as an industry I think there's a ton to be learned from the experts outside of our industry. Today we chat with Afsheen Afshar, who proves me right.
Afsheen is in the business of taking good companies and making them great and in recent years, has turned his attention to the restaurant industry.
Today we run through the tools and tactics he uses to take restaurant concepts to the next level.
For more on his company go to www.pilotwaveholdings.com
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Book time on Josh's personal calendar: https://bit.ly/3otQm8z
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out the FULL COMP media universe by visiting:
The Happy Mouth Morning Show - https://restaurants.yelp.com/happy-mouth-podcast/
Restaurant Marketing School - https://restaurants.yelp.com/hospitality-marketing-podcast/
The Playbook - https://restaurants.yelp.com/the-playbook-restaurant-stories/
If an amazing restaurant opens and no one knows about it, does it have a chance at survival?
Today we chat with media maven Max Block of CarvingBlock PR. He runs us through the tools and tactics he uses to get his clients the exposure they deserve and need to survive in a digital world.
For more on CarvingBlock go to www.carvingblockpr.com
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Book time on Josh's personal calendar: https://bit.ly/3otQm8z
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out the FULL COMP media universe by visiting:
The Happy Mouth Morning Show - https://restaurants.yelp.com/happy-mouth-podcast/
Restaurant Marketing School - https://restaurants.yelp.com/hospitality-marketing-podcast/
The Playbook - https://restaurants.yelp.com/the-playbook-restaurant-stories/
The chai tea latte you ordered at Starbucks this morning was made possible in no small part to the Shah family. Many believe that, Devan Shah, the prolific tea importer, is directly responsible for creating the American tea market as we know it today.
In this episode we chat with Devan's wife and daughter, Reena and Bianca. Together they own Chado Tea Room, a 4 location tea salon based in Los Angeles.
Together we'll unpack what it took to grow this 30 year old company and what it took to survive and thrive through a global pandemic.
For more on Chado Tea Room visit https://www.chadotea.com
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Book time on Josh's personal calendar: https://bit.ly/3otQm8z
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out the FULL COMP media universe by visiting:
Full Comp - https://restaurants.yelp.com/full-comp-podcast/
The Happy Mouth Morning Show - https://restaurants.yelp.com/happy-mouth-podcast/
Restaurant Marketing School - https://restaurants.yelp.com/hospitality-marketing-podcast/
The Playbook - https://restaurants.yelp.com/the-playbook-restaurant-stories/
Who's excited to talk about cleaning products? Anyone? Anyone?
What if I told you that the products we use to clean directly relate to our labor margin? As it turns out, innovation in cleaning products could result in hundreds, if not thousands, of labor hours saved over the course of a year.
Excited yet?
Today we chat with Paul Edmondson of Proctor & Gamble who will walk us through what they've been working on and how it can help our whole industry run a cleaner, more profitable operation.
To check out any of the products mentioned on the show today visit www.pgpro.com
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Book time on Josh's personal calendar: https://bit.ly/3otQm8z
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out the FULL COMP media universe by visiting:
Full Comp - https://restaurants.yelp.com/full-comp-podcast/
The Happy Mouth Morning Show - https://restaurants.yelp.com/happy-mouth-podcast/
Restaurant Marketing School - https://restaurants.yelp.com/hospitality-marketing-podcast/
The Playbook - https://restaurants.yelp.com/the-playbook-restaurant-stories/
We see headlines everyday about immigration but there's very little talk about the immigrants themselves. The story I bring you today isn't a story about overcoming adversity, it's a story about enduring adversity.
Tee Tran represents the best our industry has to offer. Instead of fighting for the survival of his businesses over the last year he's fought for his community, working with the World Central Kitchen and getting support from big names like Steph Curry.
Today we explore one man's journey to and through hospitality and what we can all learn from his story.
For more on Tee and Monster Pho visit https://www.monsterpho.com
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We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out the FULL COMP media universe by visiting:
Full Comp - https://restaurants.yelp.com/full-comp-podcast/
The Happy Mouth Morning Show - https://restaurants.yelp.com/happy-mouth-podcast/
Restaurant Marketing School - https://restaurants.yelp.com/hospitality-marketing-podcast/
The Playbook - https://restaurants.yelp.com/the-playbook-restaurant-stories/
Creating and maintaining a great and profitable wine program at my restaurant proved an impossible task. Folks spend their lives working to understand the intricacies of wine and I don't even drink wine. I know I'm not alone and, as we all begin the process of reopening, I wanted to bring in a friend and an expert to offer best practices.
Greg Martellotto is the guy. He's got his own winery. He's got his own direct to consumer wine business and he sells and works with some of the best restaurants in California. Today he unpacks how to conceptualize and execute a great and profitable wine program.
That's Greg Martellotto. For more on Greg's company go to www.martellotto.com
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We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out the FULL COMP media universe by visiting:
Full Comp - https://restaurants.yelp.com/full-comp-podcast/
The Happy Mouth Morning Show - https://restaurants.yelp.com/happy-mouth-podcast/
Restaurant Marketing School - https://restaurants.yelp.com/hospitality-marketing-podcast/
The Playbook - https://restaurants.yelp.com/the-playbook-restaurant-stories/
We idolize the trailblazers...those heroes with enough courage to do something truly original. It's easy to romanticize their struggles or attribute superhuman qualities that make them seem different than us.
But they're not.
Celebrity Chef Mary Sue Milliken is just a person, like you and me but through patience, grit and the belief in a better future she has overcome overwhelming odds to become a celebrity chef, successful restaurateur, published author, television personality, wife and mother.
Today Mary Sue shares her path from culinary student to industry leader and the lessons she's learned along the way.
For more on the chef go to www.bordergrill.com
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We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out the FULL COMP media universe by visiting:
Full Comp - https://restaurants.yelp.com/full-comp-podcast/
The Happy Mouth Morning Show - https://restaurants.yelp.com/happy-mouth-podcast/
Restaurant Marketing School - https://restaurants.yelp.com/hospitality-marketing-podcast/
The Playbook - https://restaurants.yelp.com/the-playbook-restaurant-stories/
What does it mean to be a chef? Chef have long been known for high standards, attention to detail and an unparalleled work ethic. But they have also been know for big egos and bad tempers.
Slowly things seem to be evolving. Today we chat with Erick Williams of Virtue who is redefining what it means to be a chef.
Erick's standards are as high or higher than most but he leads with a grace, warmth and empathy...qualities somewhat unique to back of house.
In our conversation, the chef shares how his life and his career have evolved into something that can only be described as virtuous.
For more on the Erick's restaurant go to https://www.virtuerestaurant.com
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We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out the FULL COMP media universe by visiting:
Full Comp - https://restaurants.yelp.com/full-comp-podcast/
The Happy Mouth Morning Show - https://restaurants.yelp.com/happy-mouth-podcast/
Restaurant Marketing School - https://restaurants.yelp.com/hospitality-marketing-podcast/
The Playbook - https://restaurants.yelp.com/the-playbook-restaurant-stories/
What do Ryan Reynolds, P Diddy and The Rock all have in common? They've all partnered with and/or donated to Another Round Another Rally, a nonprofit organization devoted to bailing out and building up hospitality workers during and after the pandemic.
Today we chat with founder Amanda Gunderson who looks back on what was accomplished in the last 12 months and what the long road ahead look like for both their organization and the industry at large.
For more on Another Round Another Rally go to https://anotherroundanotherrally.org
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We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out the FULL COMP media universe by visiting:
Full Comp - https://restaurants.yelp.com/full-comp-podcast/
The Happy Mouth Morning Show - https://restaurants.yelp.com/happy-mouth-podcast/
Restaurant Marketing School - https://restaurants.yelp.com/hospitality-marketing-podcast/
The Playbook - https://restaurants.yelp.com/the-playbook-restaurant-stories/
We all open restaurants with the noble goal to serve our communities something they want.
Zak Wallace of Local Green took a different path. He set out to serve his community something they needed. Local Green provides healthy, plant based food within the food desert that Zak calls home.
Being a social entrepreneur in the restaurant industry makes for a great mission but it also makes for a great business. Today Zak shares how serving an unknown need creates massive impact.
For more on Local Green go to www.localgreenatlanta.com and be sure to follow Zak on Instagram using the handle @bigzakwallace.
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We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out the FULL COMP media universe by visiting:
Full Comp - https://restaurants.yelp.com/full-comp-podcast/
The Happy Mouth Morning Show - https://restaurants.yelp.com/happy-mouth-podcast/
Restaurant Marketing School - https://restaurants.yelp.com/hospitality-marketing-podcast/
The Playbook - https://restaurants.yelp.com/the-playbook-restaurant-stories/
I'm obsessed with massive growth. Though I have no desire to own dozens of restaurants, I think there's a ton to be learned from the folks that do.
Randy Dewitt is a scaling mastermind. From a single cafe, he launched an empire that includes Twin Peaks, Velvet Taco and countless other national brands.
Today Randy shares the essential elements that have enabled him to create hit after hit.
For more on FB Society go to www.fb-society.com
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We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out the FULL COMP media universe by visiting:
Full Comp - https://restaurants.yelp.com/full-comp-podcast/
The Happy Mouth Morning Show - https://restaurants.yelp.com/happy-mouth-podcast/
Restaurant Marketing School - https://restaurants.yelp.com/hospitality-marketing-podcast/
The Playbook - https://restaurants.yelp.com/the-playbook-restaurant-stories/
Restaurants within restaurants within restaurants within restaurants.
No, this isn't the sequel to the movie Inception, it's the innovative way the national brand Dog Haus has evolved its company over the last two years.
It's a lot to take in, but today we chat with Quasim Riaz who unpacks their unique business strategy to take one restaurant and turn it into five.
For more on Quasim's projects go to www.doghaus.com
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Book time on Josh's personal calendar: https://bit.ly/3otQm8z
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out the FULL COMP media universe by visiting:
Full Comp - https://restaurants.yelp.com/full-comp-podcast/
The Happy Mouth Morning Show - https://restaurants.yelp.com/happy-mouth-podcast/
Restaurant Marketing School - https://restaurants.yelp.com/hospitality-marketing-podcast/
The Playbook - https://restaurants.yelp.com/the-playbook-restaurant-stories/
Before the pandemic, before the calls for transparency between restaurateurs, there was Mike Bausch. A super successful restaurateur giving away all of his trade secrets. I reached out after reading his book Unsliced, a playbook on how to run a successful restaurant. Today we explore what motivated him to share his wisdom and key lessons from the book.
For more on his book check out www.unslicedbook.com
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Book time on Josh's personal calendar: https://bit.ly/3otQm8z
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out the FULL COMP media universe by visiting:
Full Comp - https://restaurants.yelp.com/full-comp-podcast/
The Happy Mouth Morning Show - https://restaurants.yelp.com/happy-mouth-podcast/
Restaurant Marketing School - https://restaurants.yelp.com/hospitality-marketing-podcast/
The Playbook - https://restaurants.yelp.com/the-playbook-restaurant-stories/
It feels like almost every facet of our industry has been redefined over the last 12 months, especially our relationship to our customers. We've had to rely on their loyalty and support more than ever.
Patrick Kim saw an opportunity there: an opportunity to reward their loyalty while breeding more awareness for our brands.
Enter the Worth Network, a disruptive platform turning our favorite customers into social media influencers. Today Patrick shares his utopian vision for the future of digital marketing and how we can benefit.
To check out Worth go to www.worthnetwork.io
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Book time on Josh's personal calendar: https://bit.ly/3otQm8z
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out the FULL COMP media universe by visiting:
Full Comp - https://restaurants.yelp.com/full-comp-podcast/
The Happy Mouth Morning Show - https://restaurants.yelp.com/happy-mouth-podcast/
Restaurant Marketing School - https://restaurants.yelp.com/hospitality-marketing-podcast/
The Playbook - https://restaurants.yelp.com/the-playbook-restaurant-stories/
There's a gritty side to entrepreneurship that doesn't get much attention.
The hardest part of ownership isn't owning the business, it's in owning the choices you've made and the impact they have on you and your team.
Today we chat with multi-million dollar culinary clothing maven, Ellen Bennett. Ellen wrote a book that's one part biography and one part action plan for aspiring entrepreneurs.
We run though what the past 10 years has been like for Ellen, bringing to light what has made her and her company so successful.
To pick up Ellen's new book Dreams First, Details Later, click here.
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Book time on Josh's personal calendar: https://bit.ly/3otQm8z
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out the FULL COMP media universe by visiting:
Full Comp - https://restaurants.yelp.com/full-comp-podcast/
The Happy Mouth Morning Show - https://restaurants.yelp.com/happy-mouth-podcast/
Restaurant Marketing School - https://restaurants.yelp.com/hospitality-marketing-podcast/
The Playbook - https://restaurants.yelp.com/the-playbook-restaurant-stories/
Some folks seem to have it all figured out.
Chef David Meyers is a Michelin-rated, globetrotting chef with restaurants around the world. He's one of the only guys I know that was able to successfully pop-up a restaurant in the midst of the pandemic.
In today's episode we run through the best and worst decisions he's made and the lessons he's learned from both.
For more on David go to www.gypsychef.com
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Book time on Josh's personal calendar: https://bit.ly/3otQm8z
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out the FULL COMP media universe by visiting:
Full Comp - https://restaurants.yelp.com/full-comp-podcast/
The Happy Mouth Morning Show - https://restaurants.yelp.com/happy-mouth-podcast/
Restaurant Marketing School - https://restaurants.yelp.com/hospitality-marketing-podcast/
The Playbook - https://restaurants.yelp.com/the-playbook-restaurant-stories/
Tressie Lieberman is the Vice President of Digital and Off Premise for Chipotle.
Do you think that was a big job in light of the pandemic?
Tressie worked to conceptualize and execute a new way for this massive company to do business in a world that went from brick and mortar to digital overnight.
In today's episode we tackle emerging trends, Chipotle's digital transformation and what independent restaurateurs can learn from Chipotle's successes and struggles over the last 12 months.
For more on Chipotle, go to www.chipotle.com
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Book time on Josh's personal calendar: https://bit.ly/3otQm8z
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out the FULL COMP media universe by visiting:
Full Comp - https://restaurants.yelp.com/full-comp-podcast/
The Happy Mouth Morning Show - https://restaurants.yelp.com/happy-mouth-podcast/
Restaurant Marketing School - https://restaurants.yelp.com/hospitality-marketing-podcast/
The Playbook - https://restaurants.yelp.com/the-playbook-restaurant-stories/
It wasn't just independent restaurants that have suffered through the pandemic, many of the big guys were hurt too. Their big advantage is that they have more money to try more things.
We can benefit from the wisdom of their experiences.
Today we chat with Jay Livingston, the Chief Marketing Officer of Shake Shack to discuss what's working, what isn't and what's next.
For more on Shake Shack go to www.shakeshack.com
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We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out the FULL COMP media universe by visiting:
Full Comp - www.restaurants.yelp.com/fullcomp
The Happy Mouth Morning Show - www.restaurants.yelp.com/happy mouth
Restaurant Marketing School - www.restaurants.yelp.com/marketingschool
The Playbook - www.restaurants.yelp.com/influencers
As an industry we can look at the pandemic as a blessing or as a curse. No matter which one you choose, you'll be right.
Celebrity Chef Curtis Stone is choosing to view the pandemic as an opportunity to improve.
Today we run through the operational improvements he's made and the impact they've had on restaurants.
For more on the chef visit www.curtisstone.com
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Book time on Josh's personal calendar: https://bit.ly/3otQm8z
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out the FULL COMP media universe by visiting:
Full Comp - www.restaurants.yelp.com/fullcomp
The Happy Mouth Morning Show - www.restaurants.yelp.com/happy mouth
Restaurant Marketing School - www.restaurants.yelp.com/marketingschool
The Playbook - www.restaurants.yelp.com/influencers
Most of us have a tough time imagining what the world is going to look like next month, forget about next year.
But, in order to ensure the survival of our businesses and this industry, we need to know what's coming down the pike. What resources and tools can we leverage to truly thrive in the restaurant industry?
Today Tim Brown of Oracle runs us through what's available today and what we can look forward to in the future.
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We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out the FULL COMP media universe by visiting:
Full Comp - www.restaurants.yelp.com/fullcomp
The Happy Mouth Morning Show - www.restaurants.yelp.com/happy mouth
Restaurant Marketing School - www.restaurants.yelp.com/marketingschool
Restaurant Influencers: The Playbook - www.restaurants.yelp.com/influencers
Where do I think we've gone wrong as an industry?
In a nutshell, it's storytelling. We've been unable to have tough conversations with our patrons and our peer around pricing and how hard our jobs truly are.
Enter the most unlikely resource imaginable, Tucker Max. As it turns out, Tucker grew up in a restaurant family and that background paired with his prowess for storytelling puts him in a position to offer experienced-based, actionable advice on how we can and should share our stories with each other and our communities.
For more on Tucker's company go to www.scribemedia.com
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We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out the FULL COMP media universe by visiting:
Full Comp - www.restaurants.yelp.com/fullcomp
The Happy Mouth Morning Show - www.restaurants.yelp.com/happy mouth
Restaurant Marketing School - www.restaurants.yelp.com/marketingschool
The Playbook - www.restaurants.yelp.com/influencers
I am fascinated by the mastery of anything, especially in our industry.
Noel Brohner, better known as the dough doctor, has mastered the art of making pizza. He's the go-to guy for the rich and famous seeking the perfect slice and the independent restaurateur looking to level up their offering.
Typically, the best teachers are the best students and Noel is no exception. Today, Noel share with us what he's learned in the pursuit of perfection.
For more on Noel go to www.slowrisepizza.com
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We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out the FULL COMP media universe by visiting:
Full Comp - www.restaurants.yelp.com/fullcomp
The Happy Mouth Morning Show - www.restaurants.yelp.com/happy mouth
Restaurant Marketing School - www.restaurants.yelp.com/marketingschool
The Playbook - www.restaurants.yelp.com/influencers
You should listen to Martha Hoover.
Not because she owns and operates 14 different restaurants. Not because she offers her 400 member team full benefits and parental leave. Not because of her nationally renowned sustainability efforts.Not because her farm to table casual concepts are actually profitable.
You should listen to Martha Hoover because she's right.
This is our moment. This is our opportunity to look at the mistakes of the past and make better choices for ourselves. This is the conversation we should of had years ago.
For more on Martha's organization go to www.patachouinc.com
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We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out the FULL COMP media universe by visiting:
Full Comp - www.restaurants.yelp.com/fullcomp
The Happy Mouth Morning Show - www.restaurants.yelp.com/happy mouth
Restaurant Marketing School - www.restaurants.yelp.com/marketingschool
The Playbook - www.restaurants.yelp.com/influencers
Food delivery has always been complicated and prohibitively expensive and, when third party delivery came on the scene, it seemed like a godsend. It appeared to be an infrastructural solution to a foundational problem. But this gift has also been a curse for many restaurateurs.
30% commissions didn't make since when delivery constituted 15% of our sales. Now that it constitutes 80+ percent, the wheels are coming off the bus.
Enter Roger Avats, a tech pioneer that has set his sights on saving the restaurant industry, one delivery at a time. Today, Roger takes us through his plan to help get restaurateurs back in the driver's seat.
For more on InHouseDelivery go to www.inhousedelivery.com
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We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out the FULL COMP media universe by visiting:
Full Comp - www.restaurants.yelp.com/fullcomp
The Happy Mouth Morning Show - www.restaurants.yelp.com/happy mouth
Restaurant Marketing School - www.restaurants.yelp.com/marketingschool
Restaurant Influencers: The Playbook - www.restaurants.yelp.com/influencers
I've spent a lot of time over the last several months thinking about legacy.
I can't help but wonder if my efforts will result in a lasting impact on our industry. Am I able to move the conversation forward? Can I improve the day to day lives of my peers?
I look to guys like Ben Leventhal for inspiration. Ben's contributions to food media and tech are undeniable. On the heels of him stepping down as GM of Amex's Global Dining Team, we look back at his legacy and what comes next for him and for the restaurant industry.
____________________________________________________________
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Book time on Josh's personal calendar: https://bit.ly/3otQm8z
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out the FULL COMP media universe by visiting:
Full Comp - www.restaurants.yelp.com/fullcomp
The Happy Mouth Morning Show - www.restaurants.yelp.com/happy mouth
Restaurant Marketing School - www.restaurants.yelp.com/marketingschool
Restaurant Influencers: The Playbook - www.restaurants.yelp.com/influencers
Our industry is full of one hit wonders. Innovators that are able to capture lightening in a bottle but only once. Many of us dream of a culinary empire with locations that span the globe. What I've been trying to figure out is what enables some folks to achieve this dream while so many of us fail in the pursuit.
Today we chat with Adam Fleischman, a self taught chef that created and scaled both Umami Burger and 800 Degree Pizza worldwide. We unpack the mindset and the strategy that enabled him to grow these businesses to global proportions.
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Book time on Josh's personal calendar: https://bit.ly/3otQm8z
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out the FULL COMP media universe by visiting:
Full Comp - www.restaurants.yelp.com/fullcomp
The Happy Mouth Morning Show - www.restaurants.yelp.com/happy mouth
Restaurant Marketing School - www.restaurants.yelp.com/marketingschool
Restaurant Influencers: The Playbook - www.restaurants.yelp.com/influencers
There are roughly 1300 self made billionaires in the world. That may seem like a big number but when you compare that to the 7.8 billion people on the planet, it's incredibly small.
How did they get there? Is it luck, skill or a combination of the two?
Today we delve into the aspirational story of real estate tycoon Grant Cardone who elected to go back to zero just to see if he could do it all over again.
Sign Up for Our Weekly Newsletter: https://pineapplepost.news
Book time on Josh's personal calendar: https://bit.ly/3otQm8z
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out the FULL COMP media universe by visiting:
Full Comp - www.restaurants.yelp.com/fullcomp
The Happy Mouth Morning Show - www.restaurants.yelp.com/happy mouth
Restaurant Marketing School - www.restaurants.yelp.com/marketingschool
Restaurant Influencers: The Playbook - www.restaurants.yelp.com/influencers
You don't know what you don't know. For many of us, the laws have changed on an almost daily basis on a local, state and federal level. Each change increases the odds of a slip up that could cost us thousands.
Today we chat with attorney Anthony Zaller who will run us through what we need to know to stay protected, what resources are at our disposal and what steps we need to take to remain compliant.
Below you'll find links to the resources mentioned in Anthony's episode:
Firm website: www.zallerlaw.com
Blog: www.californiaemploymentlawreport.com
Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/EmploymentLawReportCA
Sign Up for Our Weekly Newsletter: https://pineapplepost.news
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We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out the FULL COMP media universe by visiting:
Full Comp - www.restaurants.yelp.com/fullcomp
The Happy Mouth Morning Show - www.restaurants.yelp.com/happy mouth
Restaurant Marketing School - www.restaurants.yelp.com/marketingschool
Restaurant Influencers: The Playbook - www.restaurants.yelp.com/influencers
Empire building has become the standard in our industry. Why have one restaurant when you can have 100? This ambition, paired with debt financing, has led to the collapse of our industry.
Many of us grew too big too fast.
Enter Tyler Wilson. Tyler has spent the last decade growing from one location to two, without incurring one penny of debt. Wins and losses are financed from the profits of the business not debit from outside investment. In this episode we dig into the pros and cons of a debt free restaurant model.
For more on Tyler's restaurant go to Wurstkuche.com
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Want to streamline your front-of-house operations and increase sales? Head over to http://restaurants.yelp.com to claim your free page and learn more about these powerful tools for your business.
My greatest frustration as a restaurateur has always been marketing. I knew we were doing a great job in the restaurant, I knew the community was in need of what we were offering but I had no idea how to effectively communicate that.
There's so much noise out there, how do you break through?
Most of us can't afford to hire a digital marketing expert but I happen to be close friends with one of the best, Eric Siu.
Eric has built a $25M empire helping individuals and companies reach their target markets.
Today we unpack what has driven his pursuit of excellence, his strategies for building audience and unveil his latest project, the Restaurant Marketing School podcast.
Be sure to check out Eric's book, Leveling Up, and subscribe to our newest podcast Restaurant Marketing School.
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Want to streamline your front-of-house operations and increase sales? Head over to http://restaurants.yelp.com to claim your free page and learn more about these powerful tools for your business.
The restaurateurs that have really thrived over the last 10 months are the ones that have embraced the reality of our situation. They've accepted the pandemic and reworked their concepts to meet these new challenges head on.
Mindfulness, innovation, pliability and strict adherence to standards have become the tools of the trade.
Few incapsulate this more than Lindsay Tusk.
From moving her restaurant into the middle of a farm to building out the retail arm of their business, they are making the pandemic work for them. Today we unpack what's worked, what hasn't and where we go from here.
For more on their projects go to quincerestaurant.com
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Want to streamline your front-of-house operations and increase sales? Head over to http://restaurants.yelp.com to claim your free page and learn more about these powerful tools for your business.
The pandemic didn't pick favorites. For each small, independent restaurant that has shut down, just as many celebrity chefs have lost everything.
But they'll be fine. I'm sure they're sitting on piles of money, right?
Wrong.
When the fundamentals of an entire industry are wrong, every participant at every level suffers.
Chef Brooke Williamson has reached the pinnacle of what our industry has to offer and is successful by every metric. In sharing her story with you today, I'm hoping to show that the view from the top, looks a lot like the view from where you're sitting today.
Be sure to follow her on Chef Brooke on instagram using the handle chefbrookew.
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Want to streamline your front-of-house operations and increase sales? Head over to http://restaurants.yelp.com to claim your free page and learn more about these powerful tools for your business.
We all hope to be successful, but how many of us plan to be successful?
Susan Sarich of SusieCakes took the time to plan every aspect of her restaurant. The research and development that went into her business plan directly resulted in the success she had after opening.
Having weathered two economic disasters and with dozens of locations under her belt, her plan seems bulletproof and in today's episode we walk through it step by step.
For more on SusieCakes go to susiecakes.com
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Want to streamline your front-of-house operations and increase sales? Head over to http://restaurants.yelp.com to claim your free page and learn more about these powerful tools for your business.
Some of the most inspiring things to come out of the pandemic have been the unexpected acts of heroism we've seen within our industry. In the worst of times, we still find ourselves of service to others.
Few illustrate that ideal more that Chef Greg Baxtrom. He's converted one restaurant into a community food bank and another into a platform for aspiring chefs of color.
In this episode we dive into the experiences and choices that have made him a world class chef and a community leader.
For more on the chef and his projects go to www.olmsteadnyc.com
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Want to streamline your front-of-house operations and increase sales? Head over to http://restaurants.yelp.com/fullcomppodcast to claim your free page and learn more about these powerful tools for your business.
As a leader, it takes courage to experience a problem and then chart the new course to remedy it. Vision is required to see that problem before it happens and make it part of your solution.
Andy Hooper of &pizza is that kind of visionary. His early investments in technology and company culture have paid dividends over the last 9 months. They spent 2020 growing the company and will expand even farther in 2021.
In this episode we unpack the management tools and resources he's created and how he's successfully utilized them despite the pandemic.
For more on &pizza visit www.andpizza.com
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Want to streamline your front-of-house operations and increase sales? Head over to http://restaurants.yelp.com/fullcomppodcast to claim your free page and learn more about these powerful tools for your business.
So many of us were unprepared for the struggles we'd experience in 2020. Justin Rosenberg of Honeygrow was well prepared for any obstacles that came his way.
Why? Some brands are built on strong economies and good luck, others are forged in fire.
In this episode, Justin walks us through the hard lessons he learned scaling Honeygrow and how that prepared him for the pandemic.
For more Honeygrow go to www.honeygrow.com
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Want to streamline your front-of-house operations and increase sales? Head over to http://restaurants.yelp.com/fullcomppodcast to claim your free page and learn more about these powerful tools for your business.
Cross-training to composting, there's a new breed of restaurateur out there. They're leveraging the newest restaurant tech and strategies from outside of our industry to create entirely new companies.
Chef Camilla Marcus is leading the charge for change and
today we run through several of her endeavors including a restaurant focused tech conference, a nonprofit for hospitality workers and her zero waste restaurant West~Bourne.
For more on West~Bourne go to www.westbourne.com
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Want to streamline your front-of-house operations and increase sales? Head over to http://restaurants.yelp.com/fullcomppodcast to claim your free page and learn more about these powerful tools for your business.
I am not a great leader but I certainly aspire to be one and I've gotta believe that's half the battle. Any improvements I've made over the years can be traced directly back to the great coaches I've had and the great lessons they've taught me.
One of the greatest coaches I know is Howard Solomon. I reached out to him because, in this moment, I think we could all use a little coaching.
In today's chat we unpack what it takes to become a great leader and how to inspire greatness in your team.
If you're looking to level up visit www.solomonleaders.com
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Today, I might come off as a little hypocritical. I've had the good fortune of having my brands grace the pages of almost every food publication in the country. But I also spent years out of the spotlight and I remember how cold and frustrating those days were.
When you're in you're in. When you're out, you're out. Those days and that kind of journalism need to be done.
Today we chat with Antonio Diaz, founder of Life and Thyme, an independent food media magazine determined to highlight the people behind the products. It's a big publication telling small stories and today we hear Antonio's story and how he's taking professional responsibility for the recovery of our industry.
To check out the magazine go to www.lifeandthyme.com
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We have several new projects launching in 2021. Here's a preview!
Restaurant Marketing School
Hosted by famed digital marketer Eric Siu and Michelin-rated restaurateur Josh Kopel, RMS provides daily digital marketing tips, giving restaurateurs the tools they need to communicate with their existing customers and reach an entirely new customer base. Each episode is only 4-7 minutes, providing bite sized, actionable information that listeners can implement in their restaurants that day.
Release Schedule: Monday-Friday
Season 1 launches 1/11/21
Restaurant Influencers: The Playbook
Restaurant Influencers offers readers a peek at the playbook of successful restaurateurs from across the country. Informative and actionable, these are the stories, tools and resources that will ensure the hospitality industry thrives.
Digital publication launches 1/18/21
Release Schedule: Daily
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Want to streamline your front-of-house operations and increase sales? Head over to http://restaurants.yelp.com/fullcomppodcast to claim your free page and learn more about these powerful tools for your business.
In Season 3, the restaurant revolution is taking a new shape. As we see our way out of the pandemic the new ideas and strategies we've implemented have taken root and blossomed. We have entered the Restaurant Renaissance. Season 3 focuses on the revolutionary ideas and leaders that have thrived during this difficult time, empowering listeners to walk a similar path.
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No different than Season One, I find it impossible to pick out my favorite episodes from Season 2.
Having said that, I do have my favorite lessons....
We've got much more planned for Season 3 which launches January 5th.
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Want to streamline your front-of-house operations and increase sales? Head over to http://restaurants.yelp.com/fullcomppodcast to claim your free page and learn more about these powerful tools for your business.
For many of us, wine is hard. It’s a world with a language all its own and there’s just something about it that’s always made feel foolish.
Whether by design or not, that uneasiness…that inaccessibility needs to change.
One of the soldiers leading the charge towards diversity and inclusion is Julia Coney. Her mission is to bring the world of wine to underserved groups and bringing diversity to the industry at large.
Today we explore her role within the industry and her efforts to make the wine world look more like the world around us. For more on Julia and her initiatives go to www.juliaconey.com
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Want to streamline your front-of-house operations and increase sales? Head over to http://restaurants.yelp.com/fullcomppodcast to claim your free page and learn more about these powerful tools for your business.
We all do it. We look at someone else’s restaurant in awe, wondering how they got a custom shoe deal or lines out the door. When does a restaurant transcend food and beverage and become an idea?
John Seymour of Sweet Chick seems to have cracked that code.
Today we discuss how to build a brand, culture and community. We also discuss how those efforts translate into survival in tough times like these.
To check out John’s latest initiatives go to www.sweetchick.com
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Want to streamline your front-of-house operations and increase sales? Head over to http://restaurants.yelp.com/fullcomppodcast to claim your free page and learn more about these powerful tools for your business.
2020 has been the most educational year of my life. It’s amazing what you see when you take a moment to look around.
I’ve spent the last 20 years in this industry, blind to the struggles of so many. Well, my eyes are open now and I’m ready to become part of the solution.
I sat down with Saru Jayaraman of One Fair Wage to discuss the inequities in our industry and what we can do to change them.
To offer support of get support go to www.onefairwage.org
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Can good, nutritious food be reasonably priced?
Can it be cheap?
Is healthy food is a human right?
Sam Polk thinks it is and he’s putting his money where is.
Sam created Everytable, a company dedicated to offering nutritious food at a low price point…and he intends to make a profit while doing it.
Today we discuss how Sam is bucking convention and using the big corporations playbook to make a big impact on local communities.
For more on Everytable and their mission go to www.everytable.com
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Vulnerability is the superpower that can change the world and, in the moment, is changing the face of the hospitality industry.
When Chef Irene Li opened her books revealing that her busy, award-winning restaurant Mei Mei was breaking even, the news went viral.
Diners were shocked and restaurateurs were forced to take a hard look in the mirror.
The jig was up.
Today Irene opens her books again, giving us insight into what Mei Mei is today and what it will become in the future.
For more info on Mei Mei’s virtual classes and CPG offering go to http://www.meimeiboston.com
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I bought into the same dream you did: build a restaurant, make it successful, rinse and repeat.
How well did that work for you?
It took me down the path of exhaustion, frustration and, ultimately, failure.
Ari Weinzweig, co-founder of Zingerman’s in Ann Arbor, Michigan, took a different path. He created a community of businesses, each supporting the next. He stayed small and strategic, investing heavily in his team.
He’s built the stuff dreams are made of and today we tackle how he turned those dreams into reality.
Click here to check out Ari’s tools and resources.
Click here to check out Ari’s community of businesses.
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Want to streamline your front-of-house operations and increase sales? Head over to http://restaurants.yelp.com/fullcomppodcast to claim your free page and learn more about these powerful tools for your business.
You can’t talk to Robert Egger without asking yourself one simple question: What have I done with my life?
Robert has dedicated his life to supporting the hungry, sustainability and those in desperate need of a second chance. He’s weaponized food in the fight to end hunger and build community.
Today we discuss his revolutionary ideas around charity needs to change and how we, as restaurateurs and chefs, can play a vital role.
For more on Robert and his upcoming projects go to fuckingshitup.net
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Stalking is illegal but I don’t know how else I would describe the process I used to book Chef JJ Johnson for the show.
Why?
Because he has something important to say.
JJ sees food as a common language and uses it to educate the masses about who we are and where we come from. Today we delve into his culinary education and the path that led him to where he is today.
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If there’s only one lesson to be learned from helping someone open a restaurant it’s that it would be a bad idea to open up one yourself.
Max Sheets spent his professional life helping restaurateurs scale their businesses to massive proportions.
At some point along the way, he caught the entrepreneurial bug and decided to strike out on his own to create Chick N Max. Today we discuss the tools and tricks he learned from corporate giants and how he implemented those in his restaurant concept.
To check out his employee handbook click here.
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Want to streamline your front-of-house operations and increase sales? Head over to http://restaurants.yelp.com/fullcomppodcast to claim your free page and learn more about these powerful tools for your business.
Here in America, we don’t know what the winter will bring. But we can look to Australia, who’s just coming out of the cold winter months, for indicators of what’s to come.
Today I sit down with Shaun de Vries of Open Pantry Consulting.
In this episode we discuss how the Australian Hospitality Industry fared during the winter and what we can do stateside to prepare for the colder months.
For more on what Shaun and the Open Pantry team are working on go to openpantryconsulting.com
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When you hear truth, it resonates. The first time a read a book by Seth Godin, I knew in my heart he was speaking the truth.
I just read his newest book, The Practice, and I had to talk to him about it.
I believe the right mindset is what will help us prevail in these difficult times and this book has helped get me back on track. We talk about The Practice and much more in today far reaching conversation.
Be sure to pick up his new book, The Practice, available wherever you buy books.
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Working in hospitality is a calling. I felt called to serve people and, as a restaurateur, I’ve done just that. Chef’s have a different calling, to feed and nourish the masses.
Today we chat with Dan Giusti, the former executive chef of Noma.
Dan walked away from the prestige of fine dining to serve a bigger purpose. Through his company Brigaid, he’s committed his life to turning school cafeterias across America into scratch kitchens led by seasoned chefs.
Today we explore the work that goes into revolutionizing the American school food system.
For more on Brigaid go to chefsbrigaid.com
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Restaurateurs tackle many problems, but money problems always make it to the top of the list.
If we’re going to rethink the whole industry we need to start with financing.
We start these passion projects deeply in debt and spend the first several years trying to dig our way out. That’s no way to run a business! My search for innovative ideas to avoid debt financing led me to Johann Moonesinghe.
On this episode we chat about his company InKind, a restaurant financing company that’s created a debt free model worth exploring.
For more on InKind go to www.inkind.com
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Twice a week, I show you the world I see. The world I want to live in. It’s filled with big names, big stories and bright futures.
But there’s something to be said for the small stories...The independent restaurateur fighting the good fight in a forgotten neighborhood.
There’s hope and inspiration there as well.
Today we chat with Andrea Abdallah, owner of Barcito in Downtown Los Angeles. Andrea is proof that we can change the whole industry by changing the way we do business. Her story of struggle and survival epitomizes the reason why I’ve dedicated my life to serving those that serve the world.
For more on Barcito, go to www.barcitola.com
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Everyone has a different definition of success. But, if we all had to pick one, we’d probably pick Sam Nazarian's.
His company, SBE, owns 36 hotels and over 200 culinary and nightlife venues globally. He’s worked with everyone from Philippe Stark to Jose Andres.
And even in the midst of a global pandemic he’s expanding, opening Citizen’s a 40,000 sq foot eatery later this year. Sam has dominated every tier of hospitality for more than a decade now and today he unpacks his winning strategy.
For more on SBE and their upcoming projects go to www.sbe.com
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No one could have seen the utter decimation of our industry coming, right? Granted there were signs we were on shaky ground but I, for one, was too busy to see them.
Michael Tingsager, on the other hand, was not. I reached out to Michael after pouring over the content on his website.
The issues we’re tackling today, he was discussing more than a year ago. He’s a hospitality futurist. He can clearly see where we’re headed and what we need to do to ensure we get there safely. Today we dive deep into our past, present and the opportunities that lay before us.
For more on Michael, go to www.hospitalitymavericks.com
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The greatest lesson I’ve ever learned is that personal development is professional development. I learned that lesson and countless others from Verne Harnish and the platforms he’s created. Verne has spent his life trying to support the endeavors of Entrepreneurs just like you and me.
In these difficult times we need guidance from the best teachers out there. That’s why I asked Verne to be on the show.
Links
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We’ve covered countless pivots on this show but I wanted to try something different.
Today we chat with Krystle Mobayeni, founder of BentoBox. Krystle and her team created a plug and play website design service designed for our industry. She’s been touting the importance of the online experience for restaurants since long before the pandemic.
There was no need to pivot! Retail, online ordering and so much more were readily available through Bentobox.
During this time of great struggle, I see tremendous value in talking with visionaries like Krystle that have created solutions to problem we didn’t even know we had.
For more on BentoBox go to getbento.com
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Want to streamline your front-of-house operations and increase sales? Head over to http://restaurants.yelp.com/fullcomppodcast to claim your free page and learn more about these powerful tools for your business.ant to streamline your front-of-house operations and increase sales? Head over to http://bit.ly/YelpRestaurants to claim your free page and learn more about these powerful tools for your business.
If you own and operate the best restaurant in the world does that make you the best restaurateur in the world?
If I didn’t believe that Will Guidara was the best before our conversation I certainly do now. His love of craft and of industry inspired him to create not only a restaurant empire, but to create the Welcome Conference: a platform whereby the hospitality industry can come together to chart a better future for all of us.
Today we chat about what it takes to be the best, the strategy to get there and what's he's doing to make sure we, as an industry, come out of the pandemic stronger than ever.
To learn more about the Welcome Conference go to welcomeconference.org
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What's it take to become an overnight success? The short answer is years of dedication and hard work.
Chef Johnny Ray Zone took Nashville hot chicken, an obscure regional dish, and turned it into an international institution. The guy is a hot chicken mogul selling out 1,000’s of sandwiches a day, setting his own rules with the delivery companies and partnering with Post Malone on new promotions.
I looked to him for inspiration when I opened my own fried chicken joint but I did it for money and never achieved the level of success that he has.
Why?
Because it’s his authenticity that has made him a star. Zone walks the walk and, in today’s conversation, he walks me though his path to greatness.
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Staring down the barrel of a 60% permanent closure rate...It's time to fix what's broken.
It’s time to change the game.
The hospitality industry is at a pivotal point and it has becomes painfully obvious that business acumen and strategic planning will matter just as much as resilience.There's no shortage of resources ranging from how to apply for loans to how to negotiate with your landlord.
At some point, we will turn our sights towards the future and, when that time comes, we’ll need to the tools and strategies to thrive, not just survive.
In the hospitality industry, we fix our own problems. This is no different.
We’ve created a group called The Hospitality Game Changers
It’s on Facebook, a platform you already use daily
It’s a space just for us where we’re tackling the most difficult issues facing our industry and creating solutions.
It’s updated daily with the most compelling audio, written and video content to make sure you’re plugged in to what’s going on today and what can help us tomorrow.
It’s quick, easy and free to join.
Just click here or login to Facebook and search Hospitality Game Changers in the search bar.
Click join and you’re all set.
We can’t change the cards that we are dealt, but we can change how we play the game.
Jeremiah Tower is the father of contemporary American cuisine. From Chez Panisse to Stars, he impacted cuisine and culture. He stepped off the line and into the dining room, creating the role of the celebrity chef,
I believe that, as an industry, we need to blaze a new trail and I thought it was a good idea to talk to the guy that blazed the trail for Alice Waters, Danny Meyer and, well, me.
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What does the COO of a $350 million restaurant conglomerate have to teach independent restaurateurs?
More than you can imagine.
Kat Cole worked her way up the ranks from a waitress to executive vice president of Hooters, went on to become the president of Cinnabon and now sits as the COO of Focus Brands, a corporation consisting of household names like Schlotzsky’s and Jamba Juice.
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HIGHLIGHTS
- A new perspective on education
- Mentorship
- Establishing a leadership position within a organization
- Pivoting to leadership within an industry
- The role of women within the hospitality industry
- Dealing with press
- The role of tech in hospitality
- Taking a bowling alley approach to management
- Connecting with your story
- Big wins, big mistakes
Jon Taffer knows what's up. Though he's made a name for himself as a television personality, Taffer is a stone-cold operator. This guy knows his sh*t. On this episode he presents revolutionary ideas on what the restaurant can do to survive today and what the industry will look like tomorrow.
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HIGHLIGHTS
- A vision for the kitchen of the future
- The 3 key functions in a restaurant
- Safe dining protocols
- Pricing adjustments
- Elements of leadership
- Alternatives to discounts
- Being honest with yourself
- Reaction management
- Enforcing customer masking and safety protocols
- Resetting America
Picking a favorite episode from season one would be like a parent picking a favorite child. Having said that, I do favorite lessons. Here are my top three from Shawn Walchef, Josh Holtzman and Sam Marvin.
We’ve have much more planned for Season 2 which begins October 6th.
Be sure to tune in next week for the Season 2 premier featuring Jon Taffer.
Be sure to check out FULL COMP Season 2 beginning October 6th featuring:
- Jon Taffer
- Kat Cole
- Seth Godin
- Antonia Lofaso
- Jeremiah Tower
- Brooke Williamson
- Ari Weinzweig
- Sam Nazarian
and many more!
A look back at some of the most inspiring moments with several of our most notable guests including Matthew Jennings, Andrew Zimmern, Joe Sasto, Jet Tila, Daniel Shemtob and Nyesha Arrington.
He was the Chief Restaurant Officer of Union Square Hospitality Group with 20+ locations. Then he became the president of BarTaco, a restaurant group with 30+ locations across 10 states. In his spare time became a master sommelier. By all metrics, Sabato Sagaria is a huge success.
But with such a high failure rate in the industry, what elements are required to achieve that level of success? Today, Sabato teaches us the lessons he learned while working with the best to become the best.
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Highlights
- Redefining leadership at Union Square Hospitality Group
- Rolling out a zero-tipping initiative
- The importance of trust and transparency
- A one-size-fits-one approach
- Possessing a growth mindset/focus
- Can every job be your dream job?
- Creating growth opportunities within your company
- The importance of word-of-mouth advertising
- How to create word-of-mouth advertising
- Guest communication strategies
- 100% table touches
- WTF moments
- The perils and benefits of integrating with a larger company
- Lessons learned from a giant corporate structure
What are the best investments that you can make in your restaurant or in our industry? Eduardo Rallo is an investor in restaurants, in restaurant tech and in people. In this episode, we explore his winning strategy for seeing and seizing the opportunities out there.
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HIGHLIGHTS
- The story behind creating and scaling the World Wrap brand
- The importance of being naive
- Setting up roles for success
- The importance of investing in talent
- Taking on venture capital
- The pressures of institutional funding
- Expanding from restaurateur into restaurant investing
- Early investment in Opentable
- The story behind Pacific Catch
- The next big gold rush in hospitality
- The future of tech in the restaurants
Carlos Santana said “there nothing is more contagious than enthusiasm.” Wil Slickers is living proof that he was right. He has carved out his own place in the hospitality landscape through ingenuity, authenticity and transparency. On this episode, we follow along on Wil's entrepreneurial journey beginning with his first gig in the industry.
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SHOW NOTES
- Beginning in the hospitality industry
- Good with people but no job skills
- Hired at the front desk of a hotel
- Starting the podcast
- Wil moved from the original hotel job to Oregon
- Working in a boutique hotel
- Had a thirst for learning more abut the industry
- Inspired by a Tony Robbins and Gary V video on podcasting
- Started the podcast in 2018
- Wil was 25 years old
- Growth of the podcast
- Interviewed first guests
- Acquired sponsors
- Growth in audience
- Quit job to pursue the podcast full time
- End of 2019
- The formula for the podcast
- Other industry podcasts were boring and monotone
- Short, simple and to the point
- Gary V type sound
- Showing authenticity is the key to growth
- Podcasting is a new exciting medium
- 900k active podcasts in the world
- Far fewer than YouTube channels
- Possible to grow other mediums from the podcast
- What is a destionationnaire
- Alternative term to “hospitality provider”
- Someone wired to create remarkable experiences that are anticipated and shared
- Destinationnaire awards
- Using podcasting creatively in hospitality businesses
- Creating a private podcast for hotel guests
- Information on the hotel
- Hisory of the hotel
- Local amenities
- Creating a private podcast for staff
- Creating a private podcast for restaurant patrons
- Covid19 - have sanitisation conversations in realtime with customers via all of these different mediums
- Advice for new podcasters
- Learn something from your guests
- Focus on being adaptable
- Learn editing and distribution
- Engage with your community
- Put your audience first
- Create value through multiple media mediums
- Podcasts create a direct line between industry leaders and the listening audience
- Podcasts as a service
- It is scary to put yourself out there
- Never been a better time to do it
- Future for Wil Slickers
- Constant evolution of the podcast concept
- Doing podcasts interviews himself
- Starting in real estate and owning hotels
- Future of hospitality
- Industry standards will be raised post pandemic
- Transparency is key to the new generation of hospitality businesses
- Words to industry
- Enjoy the down time
- Be open to new opportunities
- Say “f***” it and get out of your comfort zone
Great food, drinks and service are only half the battle. What's the point of offering a world-class product and service if no one knows about it. As hospitality professionals we are as responsible for marketing our wares as we are for perfecting them.
But how?
Enter Brett Linkletter of Misfit Media. Brett and his team have been working for years to master social media marketing and advertising. On this episode, Brett runs us though his tips and tricks for sharing your vision with the world.
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SHOW NOTES
- Beginnings of Misfit Media
- Marketing vs Advertising
- Marketing articulation of what makes your product or service good
- Advertising is to create awareness
- Misfit Media three stage process
- Difficulties during Covid
- 150+ clients pre-covid
- 25% clientele canceled wiith no warning
- 25% paused until further notice
- Pivoting during Covid
- Optimizing systems for online
- Develop new systems
- Becoming more effective as an agency
- Investing more during Covid
- DineLine
- Integrated solution from marketing to sale
- enables online ordering for restaurants
- POS integration
- Misfit Media marketing integration
- delivery from third party apps
- Restaurants haven’t changed much in the past 100 years
- Opportunity to do things differently
- Josh has done physical advertising e.g mailers
- Found more success with digital paid advertising
- Paid advertising works so well because it is hyper focussed
- Underutilized - restaurants are slow to move into technology
- Misfit Media find the best results with Facebook and Instagram advertising
- Next Door and Yelp marketing have good results too
- Budgeting for paid social media advertising
- Ad spend of $500 per location per month
- No need to spend more than that
- Frequency of an ad - number of times someone has seen the ad
- Wasting money if the same people are seeing the same ad again and again
- Messenger is also high open rate
- Average engagement rate for followers is 0.5%
- Advertising to grow followers arre not useful
- Create a custom audience after collecting data
- Enables you to exclude customers already collected
- Every dollar spent is going to acquisition and building database
- Advertising group should be min 30,000 people
- Key KPI
- Cost per contact
- Good average is $1-1.20 per lead
- If 20% of leads collected convert to customers, that is a $5 acquisition
- Biggest advertising mistake
- Boost posts
- No KPIs for success
- Lazy way to advertise
- Learning abut social media advertising
- Restaurant Accelerator course by Misfit Media
- Billy Gene marketing programs
- Reopening campaigns step by step
Philip Camino is out to save his restaurants but, in the process, may be able to help save the industry. Today we discuss how he’s expanding the concept of team to include his vendors and how wellness plays a central role in his restaurant operations.
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SHOW NOTES
- Transforming the business during Covid
- Looking at ways to mitigate risk
- Reduce costs
- Get more efficient
- Speak to landlords and stakeholders
- Building a partnership with landlords
- Collaborating with landlords rather than being against them
- Less tennants in the next 6-12months
- More failures happening within the next year
- Mid level spaces - much less demand
- Philip’s professional background
- Director of Finance at the Student Union
- Corporate job in enternatinment management company
- Corporate marketing
- Moved to LA and began in hospitality
- Lessons from a varied professional background
- People are everything
- World class artists and brands have world class teams
- Strong teams attract other talented people
- The hospitality job market
- Hiring has been hard in the past couple of years
- Even BOH hard to hire
- Essential to the running of the restaurant
- Restaurants will have a more diluted talent pool post-pandemic
- Covid is creating opportunity
- Reset of the industry
- 35% restaurant closures
- 35% less competition
- 65% of restaurants who are left will hopefully get 100% of the remaining business
- Finding a stronger team
- Wages will come down
- More top talent available
- Some of the best hospitality professionals in the world are now available
- Benefits to remaining restaurants
- Better team
- Better supplier relationship
- Better opportunities to capitalize
- Less competition
- Redefining relationships with vendors and landlords
- Widening the definition of “team”
- Principles of mutual investment
- Poor current working conditions for employees in the hospitality industry
- No health insurance
- No 401k
- Long work hours
- Initiatives for better employee compensation
- Bonuses based on actionable metrics depending on position
- Example: executive chef receives bonuses for cutting prime costs
- Receives a profit share of money saved
- Gameifying health and wellness
- Whoop app to encourage healthy habits
- Financially incentivize better recovery score
- Recovery score made up of wellness metrics to measure your stress levels
- Resting heart rate
- Sleep
- Respiratory rate
- Heart rate variability
I’ve never wanted to be the first anything. It takes courage to do something no one has ever done before, to dream a new dream. Chef Andrea Drummer has that courage. Today we discuss the changing tides within our industry and our culture...covering everything from cannabis to diversity.
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SHOW NOTES
- Noticing race inequality
- Grew up poor in a middle-class neighborhood
- Noticed white flight
- Noticed the difference in education when attending a partially private, predominantly white high school and majority black high schools
- Called an n-word at age 19 by a man in a pickup truck
- Starting in culinary
- Always been creative in the kitchen
- 1st career in non-profit
- Advocated against cannabis use
- 2nd career as a cannabis chef
- Getting into cannabis cooking
- Moved to California from New York
- Went to culinary school
- Stress of culinary school caused illness
- Severe chronic pain
- Prescribed opiates but took cannabis instead to relieve pain
- The body metabolizes cannabis in a different way with food
- Cooking with cannabis made sense
- Making cannabis use accessible
- Increasingly being used by the older generation
- Less likely to be smokers
- The effects of a cannabis meal
- Choose your own strength
- Particpants inform Andrea of what they want to experience
- Tolerance
- Strength of high
- Andrea can infuse on site to strengthen the high
- Cannabis quality
- Purchased wholesale
- One grower
- Organic, outdoor grown
- High in THC
- Business during Covid
- More enquiries for private dining experiences
- Focussing on delivering at-home solutions to patrons
- Minorities and women in the industry
- Andrew Zimmern mentioned we have the opportunity to change how minorities and women have been treated so far in the industry
- Andrea creates equality in culture
- Focusses on uplifting black women
- Importance of good work environment
- Kitchens used to be hostile
- Chefs would throw things
- Andrea redefines her working kitchen
- Better working hours
- Friendly environment
- If you are not good to yourself, you are not good for the kitchen
- Black Lives Matter
- Being apolitical is damaging to the movement
- Silence is impactful
- Encouraging non-black folks to listen and be open to hearing the truth
- The world is changing
- We all have a desire to be better
- We are still creating and learning during this time
- Success has no playbook
- Andrea is relatively new to culinary business
- Creating her own rules with intention
- Being true to oneself
- Reflecting during Covid
- Opportunity to be authentic and original when everything is quieter
One sacrifice that we all seem to make is that we spend an exorbitant amount of time away from our families. Personally, I worry about the impact that my career will have on my daughter.
There are case studies out there, though and today’s guest, Christy Vega is one of them. Her restaurant, started by her father, has been in business for over 60 years. It’s one thing to love what your father does for a living, it’s something else entirely to choose that career path for yourself. Today we discuss the struggles and successes associated with saving the family business.
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SHOW NOTES
- The beginnings of Casa Vega
- Building a family business
- Building a strong staff culture
- Casa Vega staff as family
- Many staff members are long term
- Have been working there for 40+ years
- Struggles as an operator
- Not taken seriously as she was raised within the restaurant
- Not taken seriously as a woman
- Machismo
- Many of the staff are men
- Worked harder than anyone else to earn the respect of staff
- Differences in leadership styles
- Ray Vega
- Ruled with an iron fist
- Magnetic personality
- Strict
- Business minded
- Christy Vega
- Collaborative approach
- Adapts to change
- Follows feedback from staff and guests
- Weaknesses of Casa Vega
- Antiquated systems
- Takeout was not efficient
- Ideas for other revenue streams
- Popups in stadiums and airports
- Pivoting during the pandemic
- Used menu ideas for stadiums and airports to create a to-go offering
- Developed a drive-through system using PPP loan
- Set up the entire operation in 4 days
- The hospitality industry is a great teacher
- Your ability to problem-solve comes out of your education in the industry
- Not taught in school
- The personality to thrive in the hospitality industry
- Slightly insane
- Addicted to the atmosphere
- Hard working
- Optimistic
- Entrepreneurs are optimistic
- Restaurateurs are 10x more optimistic
- Greatest lesson from Christy’s father
- Business is business
- Through every hardship, it is a normal part of business
- Not to let the hiccups affect you
- Thinking of the next generation
- Christy’s kids are inspired by her work
- She wants them to be part of the business but also is fearful of their future
- Words to the industry
- Keep moving
- One foot in front of the other
- We’re all in this together
It's been really interesting to see chefs who are normally concerned with running a restaurant suddenly lobbying Congress, all in an effort to show how restaurants tie the whole nation together, economically and culturally. Today we discuss the fight for the survival of our industry and our planet with one of the chefs leading the charge.
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SHOW NOTES
- How Rick started in sustainability
- Rick has always been a “greater good” person
- Working together for the future of community
- Willing to sacrifice for the greater good
- To be sustainable, a restaurant needs a difference economic model
- organic/ethical produce is more expensive
- Most restaurants break-even or lose money
- Rick’s restaurant loses money
- Ways Rick is redefining his restaurant
- Commitment to local producers
- Revising pay structure
- 20% service charge on all checks
- Use service charge to pay FOH & BOH staff
- Hired back staff at a slightly lower hourly rate
- Split additional gratuity between FOH staff
- Is the industry ready to reopen?
- Have we had enough time to reflect?
- Issues need to be addressed before reopening
- Open-book management
- All staff know the business financials
- Having a strong culture
- Being open with staff about anxieties and fears
- Frontera has long-term staff
- Multigenerations
- Retirement age staff
- 50% split men and women
- Independent Restaurants’ Coalition has a weekly summit
- Speakers to advice on different issues
- Advocating for the Restaurant’s Act
- 25% of unemployment comes from the restaurant industry
- Less than 8% of PPP loans went to restaurants
- Restaurants’ Act would ensure a cash grant for independent restaurants to survive
- More loans are not helpful
- 30 senators & 160 House of Reps cosigned the bill
- Rick’s success is fuelled by desire to introduce Americans to Mexican food and culture
- Lived in Mexico for a long time
- Rich, complex cuisine
- Most Americans think of tacos, burritos, nachos, and margaritas as Mexican food
- Nachos considered American food in Mexico City
- Spreading the word
- TV work
- 12 seasons of long-time TV show “Mexico One Plate at a Time”
- Books
- Restaurants
- Advice to young people graduating from culinary school
- This will be tough
- You have shown you are not afraid of hard work
- The whole world will be redefined
- Create your own model
- Interactions with guests are important to BOH too
- Frontera went to a takeout/delivery model
- Rick was sad as there was no interaction with guests
- Pivoting during the pandemic
- Transformed Topolobampo into a private dining library space
I’ve spent so much time worried about myself and my own restaurant, I haven’t given much thought to the next generation of restaurateurs coming down the pike.
What do they think about what’s going on? Are they discouraged by what they’re seeing? Do they have any valuable insight to share with us as we try to sort our way through this?
On this episode we sit down with Eric Cacciatore, aspiring restaurateur and podcaster, who offers a unique perspective on the past and future of the hospitality industry.
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SHOW NOTES
- The value of networking in person
- Business is about relationships
- How Restaurant Unstoppable started
- There hasn’t been a culture of openness in the hospitality industry
- Everyone seems to be doing amazingly until they close down
- Lack of vulnerability is isolating
- Most successful hospitality leaders are the most generous with their path
- Mentors Eric looks up to
- It could be the best time to open a restaurant
- Lots of opportunities
- More human capital than before
- Restaurant Unstoppable podcast shows the industry as it is
- Intended to be motivating and inspiring
- Can be disheartening as the industry is very difficult
- Guests are honest with their failures
- The best of the best can still be struggling
- Two keys to growth in the restaurant industry
- Cash flow
- People
- How the pandemic has affected the podcast
- Making new mistakes
- The myth of the perfect storm
- Eric has learned the best variables to become successful via the podcast
- Knowing the lessons stops you from diving in
- Start with what you have
- Open-book management
- Opening your books to your team
- Teaching them how to run a business
- Being transparent and vulnerable
- Increases the bond in the culture
- Creates a team of leaders you can promote from within
- Vertical integration
- Growing deep rather than wide
- Investing in the next generation of people
- Making the business as airtight as it can be
- Developing a solid culture
- Expand into a community of businesses
- Plans for Restaurant Unstoppable
- Creating a network of past guests, listeners, tools, and resources in one place
- Creating a restaurant group
- Partnering with other restaurateurs
- Fear of failure
- Due to having a podcast about restaurant success, Eric feels pressure to be successful
- Starting where you can
- Focusing on organic growth
- Having a 10-year goal in mind
- Not expecting overnight results
- Building relationships
- Giving up equity in your business can make you lose autonomy
- Words of encouragement
- Where there is disaster, there is opportunity
- Indians used to burn fields to trigger new growth
- You don’t have to do it alone
- Know your strengths and weaknesses
- Dream with your team
- Set great goals
Branding experts like Chef Jet Tila have created an all-weather strategy for ensuring they’re able to provide for their families no matter what happens. The secret is creating multiple revenue streams through diversification. It’s not a easy process but the end result is looking pretty good these days. On this episode Jet Tila takes us on the journey from executive chef to household name.
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SHOW NOTES
- Starting in entrepreneurship
- Dropped out of high school
- Became a chef on a fishing boat
- Had many skills
- Commerce
- Accounting
- Customer service
- Culinary skills
- Career path into hospitality
- Hosted cooking classes at his mom’s house
- Written in the Times
- Went to culinary school
- Wanted formal education to assimilate into the culinary world
- Getting credentials
- Being an executive chef felt isolating
- Restaurants were a means to an end
- Didn’t allow for family time
- The importance of mentorship
- Studying the brands of chefs Jet idolizes
- Neil Fraser
- Bobby Flay
- Brave entrepreneur
- Elton Brown
- Media savvy
- Guy Fieri
- Global brand
- Read business books
- Ask questions to great people
- Diversification is key
- To transcend, a person needs to become an institution
- You can be in multiple places as once
- Steps to becoming a brand
- Put your name where your restaurant is featured
- Get to know PR people
- Go the extra mile
- Getting onto TV
- Teaching in the School of Cooking in LA
- Taught working professionals how to cook
- Students happened to be producers
- One TV producer worked for the food network
- Networking is important
- Doing a good job
- Introducing yourself politely
- Lessons learned
- Blowing off Mark Peel by being too arrogant
- Find phenomenal mentors
- Be gracious for the opportunity
- Rejecting a job at Google
- What would life have been like?
- Goals before 2020
- 2019 busiest year in Team Tila history
- Looking at TV pilots
- Consulting with major TV networks and brands
- Social media growth
- The effects of the pandemic
- Lost momentum
- 60% down on revenue
- Pivoting into digital
- Netflix shows and NBC
- Licensing and marketing opportunities
- Food Network Live
- A-ha moments
- Finding balance between family and business
- We have an addiction to work
- Mental health fuels us to be high achievers but also hurts us
- Finding time for himself
- Space to reflect
- The future post-pandemic
- Many won’t survive
- The share of the market will increase
- Learning to work from home more
- Words to the industry
- This will pass
- Find a way to get through this as there is light at the end of the tunnel
- We can learn the lessons
Every restaurateur knows how important their digital footprint is but who has time for all of that? It’s hard to tweet when you’re backwaiting tables because your busier didn’t show up.
Then the pandemic hits and, like it or not, your entire livelihood is determined by an audience you chose not to grow online.
I found myself in the same boat and worried it was too late.
The good news is that it isn’t and Shawn Walchef of Cali Comfort BBQ is going to tell us exactly how he transformed his restaurant into a BBQ media company.
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SHOW NOTES
- The beginnings of Cali Comfort BBQ
- 2019 achievements
- Cali BBQ relied on digital marketing due to having a non-obvious location
- Getting people to care about BBQ, community and craft
- Becoming your own PR person
- A publicist was out of budget for Cali BBQ
- Shawn about books to learn about PR
- Focus on finding your own voice
- Internet has changed the way traditional business is done
- Cali BBQ became a media company when they were struggling in 2008-09
- Why the internet is more reliable for marketing
- Provides actionable, measurable analytics
- Physical ads in newspapers are not as measurable
- Creating digital hospitality
- Hospitality has a competitive advantage
- Connection to customers
- Willingness to serve
- Having a full-time host is an example of investing in hospitality
- Recreating this experience digitally
- Responding to online reviews
- Interacting no Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram
- Proactive mindset to online audience building
- The difference between digital marketing and being a media company
- Digital marketing is about telling your own story online
- Media companies also tell the stories of others
- Cali Comfort BBQ share stories within the community
- Operators who are willing to be vulnerable online do best
- During Covid, operators are sharing their story and struggle
- Connecting with the community
- The key is reframing your relationship with your smartphone
- The pros and cons of outsourcing
- Outsourcing enables you more time
- You won’t learn as much if you outsource straight away
- Shawn originally did all social media, podcast editing, and blogging in house
- Now employs blogger and podcast producer
- Consumer habits have changed
- Pivoting during Covid19
- Asking the right questions during this time
- Your website is your #1 asset
- Be known for what you do best
- Book recommendation: Story Brand by Donald Miller
- Focusses for getting started in digital marketing
- Continuous experimentation is what got Shawn and his company to level it is today
- Personalization of digital hospitality
- Now is the greatest time to build digital infrastructure for the future
- Social media is just one aspect of online marketing
I know what the data says, but what’s really going on behind the scenes? Is anyone hiring right now? Is anyone using this as on opportunity for expansion?
Few can offer more insight than Brad and Jacqui from BMRS Hospitality Recruitment. They have been placing the best people with the best restaurants for almost two decades now.
Today we take a glimpse into the present and future of the hospitality job market.
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SHOW NOTES
- Opening BMRS Hospitality
- The niche of BMRS
- Candidates are long term relationships
- Initial reactions to the pandemic
- Changes in the industry
- Street dining is possible
- Alcohol off-licensing possible
- Important restaurants are closing
- How restaurants are coping
- Some pivoting to takeout
- Some pivoting to patio dining
- Some are just getting by
- Staying in business to keep undocumented workers employed
- Rent is a big determining factor
- Many restaurants could stay in hibernation if rent were removed
- Stalling date for a later date would land restaurants in insolvable debt
- Some companies are renegotiating
- There will be more real estate available post-pandemic
- Change the financial landscape for restaurateurs
- Candidates are reflecting
- Remaining positive
- 100 positions in March reduced to 10
- There are jobs available
- Recruitment is a buyer’s market
- There are opportunities to work for amazing restaurants
- Talent pool is larger than it has ever been
- Many jobs will open all at once when the restaurants reopen
- LA Chef’s conference
- LA Times opened the Food Bowl
- Connected with them to do an industry event in 2019 - Labor Crisis Summit
- 100s restaurateurs attended
- Gained a lot of press
- Conference was intended to happen in March 2020
- Big chefs and restaurateurs attending
- Open Table sponsoring
- Intended to be a food festival and conference
- Had to be postponed to 2021
- Advice to candidates
- Network
- There may not be a position but building relationships is worth it
- Utilize LinkedIn and job boards
- Spruce up your resume
- Get aggressive
- Go the extra mile to be noticed
- Write personalized cover letters
- Present your resume beautifully
- Clients are always willing to meet great talent
- Josh has hired people he doesn’t have a position for
- Reevaluating the team
- Labor costs are skyrocketing
- Restaurateurs will be more discerning with who they hire
My name is Joshua Kopel and, up until March, I was a Michelin-rated restaurateur. Today, I'm not quite sure how I would define myself.
In this moment, I cannot help but look back on the choices I've made and question them. It hard to look in the mirror, as a person and as an industry but this is the time to do it.
Together, let's ask the tough questions and come up with better answers. This is our opportunity to grow, change and come back better than before.
If you'd like to join the conversation, join us every Tuesday and Friday.
This one’s coming totally out of left field.
I had the pleasure of being on my friend Luke’s podcast and I enjoyed the conversation so much, I stole some of it to share with you here. Luke is a digital marketer who’s built some huge brands within the industry. You’ll also get to hear a bit more of me than you normally do. Sit back, relax and listen to these 2 old dogs chew the fat.
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Want to streamline your front-of-house operations and increase sales? Head over to http://restaurants.yelp.com/fullcomppodcast to claim your free page and learn more about these powerful tools for your business.
SHOW NOTES
- Independent business owners struggle to create content
- Independent businesses have always struggled
- Slim margins
- 16hour days
- They feel that they have no time to create content
- Content Imposter Syndrome
- The feeling your content doesn’t stand up to the content in your industry
- Discouraging to try and compete with the huge amount of content on the internet
- Honesty tips the scale
- Be your unique business online
- Share what you do and the way you do it
- Showing your team and behind the scenes gets much more engagement
- Honesty builds a stronger connection with your audience
- Create the content you want to see in the world
- Elizabeth Tilton went viral because of their reopening guide
- They didn’t make it to go viral
- It was true to self
- Selfless stuff you are doing will resonate more than anything else
- People see through the hard sell
- Example
- Two members of staff manually assembled 600 hand sanitizer dispensers before they were shipped to customers
- Luke uploaded the security footage of them doing this
- Audience loved it
- Mundane everyday details are what makes your business interesting
- Everyone leaves happy philosophy
- Explains the vision of Josh’ restaurant
- Setting that expectation that there is nothing that they won’t do to make sure that the patron leaves happy
- Empowered staff to operate independently under this guiding philosophy
- Telling patrons that their happiness was important de-escalates any upset
- It’s a privilege to turn around bad feedback in real-time
- There are no limits to service
- Josh once fully comped a meal and drinks for a table of 8
- Restaurant was running low on food
- Offered a free meal off menu of what food was left
- Having a passion for service is why we stay in the business
- Knowing your core passion is the most important thing
- The importance of teamwork
- Allowing them to put forward ideas
- Showcase their talents on
- It takes the whole team to make a shift run smoothly
- Customers pick up on team spirit
- No Us Without You
- Non-profit that feeds families of undocumented workers
- Having a holistic approach in digital and real-life created success
- Created a movement
- Taking a leap of faith
- Many miss the opportunity to act
- Scared of failure
- Those who take a leap are the ones who succeed
I’m going to let you in on a big secret. Many of the successful entrepreneurs I know are all following the same playbook. The book is called Traction and the strategy is called EOS, the entrepreneurial operating system. It’s like rocket fuel for your business. Don’t believe me? I don’t blame you. That’s why I brought in the experts.
Today we’re having a discussion with executive coach, Josh Holtzman and his client and famed Hospitality magnate Dave Kaplan of Death & Co.
The total earnings of the companies Josh coaches equates to ONE BILLION DOLLARS in revenue.
How does he do it? What creates that level of growth? It’s all covered in todays conversation.
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SHOW NOTES
- For Josh H, there’s nothing more fulfilling than to work with more leaders
- Works with 25 companies in LA
- Industry agnostic. EOS is for growth-orientated organizations
- Josh K implemented EOS in his own restaurant
- Solved foundational issues in his own organization
- The benefits of EOS
- EOS puts operating systems and tools together in a cohesive system
- Makes transforming your business more actionable
- Death & Co examples
- The aim of EOS
- Gino would be the first to say he didn’t create the concepts
- He curated them
- Helping business owners get in control and master their businesses
- Foundations of the EOS model
- Entrepreneurs wrestle with 136 issues at any one time
- Tackling 6 things can help to solve the 136 issues
- 6 things to focus on in business
- Mistakes Josh K made in his restaurant business
- Some things were not aligned with the vision
- Brought in a sommelier and invested in a $25k sustainable wine list
- Was not helpful to the business
- Having a vision constantly in mind and living the core values helps to focus efforts
- The importance of core values
- Death & Co raised 2.7 million on a crowdfunding platform
- Found EOS during this pivotal moment
- Had the leadership read the book
- Met Josh Holtzman and hired him as a professional guide to fully implement EOS
- Operational and organizational void in the hospitality industry
- It is spoken about as if hospitality is completely unique to the other businesses of the world
- That’s not true at all
- Three areas of issues
- How does EOS work in the midst of a pandemic
- Pivoting during the pandemic
- Focussed on social media outreach
- Offered experiences via their retail
- Supporting staff during the pandemic (Death & Co)
- Free mental health for all staff
- Daily newsletter for all staff
- Staff relief fund
- Death & Co created a reopening playbook
- They shared this with others in the industry
- Transparency is a key part of their company ethos
- Business doesn’t have to be this hard
- Business owners struggle with so much
Dine in is done yet again. Parts of California are facing another stay at home order. What do you do if you own a restaurant? What do you do if you own 2 or 3 or more. Tara Lazar owns 6 spanning all sectors of hospitality. While most of us are struggling to pivot one location, Tara is masterminding how to ensure all 6 survive the year. Today we get real about the struggles she’s working to overcome and the highs and lows along this path.
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SHOW NOTES
- Owns 6 locations
- Building was about taking opportunities when they came
- Having multiple locations is more entertaining and stimulating
- The restaurant revenue offsets the cost of management labor from the catering company
- What has it been like as a woman in the industry
- Fight a lot harder to be taken seriously
- The network of restaurateurs is a gentlemen’s club
- Woman leaders tend to be of an older generation
- Initial reaction to Covid
- This could be devastating on the catering side
- Failed with communication during Covid
- Stayed really quiet which stressed out staff
- Started having zoom calls and updates every two weeks
- Being realistic with your team
- How many will be able to come back in the fall?
- Being honest about not knowing the answers
- Failure depends on so many things out of our control
- Landlord
- Government restrictions
- Consumer behavior
- Restaurants in charge of public safety
- Food sourced responsibly
- Following safety regulation
- An outbreak in your restaurant could be devastating
- Using contact tracing forms
- Greatest fear
- How do we keep staff safe
- Using PPP loan
- Distributed to staff who needed it
- Paid staff to stay home
- Was hoping that the team would repay this by working when the restaurant was able to reopen
- Unfortunately many wanted to collect unemployment instead
- Pivoting during Covid
- Does not want to do fast-casual or ordering online
- Less interaction with clients
- Branded to-go packaging to be more experiential
- To-go model at Cheeky’s
- Redefining hospitality
- How do you anticipate your guests when you don’t know who they are?
- Following comment cards and customer surveys
- Success in 2020
- Already been successful
- Realigned with what is important
- Automating BOH operations
- Makes work more efficient
- Would like guests and staff together again
- Short term goals
- Keeping staff on the payroll
- Long term goals
- Partner with companies
- Acquire businesses
- Growing wide vs growing deep
- Buying out competition
- Expand into a different market
- Innovations caused by Covid
- Cocktails to go
- Cocktail food truck
- Farmer’s market boxes
- New to-go packaging
- Online to-go platforms
- Word to the industry
- Show your appreciation to your customers for supporting you
People won’t be hanging out in large groups for a very, very long time. It’s a tough pill for me to swallow and that’s not even my sector of the industry. Event planners are going to need to get scrappy if they’re going to find any work in the coming year. One event planner I’m not worried about is Natasha Miller. She embodies the word resilience and has taken her events company digital. Today she unveils the bleeding edge of virtual events, marrying together work and play.
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SHOW NOTES
- Officially started Entire productions in 2001
- Transitioned to representing acts and producing events
- Fake it until you make it
- Would say yes to everything and then figure out how to do it
- It took Warren Buffet 9 years to make his first million dollars
- Everyone wants to get rich quick
- Natasha didn’t care about being rich until recently
- Planning for retirement
- Educational path
- Went to college on violin scholarship
- Didn’t graduate
- Self-taught entrepreneurship
- No mentors
- Attended the Goldman Sachs 10k SD
- Already millions of dollars in revenue at that time
- Learned so much
- Terrified by the accounting education but it was crucial
- Every year after the course, grew 65% each year
- Entrepreneurs Organization
- 3-year course at MIT
- Entrepreneurial Master’s class at Havard
- Access to so many incredible entrepreneurs
- Implementing what you have learned
- Learning not to implement everything at once
- Goals pre-Covid
- Grow by 25%
- Splitting Entertainment production and Event Production
- Planning their biggest event of the year
- March 17th 2020
- Retail costs would be $500k
- City shutdown on March 16th 2020
- Initial reaction to Covid
- Panic, sorrow, and nervousness
- Canceling WeWork lease
- Making difficult choices regarding the team
- Feeling grateful for aspects of Covid
- A chance to step back
- Reflecting on the business
- Repairing broken parts of the business
- Having the space to improve the business
- Pivoting during Covid
- Everything has worked so far
- Created a variety show platform for virtual events
- Bite-sized shows with educational or entertaining speakers
- Internal marketing event
- Still of value to clients
- Goal is to keep Entire Productions top of mind with client base
- The growth of virtual events
- Expanding people’s businesses
- One client has a 200 client in-person event every year
- Expanded to 2000 virtual events
- Less prominent post-Covid but is here to stay
- 53% of all restaurants will permanently close
- Also possible in the events space
- Younger businesses are quick to pivot
- Older businesses have mostly been giving up faster
- Failure depends on overheads
- Cash is king
- The events industry isn’t well represented in government
What can save this industry from absolute destruction?
I’m betting on math and practical business fundamentals. That’s why I’ve invited Roger Beaudoin to chat on this episode. Roger has been preaching these ideals for years. He’s more than a teacher, he’s an owner and operator as well. Rather than giving us advice, he walks us through the strategy he's using to turn the pandemic into a windfall.
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SHOW NOTES
- Building a dream team restaurant is important
- Allows you to have an exit strategy
- Allows you to have time with your family and friends
- Allows you to enjoy having a business
- Saw an opportunity when running a ski resort
- Inspired by a Switzerland bar with an international buzz
- The ski resort he ended up at needed transforming
- Sophistication
- Community
- Entertainment
- Learned the business piece by piece
- Training staff to have his back
- Controlling costs to maximize profits
- Creating a premium customer experience
- Expanding the business to one day leave it
- Technology was never Roger’s strong point
- Never has an interest in technology
- Created systems on pen and paper
- It was Roger’s wife who convinced him to have an online platform to expand the business
- Started the podcast 6 years ago
- Roger’s wife is the CTO
- Why Roger went back into restaurant operations
- New restaurant opens pre-Covid
- Investment in improvement
- Creating a business model
- Grab and Go market and cafe
- Was ideal during Covid
- Pivoting during Covid
- Covid makes everything unstable
- Taking the temperature of the room before making a decision
- Using the loans
- Redefining success
- You don’t know what you’ve got until you start running it
- Covid was a good thing overall for the new restaurant because of the grab&go model
- Goals after Covid
- Opening multiple locations
- Lessons learned through the podcast
- Chief Culinary Officer of The Cheesecake Factory
- Philosophy on staff: lead by example and promote from within
- Empower your staff
- Not everyone will make it through Covid
- We can only succeed by not giving up
- Being excited for the future
- Interviewing more podcast guests
- Upgrading the Sales Stars video course
You’ve gotta bet big to win big
In 2019, Daniel Shemtob leveraged millions to build the hospitality empire of his dreams. Food trucks to fine dining and even a catering company, he’s focused on absolute domination of the industry. Daniel built a big ship and now he needs to captain it through an economic disaster.
On this episode we cover the lessons he’s learned over the last 4 months and the plan he’s created to thrive in the future.
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SHOW NOTES
- Successes in 2019
- Daniel considers himself an entrepreneur first and foremost
- Redefining goals in 2020
- Changing perspectives with assets and liabilities
- Preux and Proper was 6000sq ft
- Was an asset
- Now a liability - too much space
- Honing focus can help avoid this shift
- Taking on too much can turn an asset into a liability
- Fixed costs have been the most challenging
- Rent
- Opportunities during Covid
- Big shifts in the market cause opportunities
- Previously would jump on opportunities
- Now considers things for longer
- Josh realized he struggled with focus
- Busy isn’t successful
- Busy isn’t profitable
- Pairing down from 15 objectives to 3
- Best decisions made during the first 90days of the pandemic
- Getting ENDL loans
- He wanted as much capital as possible to have a runway
- Thinking like a startup
- Being willing to pivot
- Deploying funds correctly
- Rolling out a late-night experience
- Compensating for losing 40% of dine-in revenue
- Daniel lost a lot during the pandemic
- Becoming charitable
- Giving away shoes
- 100s shoes to those who needed them
- Giving away food
- 1500 meals
- Daniel’s mentor felt inspired by his positivity
- Reforming the businesses
- Fine-dining restaurant reopened to great success
- Catering will take the longest to reform
- Large events are where you make the most money
- Shoe company is doing well
- Sold out very quickly
- Is there more value in being small?
- Pre-Covid Daniel was doing well but not “crushing”
- Working extremely hard - spinning his wheels
- The ability to reset is a gift
- Brands Daniel is inspired by
- Sweet Green
- Looks at his own staff as the prize piece of his empire
- Being most proud of the culture he created
- The future of businesses are not in your control
- Being a great leader
- You are only a great leader if you know where you’re leading your team
- Daniel is leading team into a successful work dynamic
- Making money
- Quality of life
- Enjoy coming to work
- Have the team be more autonomous in their initiatives and taking ownership
- Ideas for creating a great culture
- What does post-Covid look like?
The pandemic did not pick favorites. No business owner was immune from the debilitating effects of the quarantine. Big restaurateurs with big restaurants and big rents need big plans to weather this storm. On this episode we chat with Celebrity Chef Adam Perry Lang who shares how he’s been affected and his strategy for rebounding.
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SHOW NOTES
- Work-life balance has always been a challenge
- Managing work time
- Priority lists
- 50% of the work you won’t see coming
- What is needed through this time is leadership
- We can’t delegate that at this time
- Showing up is 90% of it
- Adam has been working around the clock to keep things running
- Josh does not want to compromise on time with family again
- We get to look within and prioritize what is important
- Adjusting how we work though it is tough to imagine
- Imagining a new future
- Customer behavior won’t be the same when we go back to work
- People will be skittish until we have a vaccine
- Restaurants are the cornerstone of socializing
- Will fear stop people from coming out to restaurants?
- Leasing issues won’t go away any time soon
- Dealing with concerns and fear
- Maintaining momentum
- There is so much that we are not in control of
- Show up as best you can
- Love what you do
- There is so much to think about when running a restaurant now
- Pre-opening checklist
- Heath and safety regulations
- Creating resilience
- There is no one failure
- You make a mistake, step back and adjust
- His mom gave him a poster saying “in every crisis, there is an opportunity”
- Focussing on Adam’s passion helps him get through hard times
- Redefining success
- Success in Jan 2020
- Anticipating the opening of Hamilton in the theater next door
- Motivating the team
- Feeling good at the end of the day
- Success after the pandemic hit
- Trying to be grateful for opportunities
- How can we help people in need?
- Being involved in St Joseph’s center
- Donate a meal for every meal produced to less fortunate and home-bound elderly
- The Mealbridge
- Frontline foods
- Feeding frontline hospital workers
- Making a safe environment
- Spoke to staff openly and honestly
- Making all staff feel comfortable and safe
- Shifting from fine dining steak restaurant to creating comfort food at a low price
- The restaurant is staying afloat
- No aim to make profits
- Sales volume is 5-10% of what it was before
- It is about survival
- The future of the restaurant
- Shifting to BBQ
- Lower check average
- Comforting
Another dine-in closure for restaurants…California is the 5th largest economy in the world and the hospitality industry here employs literally hundreds of thousands of people.
Who speaks for us?
Who is looking out for our best interests?
Who’s there to make sure we survive the pandemic?
The California Restaurant Association has extended it’s resources to the industry nationwide and, on this episode, we chat with Jot Condie, president of the CRA, about the work they’re doing to make sure that California functions as a guidepost, showing other states how to support the industry that powers their economy.
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Want to streamline your front-of-house operations and increase sales? Head over to http://restaurants.yelp.com/fullcomppodcast to claim your free page and learn more about these powerful tools for your business.
SHOW NOTES
- How the CRA started
- The mission of CRA
- To represent and promote the restaurant industry in California
- How CRA works
- CRA represents around 25k restaurants
- 80% independent restaurants
- 20% larger chains
- Inclusive to all as both types of restaurant ultimately have the same goals and struggles
- The big wins of CRA
- The beginning of the Covid crisis
- The governor announced that restaurants would need to reduce to 50% capacity
- LA mayor and 12 other mayors in the state disagreed and decreed total lockdown
- Crisis management mode
- Getting information to everyone - members and non-members
- Adjusting website to the most relevant information
- Talking to government officials for more information
- Advocacy work during the pandemic
- Worked with LA health department to allow groceraunts
- Alcohol delivery allowance
- Deferral on tax payments
- Free up public space to allow restaurants to have sidewalk dining
- Allow for curbside pickup in cities
- It is important to make your voice heard
- Government has a huge impact on operations
- Collaborating with third-party delivery companies
- Doordash being very accommodating to the industry
- Try to work through issues
- Rent is the largest fixed cost for restaurants
- Leasing issues are far greater scope than business owner vs landlord
- Political and legal issues intertwined
- CRA is in conversation with mortgage industry and property owners
- Not much support in these early efforts
- The success of campaigns depends on the votes
- Resources that the CRA provides
- Integrated insurance solutions
- Legal center
- Law firm partners create free compliance documents
- Discounted legal fees
- Webinars
- United healthcare discount
- What are our obligations under the new guidelines?
- Face coverings for employees
- Sanitation standards
- Guidelines must be followed to encourage guests to return
- If your restaurant is seen to be breaking rules on social media, it will ruin your reputation
- Advocacy doesn’t work if businesses don’t also join in making their voice heard
Who doesn’t love a great mashup? To get a read on where diners currently stand, the Yelp team released a survey to thousands of users. Cornell University analyzed that data and today we review their findings with Professor and Associate Dean Alex Susskind. His specialization centers around the strategic and operational elements of the industry but Alex is more than a theorist. He came up through the ranks of the hospitality industry and that’s where our conversation begins.
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SHOW NOTES
- Professor and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at the School of Hotel Administration
- Been at Cornell University for 22 years
- Started as a dishwasher at 14 years old
- Managed restaurants and worked in the kitchen
- Covid 19 highlighted issues in our industry
- We have a very cashflow reliant business
- Removing cashflow shows inefficiencies in the model
- 94cents of every dollar made by restaurants on average goes back into the economy
- Collapse of our industry would have a huge impact on the rest of the economy
- Hospitality supports agriculture, wine, distribution, consumer goods, etc
- Largest employer nationwide
- Damages to the agriculture sector show the fragility of the food system
- Maine’s fruit distribution closed broadline operations
- Now is a great time to address the foundational issues of the business
- Mending wage structures
- Increasing prices
- Larger chains are making changes
- Typically prioritized shareholders
- Starting to fix structural issues
- Will make it easier for independent restaurants to do the same
- Raising prices may turn away customers
- Pivoting the restaurant structure
- Find a way that will create a transaction that will keep your guests on side
- Consumers are moving to a convenience model
- E.g takeout
- Yelp’s diner’s survey shows diners want clear communication
- How best to handle guest complaints
- Communicating with customers is changing
- Technology in restaurants is increasingly important
- Walk-ins are still necessary post-Covid
- Reservations culture will continue
- Hunger is spontaneous so restaurants will need a system to allow walk-ins
- Cornell University study claims that the optimal model for restaurants post-Covid is ⅓ bodega, ⅓ takeout, ⅓ dine in
- Good survival strategy for many businesses
- Margins may be slimmer but efficiency could increase
- Selling 6 pack of beer requires less labor than serving 6 beers
- Struggles for surviving businesses post-Covid
- Guest safety
- Employee safety
- Changing regulations
- Quickest restaurant closures will be those who should not have been in business in the first place
- Operators who lack passion
- Operators who treat staff badly
- How will Cornell help prep new hospitality leaders
Not all heroes wear capes, some write books. The books Gino Wickman has written are directly responsible for helping me to create multiple million dollar businesses, become a better leader and find balance within my personal and professional lives. Today we discuss his latest book, the Entrepreneurial Leap, and how we apply those lessons to the hospitality industry.
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SHOW NOTES
- Writing Entrepreneurial Leap
- Did not become an entrepreneur until he was 29
- Wants to show others the opportunities available to them
- The book is in three main parts
- Finding out if you are an entrepreneur
- Discovering opportunities
- Creating a path to success
- Hospitality workers are running a business within our businesses
- Success of their micro-business means greater success for your business
- 6 essential entrepreneurial traits
- Gino offers an assessment online to discover if you have these traits
- Allow your staff to take the quiz if you are comfortable with them taking their own entrepreneurial leap one day
- Can be the best employees in the hospitality industry if they stay
- Entrepreneurs are generally unemployable
- Advice for leading leaders
- Lessons from a book called Drive
- Give autonomy
- Provide guidelines and rules but otherwise, let your team have ownership of their work
- Allow mastery
- Give them the opportunity to learn the business
- Make your staff member feel part of something bigger than themselves
- The bigger the problem you solve in the world, the more successful you will be
- Get close to the ground and know your customers’ needs
- Know your customers better than they know themselves
- Evolve to the new needs of customers as the world changes
- 10-year business cycles
- 2 great years
- 6 good years
- 2 terrible years when you almost go out of business
- In another ten years, something else will come
- The power of 10-year thinking
- Have a 10-year goal but not in great detail
- Learning to take action whilst being patient
- 8 critical entrepreneurial mistakes
- Not having a vision
- Not spending time with your people
- Not knowing your customer
- Not staying true to the core
- Not knowing your numbers
- Not crystalizing roles and responsibilities
- Hiring the wrong people
- Grabbing the closest people to you is not a good strategy for hiring
- Make sure people are in alignment with your core values
- Make sure they have the right skill set for the job
- Not charging enough
- Psychological mistake
- Insecurity/lack of confidence
- Many businesses barely break-even in the first 3 years
- Advice
- TED Talk by Casey Brown
- Tip from Dan Sullivan - Pick a number that scares you, then add 20%
- There are many free resources on the e-leap.com website for budding entrepreneurs
- Who inspires Gino
From running underground event spaces to virtual happy hours, Matt Landes has lived on the bleeding edge of what’s next within our industry. Today he shares the ups, downs and lessons learned on his journey to creating, running and now saving a million dollar events company.
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Want to streamline your front-of-house operations and increase sales? Head over to http://restaurants.yelp.com/fullcomppodcast to claim your free page and learn more about these powerful tools for your business.
SHOW NOTES
- Starting Apartment A
- Creating a name brand
- Entering the world of events
- Was called by other brands to create concepts and parties for them
- Commitment to becoming the premier cocktail caterer in the world
- Trying to do everything in the beginning
- Create a cocktail magazine
- Pop up bars
- Help brands accelerate
- Focusing on doing one thing really well
- Creating a premium drink experience
- Businesses do better when they niche
- Cocktail academy has niched into events and consulting
- Core values of Cocktail Academy
- Focus enables an entrepreneur
- Make money
- Attract talent
- Retain loyal clients
- Changing plans for 2020
- 2019 was the best year of growth for Cocktail Academy
- Plans were to expand consulting
- Fully leveraging in-person experiences
- First reactions to Covid 19
- South by Southwest event was canceled
- Hague Club event was postponed
- Steps to pivoting during the pandemic
- Successful pivots to the online space
- Hosting bartenders on their Instagram account
- Bartenders give a cocktail recipe and receive tips via Venmo from followers
- Cocktail nightschool hosted every Thursday
- Custom cocktail experience boxes for brands
- Digital streaming events
- CARE (Cocktail Academy Ready-made Experiences)
- Virtual experiences give retail bought alcohol more story
- How to manage fear
- Oscillating between excitement in problem-solving and total exhaustion
- You can be scared of your own ideas
- Having a great idea means you have to follow through
- Make it happen or die trying
- Questions to ask to feel more in control
- Will I feel better if I tried?
- What is urgent to do today?
- What tasks am I responsible for related to clients and my team?
- Managing work-life balance
- Wellness Wednesdays
- Wednesdays off
- We can only be efficient 3.5 days a week during the pandemic
- Mental toll of the pandemic environment
- Entrepreneurial disorder in the hospitality industry
- Responsibility to become a creative leader within the industry
- Oversimplifying what it takes to action new ideas
- Feeling exhausted after thinking of new innovations
- Opportunities in cocktails to go
- Lost Parrot concept
- Tiki Tuesday delivery with tiki cocktail mugs
- Bar in a bag
- At home experience
- Eventually opening a pop-up bar called Parrot to connect with customers who have had the at-home Lost Parrot experience
With an estimated 30-50% of all restaurants permanently closed, what does that mean for the future of the industry? What does that mean for those of us still in the game? Today we chat with Jon Strader who’s using his grit and tenacity to build his empire when land is cheap and competition is low.
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SHOW NOTES
- The difficulties of working for yourself
- Keep up the momentum
- You have a lot to learn
- You make many mistakes
- Success at Hatchet hall
- Launching pad to take journeys to the next level
- Pivoting at Hatchet Hall to a Bodega style service
- Market boxes
- Sold beer, wine, and liquor inventory
- Merch
- Family style pre-order meals
- Bodega style is not sustainable for the fine-dining restaurant
- Initially, customers want to support
- There is a disconnect in the style of products
- It’s necessary to completely reconceptualize during Covid
- Fine dining is dead for the next 6 months
- Covid is unpredictable
- Contingency plan after contingency plan
- Lack of leadership from the government at both local and federal levels
- Potentially reopening as a casual dining experience
- Guest seat themselves
- Parking lot as a summer popup and picnic area
- Reduced labor
- Reduced inventory
- No full service
- The market doesn’t know what it wants until they see it
- Adaptability and coming up with concepts on the fly
- Everyone is in a fragile state right now
- Everyone will be tougher afterward
- Opening of Little Coyote
- Opportunity at lockdown to buy a property on Long Beach for a good price
- Bought the restaurant and turned it into a New York-style pizza place
- Jack Leahy as the chef
- Bootstrapped with family and friend investment
- A concept they can run themselves if need be
- Aims to turn a profit this year
- Making pizza is low-cost
- Labor needs are few
- Service fee model
- Difficult to get things done as everyone is in shellshock after Covid hit
- Entry-level experiences will do better in a post-Covid world
- Pizza, tacos, burgers, coffee, sandwiches - recession and covid proof
- Employing a service fee model
- Fairer distribution of tips
- Whole staff can have a liveable wage
- Lessons during quarantine
- Family first, restaurant second
- Not being a slave to the business
- Lessening obsessive tendencies around the business
- Avoiding refreshing emails
- Avoiding staying plugged into social media
- Avoiding prioritizing the business over family time
- Redefining what we want our lives to look like
- How many hours a week do we want to work?
- What do we want our home life to look like?
- How much money do we want to make this year and future years?
- The state of the job market after Covid
On today’s show we chat with Mark Canlis, made famous by transforming his Michelin-starred restaurant into a bagel stand and burger joint saving jobs and his restaurant.
When the pandemic hit, the conventional wisdom in the industry was to shut down and hoard cash. Mark did the exact opposite, pivoting his fine dining restaurant into 3 casual concepts, almost overnight. Today we discuss the idea behind such a bold move, how it worked out and what the future looks like for the Canlis family and their restaurant.
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SHOW NOTES
- How much to invest where
- Before then worked for Danny Meyer
- Been in restaurants for 20 years
- Incorporated other family members into the business
- Fine dining is the most considered way of caring about people with food
- Conventional response from fine dining restaurants when Covid hit
- How it felt to pivot
- A trainwreck that has somehow stayed on the track
- Hardest and most rewarding thing they’ve ever done
- Hugely grateful for the team and city who have supported
- Mission at Canlis
- Began by listing strengths and weaknesses
- 150 employees who are all in
- Located on a freeway - drive-through potential
- What can we be thankful for?
- What assets do we have?
- Pivoting into three tiers of dining
- Restaurant encouraged customers to see that life goes on
- Losing money immediately after Covid lockdown
- Canceled 3 months of reservations in March
- Refunding 1000 reservations
- Having an amazing team on your side
- Didn’t lose any staff
- Incredible energy of the staff to keep things running
- Letting the creativity and work ethic of the team run free
- National attention due to ingenuity of their pivot
- Esquire magazine wrote about them
- Amazing to be noticed
- One story in a sea of one thousand stories
- Now is the time to try
- Racial inequality in America
- Inspiring to see people try something so hard
- Trying imperfectly is better than not doing anything at all
- Showing up 90% of the battle
- In the restaurant business, you never know what you are doing
- Show up and put in everything in this today
- Review the results tomorrow to improve
- How Mark got through the pivoting process
- He was in the military during 9/11
- It was comforting to have a mission
- Feel less helpless
- During Covid, having the mission of keeping staff felt less helpless
- Prioritizing the present
- One day at a time
- Future is less important than the present
- You don’t need to have the answers
- Be present with the community, city, family, staff
- Hospitality has roots in making space for the other
- How do we carry this value into the future?
- How do we help those who are needy?
- A-ha moments during the pandemic
- Becoming more vulnerable and less polished
On Today’s show we chat with David Meltzer, a three-time international best-selling author, a Top 100 Business Coach, the executive producer of Entrepreneur‘s #1 digital business show, and host of the top entrepreneur podcast.
The hospitality business, more than anything, is a business. Due to the hectic nature of the industry we tend to forget that and get caught up in the day to day grind. Proper business strategy will matter more than great food in the new normal and David Meltzer is a master strategist. Today he runs us through the fundamentals of business and leadership.
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SHOW NOTES
- 4 pillars of truth
- Putting together a world-class team
- Humans can create their own environment
- Restaurants - we are monetizing an experience and environment
- Transforming an offensive and defensive mindset
- The paradox of giving
- David would give a lot but always with expectation of praise, recognition, love, etc
- Ferocious about receiving. Receiving to be able to give back
- The importance of mentorship
- Most crucial of all roles in last 14years
- David didn’t need mentorship in beginning - multimillionaire in his twenties
- Now believes the easiest and best way to be successful is using mentors
- Being specific with mentors e.g sleep, money
- Being radically humble enough to say “you’re the only one who can help me”
- How to reset goals with the new normal
- How to recover in the hospitality industry
- People buy on emotion for logical reasons
- Key to understanding reopening
- 1. Strength of signal.
- Credibility - relieving reasons that people feel uncomfortable.
- Lower capacity. Mask rules. 6ft apart etc
- 2. Market to people who aren’t afraid
- Some people will go out anyway during this time
- 3. Clear message of value
- Quality food/USP
- People want to fill a void. Miss what they can’t have
- Address the way people feel. You are selling an experience
- Aha moments through the pandemic
- “I don’t know what I don’t know”
- David wants to be a better husband and father
- Much more important than being a podcaster, entrepreneur, TV star, etc
- David would prefer to be at a family dinner than an award show, event, or Superbowl
- Pivoting
- Previously worked with in-person workshops, events, and speaking engagements
- Now conducts workshops online
- Moved to online speaking gigs
- Still learning work-life balance
- Achieving happiness
- David defined himself by his bank account
- Now his bank account is an ingredient of the overall thermostat of happiness and joy
- Higher % of total happiness than he has ever been
- Minutes and moments of unhappiness
Are you charging what your food is worth or are you charging what customers are willing to pay? What do we need to do to fix our broken system? We cover this and so much more with third-time entrepreneur, first-time restaurateur Joelle Parenteau whose fresh take on the industry will blow your mind.
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SHOW NOTES
- Beginnings of Wolf Down
- Lessons learned in the first year of business
- Many in the supply chain have dated processes
- Estimating food volume is very difficult to do
- Put back up plans in place to have enough stock
- Allocating staff hours is tough
- Restaurant business is volatile
- Coping with rushes in the restaurant
- Increase efficiency
- Time to get an order through
- Time to make the doner sandwich
- Time to get people through the door
- Streamlined menu
- Allocating sources accordingly
- Labor
- Having a delivery business
- Wolf Down was always a delivery business
- Was 50-50 delivery - dine-in
- Now predominantly delivery
- Covid happened 10 months into operation
- Bakery who makes there bread shut down for many weeks
- Foundational issues in the industry
- Pricing in the restaurant business
- Price wars have caused low prices
- Will customers revolt?
- Provide a unique, high-quality product to justify higher prices
- Wolf Down increased pricing during Covid
- No one noticed or cared
- If the product is good, people will pay for it
- Prove the value is there no matter what your price point is
- Stand out and differentiate
- Raising delivery pricing in line with commission costs
- Third-party delivery apps take 25-30% commission
- Customers wanted delivery
- Offering delivery at a premium
- Consumers are moving to the convenience model
- We must adjust and adapt to our customers wants
- Some issues with gratuities
- Relying on customers to pay your people
- Most people don’t vary the tip amount
- Tipping is not motivating service
- Doesn’t make sense for quick-serve establishments like Wolf Down
- Creates discomfort for customers
- How Wolf Down attempted to solve the tipping problem
- Abolished gratuities
- Raise pricing to pay staff
- Staff don’t ask for tips
- Tip jar for customers who insist on tipping
- People were angry they couldn’t tip
- Engrained in the culture
- Benefits of a cashless system
- Saves labor costs of staff counting tills
- Safer - cashless restaurants less likely to be robbed
- If someone comes in and they only have cash, staff find a way to make it work
- The realities of restaurants post-covid
- Pre-ordering
- Delivery
- QR Menus
- Joelle’s aim is to build foundations this year for expansion in later years
- Message to the industry
- Raise your prices
On today's show, we chat with James Beard award winning chef Chris Shepherd founder of the non-profit, Southern Smoke.
Most of us in the hospitality industry wouldn’t consider ourselves needy or in need of assistance. We’re internally motivated, not afraid of hard work and resourceful as hell. But when the pandemic hit it decimated our industry and our livelihoods. Out of the blue Southern Smoke came to the rescue. To date they have distributed millions of dollars to hospitality workers in need.
Today, it’s founder shares it’s origins, their mission and what they’re doing to ensure we’re all taken care of.
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SHOW NOTES
- Beginnings of charity work
- Started doing dinners to raise money for culinary scholarships
- Lost a colleague to MS. Business partner also had MS
- Started planning a dinner for MS which transformed into a festival
- Raised $181k for the MS Society year 1
- Year 2 raised $284k
- Beginnings of Southern Smoke
- Hurricane Harvey devastated local businesses
- No designated support for hospitality businesses
- Emulated The Giving Kitchen from Atlanta
- The vetting process at Southern Smoke
- That first year there were 250 applications
- 139 families awarded $500k
- Southern Smoke continues to donate to MS, remainder to hospitality workers
- Southern Smoke during Covid
- Originally has 2.5 employees
- Now has over 40 employees
- Hire unemployed hospitality workers and trained them to be caseworkers
- Over 25k applications
- Granted over 1000 over $2million
- Willy Nelson concert donated funds
- Reopening of restaurants
- Running at 50% capacity does not mean that 50% of potential covers will come to the restaurant
- Many people still not comfortable enough for dine-in
- Pivoting the restaurant business
- The aim is to break-even, not to make profit
- Having a solid team is vital
- Unity and solidarity
- Punch fear in the face
- How to achieve work-life balance
- Delegate to mangers to do the long shifts
- Building on a great legacy
- Won many accolades
- Started incredible restaurants
- Started non-profit
- Next steps
- Aim is to create a group of restaurants that enable Chris’ team to fulfill their dreams
- Putting restaurant people where they want to be
- Southern Smoke as inspiration for future non-profits to build safety nets for every industry
- To the industry
- Keep your head down
- We’ll get through this together
- Use your voice for good
The biggest advantage to coming up in the restaurant industry is that it forces you to be innovative. It rare that you have the money you need so you learn to do without or you learn to do it yourself. On today's show, we chat with chef , TV host, fitness guru and family man Michael Chernow who tears down the veil on our industry, showing the best and worst it has to offer. Chernow leads us on a no-frills tour of the lessons he's learned at the highest levels of our industry.
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SHOW NOTES
- NYC is the epicenter of culture and community
- Community congregates at restaurants and bars
- 50% capacity is not likely to work in NYC due to low revenue
- Renegotiating with landlords
- Tax loophole for landlords if they lose business
- Landlords don’t want to lose all of their customers
- Ball is in the operator’s court to renegotiate
- Could make a big difference to margins
- Medium article suggests that 19% margins in a restaurant is possible
- Micahel thinks this is unlikely because of the structure of the restaurant business
- Poor working conditions in the hospitality industry
- Many can’t afford health care
- No 401k
- No savings
- Raising prices as unlikely
- Michael believes people won’t pay more for food
- Overheads of the restaurant business
- Labor imbalances
- Food costs are not coming down
- Making many brands is not necessarily the way forward
- Could be more successful opening 1 restaurant every 3-5 years instead of a new concept every 3-5 years
- Focusing on one restaurant and making it amazing
- Hard-work can only get you so far
- In fitness, putting in the work creates 90% of the results
- In business, many other factors determine success
- Making good decisions in business
- Sold equity from Meatball Shop after 5 years
- Bought a house outside NYC
- Sold equity from Seamore’s after 3 years
- Sold in November 2019
- Lucky that this was just before the pandemic crash
- Selling equity
- Equity is only worth something when you sell it
- Take as much equity as you can whenever you can
- Lessons from mentors
- Don’t become a fixture of your business
- Don’t get too attached to your business
- Running a sustainable seafood restaurant
- Passionate about seafood
- US is working hard on reforming fisheries
- Oceans are in bad shape globally
- Grew up fishing as a teenager
- 90% of fish eaten in America is imported
- Abundant and sustainable American fish that few people know about e.g dogfish, bluefish
- Created Seamore’s selling these little known varieties of fish ethically sourced in from American lakes
- Creating cultures and environments
- Environment the staff loves working in
- Attracting great guests
- Being in the memory-making business
- Cornell University study
On today's show we chat with celebrity chef and environmental advocate Nyesha Arrington who's efforts to achieve sustainability in her personal and professional life have garnered her national attention. Nyesha's unconditional respect for quality of life and the people in it has led her to break every rule in the book. Her unconventional path within hospitality has taken her from Top Chef to a brick and mortar in Santa Monica and all the way to private dinners in Belize. She sets the rules and follows her truth, every single day. Today we discuss what motivates, inspires and excites the chef about the future.
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SHOW NOTES
- Sustainability in business
- Sustainability in life
- The pandemic has been a great time to reflect
- Managing a popup and event culinary business during Covid has been difficult
- Entry into the hospitality industry
- Starting projects during the lockdown was nurturing to the soul
- Started a garden with a neighbor
- Work-life balance is perfect when you are not working
- Building great habits for a sustainable life balance
- There will always be a bit of an imbalance because hospitality folks are wired a bit differently
- Hospitality folks are analytical, quick-thinking, passionate
- There is a fear we could go back to how things were if we reopen too quickly
- We haven’t figured things out yet
- Problems in the industry
- Raising prices
- Commodities have only gone up, labor has gone up
- Quick fix would be to raise prices but is the world ready for the prices to rise
- The burden outweighs the reward
- What it takes to diversify your business
- Catering takes more labor
- Adding more spaces is more investment
- Nyesha is hesitant to start her own venture
- Loves hospitality
- Focuses on private parties and content creation
- Wanted a business on her terms
- Work-life balance is a priority
- Things Nyesha would do differently in her own restaurant
- Different ways to move around monetary allocation
- Some of the best restaurants have had to pivot
- Noma makes burgers
- Nyesha and Josh have both had to be dishwashers during difficult shifts
- We do what we have to to keep things running
- Conceptualizing a fresh start
- Lots of commercial real estate available in the next 6 months
- Learning from great mentors
- Nyesha has many mentors for different aspects of her life
- We should entrust the future of the industry to the talented young people who deserve an opportunity to shine
- Going on a journey of self-discovery
- Reviewing her life in the industry as a young biracial woman
- Looked back on fine dining career in Michelin star restaurants
- Ethos in cooking rooted in nurturing
- Learning what she wants her food to look like
- Potential safety measures for reopening
- Everyone is in the same boat - grasping for information
Storytelling is central to the restaurant experience and, what guests love most whether they realize it or not, is the story we're telling within the four walls of our restaurants. But how does that story translate outside of those 4 walls and what stories should we be telling post-pandemic. We cover all of that and much more on today's show with Jeff Smith and Jill Sandin of JS2 in Los Angeles, one of the premier hospitality public relations firms repping everyone from Starbucks to famed restaurant Juniper and Ivy.
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SHOW NOTES
- The secrets to success in the restaurant business
- Understanding who we are in the market place
- Having a deeply interesting story to tell
- Not being all things to all people
- We must understand the connection between food, service, excitement and experience
- Solid business practices and managing the P&L
- Food is deeply personal
- Food memories drive our relationship with restaurants
- Client USP is the basis of great PR
- They do a branding exercise to understand the core essence of the restaurant
- Finding the tiny stories and a-ha moments that make the restaurant unique
- PR is very competitive
- The media is demanding and jaded
- LA is saturated with great food stories and food personalities
- Standing out in the crowd
- Find the one story that gets heads nodding or touches the heart
- Follow the love/passion and you will find the story
- Covid19 aftermath is like 9/11
- JS2 PR started 3 weeks before 9/11
- We are all in it together
- The world is in mourning
- We must communicate in a delicate way
- Communicating during a crisis
- Skillful storytelling is key
- We must be respectful and authentic
- Stay away from icky salesman
- Difference between information and promotion
- 4 phase approach to PR during Covid19
- Examples of PR during this time
- Saikai Ramen Bar - used remaining inventory to make ramen for local police and fire stations
- Dog Bakery - delivered dog food for free to local community
- Pasta Sisters - found other jobs for staff to keep them on payroll so they can still receive health benefits
- Practical advice for reopening
- What is your objective in this moment?
- We must be sensitive to the mood of the customer
- Fear makes people react in ways we can’t predict
- Trim hours and menu if needed
- Invest in excellent service
- Prioritizing storytelling
- The more personal the better
- How to get more media coverage
- Hospitality industry is in the news cycle a lot because of being the hardest hit during the pandemic
- Focus on stories of courage, compassion, and/or creativity
- Predictions for consumer behavior after the pandemic
- People are longing for connection
- They want to come back to restaurants and bars
- Consumers will be looking for places that make the very best food in the very best way
- High expectations
We've had months to discuss what we miss about the restaurant industry, what about what we don't miss? What parts of us and this industry should we leave behind? On today's show, we chat with Chef Joe Sasto, a renaissance man charting a new path in the industry through pop-ups, pasta classes & underground events. Together we'll ask the tough questions and try and find the path forward.
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SHOW NOTES
- Working at Quince
- Working at Lazy Bear
- Work culture translates to your guest experience
- You can taste bad energy and stress
- You can still execute Michelin star quality with a happier work environment
- Greatest mentor was Jason Berthold
- Worked at The French Laundry
- Inspired his team by leading by example
- Extreme passion for his work
- Commanded level of respect without asking for it
- Joe thinks back to him when inspiring his own team
- Being a chef doesn’t automatically demand respect
- Respect is earned via good leadership
- Journey to working in Michelin star restaurants
- Won Aspen Food & Win 2013
- Worked in an environment that was pushing for higher covers
- He didn’t find this fulfilling
- Took 8 weeks backpacking around Europe with his brother
- Discovered his goals
- Decided to refine his technique in Michelin star restaurants
- Working unconventionally
- Started creating pop-ups across the country
- Does online and in-person food experiences and classes
- Pop-ups and events are not easy
- Less stability
- Pushes creativity
- Pushes the boundaries of dining
- Goals for the future
- Settle down and open restaurants
- Has a few concepts in mind
- Biggest hurdle: finding the right market
- Finding the right market
- Neighborhood determines success
- Concerns as a business owner when considering a city
- There has been a mass exodus from large cities
- Joe is considering Portland - likes the culture, people, and opportunity
- The hospitality industry has razor-thin margins so the location must be chosen wisely
- The importance of sharing your story
- Sharing Joe’s story was influential and inspiring to others
- This was even more important during the pandemic
- The more he shared, the more he could connect with others through food
- We can feel better about what we are going through by sharing experiences
- Work-life balance - a major issue in the industry
- Realizes the importance of mental health
- We have an opportunity to rebuild with work-life balance in mind
- Rebuilding with employees in mind
- Creating structures that favor employees
- Giving them a voice
- Our employees make everything happen
- Changes he would make for his own restaurants
- Culture of putting employees first
- Being adaptable and quick to pivot
- Fast-casual dining with traditional dine-in models for stability and longevity
What I miss most about Louisiana is the sense of community I felt there. What I miss is exactly what compelled Chef Nina Compton to move there. Since arriving she's opened multiple restaurants and has achieved every imaginable accolade including a James Beard award, the title of Best New Chef from Food & Wine and was listed as one of America's Best Restaurants by Eater. Nothing could stop that momentum...except for a global pandemic. Today we discuss the long road ahead and the need to come together as a community if we're going to make it out of this alive.
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SHOW NOTES
- Is reopening possible?
- Restaurants will be different
- Dining etiquette will be different
- Cons of pivoting to delivery
- Low check average
- Not ordering beverages
- Not ordering appetizers
- Goal is to break even for the next year
- Making profit is probably not realistic for a while
- Keep doors open until things bounce back
- Wondering whether to change careers
- Who would be hiring now?
- Some days there is hope that everything will be okay
- Some days considering getting a 9-5 job
- As an owner, you are emotionally invested in the restaurant
- Restaurant as a reflection of self
- Supply chain is counting on us
- Staff
- Farmers
- Wine producers
- Fisherman
- Grocers
- Communicating the realities of the restaurant ecosystem
- Not a lucrative business
- Low return on high workload
- People take for granted that plates, food, labor etc costs money
- The danger of raising prices
- Not wanting to turn away customers
- “Meals are about moments, memories, and those who surround you at your table.”
- What does this look like post-pandemic?
- People want restaurants to come back
- Food is very comforting and people need comfort
- The lead up to closing
- Trying to keep guests and staff safe
- Hand sanitizer
- Single-use menus
- Spacing tables
- Reopening strategy
- Keys to success
I've always viewed the restaurant industry as risky but Chef Sam Marvin sees no risk. He's able to pump out hit after hit without missing a beat. From Bottega Louie to Echo & Rig, the chef has proven that success in the hospitality industry is a formula and it's a formula we can learn. On today's show, we'll be discussing the formula he used to turn Bottega Louie into a 10 million dollar blockbuster.
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SHOW NOTES
Started a consulting job in LA
Met a family who dined at the consulting restaurant 89 times over 10 months
Father of the family was son of CEO of Hilton
Pitched him on the idea for Bottega Louie
Spent 2years working closely to create the restaurant
Restaurants have opened the same way fro 100years
Key pillars of focus
Shift from restaurant business to experience business
Goal to create egocentric gratification in guests
Investing in experience
Keeping average check mid-range
Goal to bring guests back 3 times per week
Industry goal is one guest to come back every 90 days
Focusing on the human psyche
Tapping into subconscious
130 metrics including the 5 key pillars
Example: $1300 leather-bound reservations book
Example: Intentional confusion whe a guest walks in because restaurant is open plan. Create opportunity for connection from hosts
Opportunities during tragedy
Bottega Louie opened during economic crash of 2009
Invested over $6million on the opening
Opportunities and tragedy move at equal pace
Inspiration from European restaurants
Laduree inspired macarons
Italian is the #1 food genre in the world
Why choose Downtown LA
Has a reputation of being homeless town
Research showed surrounding restaurants were doing well
Research on local population
Size of population
Average income
Average check amount per restaurant
Bottega Louie made $8-9million
Zero profit in year one
Investing in the future
Four points for decision-making
Good for employee
Good for investors
Good for guests
Good for community
Why Sam left Bottega Louie
Stayed for 5.5years
Wanted to control his own destiny
Gained business knowledge
Strategy to open a new restaurant
Figuring out what the community needs
Finding gap in the market
Lots of Research and Development
Echo & Rig strategy
Studying surrounding steakhouses in Las Vegas
$28 or $88 check average - nothing in between
Decided on $53 check average
Studying the weight of meat
Steakhouses serve large steak because it is the norm
Do guests really need 30z steaks?
Decided to serve best possible steak at smaller size
Is Covid going back to zero?
Everything has changed
Grand revenue numbers hide flaws
Previously needed to make over $90k a week to make a profit
Retooling to create bigger and better businesses
Feeling excited about the future
Improving delivery
Elevated packaging
Making guests feel special even outside the restaurant
Didn't go to business school? We've got you covered.
On today's show, we chat with Elizabeth Tilton, founder of Oyster Sunday, a hospitality services company making waves by supplying us with tools we need to reopen, at no cost
As a child, I dreamed of being an astronaut. Elizabeth Tilton dreamed of being a doctor. But somehow, some way the hospitality industry sucked us in. The love of serving others is overwhelming and fires us off in different directions. I became a restaurateur. Elizabeth has dedicated her life to helping restaurateurs succeed.
Today we run through the plans and tools Oyster Sunday has created to make sure we don't just survive, we actually thrive.
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SHOW NOTES
- What does Oyster Sunday do?
- Corporate office for independent restaurants
- Creating infrastructure of operating systems for restaurants
- Reopening resources
- Offers free consultations for operators
- Created the reopening critical path
- How to treat your team
- How to stop hemorrhaging money
- PPL, national and localized financial stability
- Step by step guide to reopening
- Managing your team
- Not disqualifying team members for unemployment
- Restructuring business operations
- How do we find alternative revenue streams?
- Going back to cash in hand
- What is the break-even point at our lowest moments?
- How can we reorganize P&L?
- Data-driven decision making
- Focus on core competency
- What dishes or services make us who we are as a restaurant?
- Opportunity to reflect and rebuild
- Pivoting to a product industry over a service industry
- Covid 19 exposed issues, not create them
- Brick & mortar
- In-person model only
- Slim margins
- High labor costs
- High food costs
- Margins
- Industry average is 6% profit margin
- Preux & Proper 10%
- High margin businesses have high volume
- Restaurant businesses must work a lot for small profits
- With 15-20% profit, we can make broader decisions for our businesses
- Team salaries
- Communicating with consumers
- Consumers will dictate what they need
- Sharing the operations side with customers
- Telling them delivery commissions are high
- Telling them the complications of tipping
- This is a time of innovation in the industry
- Minimal innovation has happened in 50 years
- OpenTable for reservations
- Cloud-based computing for payments etc
- Cyclical view to restructuring the business model
- Recovery from Covid 19 won’t be linear
- Restructuring tool on the Oyster Sunday website (linked above)
- % delivery
- % catering
- Other digital revenue streams
- Planning for 12weeks
- Things change very quickly
LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE! I can think of few times in my life I've walked away from a conversation so fired up!
Today, we had the opportunity to chat with Chef Danielle Leoni, chef/owner of The Breadfruit & Rum Bar, who's fighting for sustainability in both the food we eat and the industry at large. Chef Leoni has been a food fighter from the beginning. Her positions on responsible sourcing and a holistic approach to hospitality have garnered her attention from prominent organizations like the James Beard Foundation, but it's the pandemic has brought her message to the masses.
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SHOW NOTES
- Beginning in campaigning for the hospitality industry during Covid
- Breadfruit and Rum Bar closed due to safety
- Decided takeout model wasn’t suitable
- Sent a letter to Governor with suggestions to help independent hospitality businesses
- Over 1000 business owners signed the letter
- Ideas put to the Governor
- Stop all penalties for sales tax payments
- 24month payment plan for sales tax
- Waive fees for liquor licenses - this was accepted
- Moratorium on commercial evictions - this was accepted
- Clear guidelines for reopening of hospitality businesses
- No intentions of reopening soon
- Covid has given us a lifetime opportunity
- We shape our food system
- Hospitality workers are not respected
- Seen as having “jobs” and not careers
- The “paid help”
- Hospitality shouldn’t be valued any less than other industries
- The cost of reopening
- What is the cost of giving team member fair wages?
- Raising prices
- The restaurant has no value is customers won’t compensate
- You can’t retire on a James Beard award
- Profits are minimal
- Most restaurants are treading water
- Initiatives for change
- Seafood sustainability
- Equity for women
- Health of the oceans
- Getting funding for the disadvantaged
- Everyone thinks it is really easy to be in the restaurant business
- It is not our sole responsibility to fix the food system
- Speak up for inequalities
- Pick up the phone to politicians
- Now is the best time to ask for systemic change
- Goal for the future
- To be seen as professionals and be paid equally and fairly
- Advice for restaurateurs
- Put thoughts and beliefs on paper
- Allow patrons and other business owners to support
- Find a representative and demand change
We're all shut down. The hamster wheel has stopped. And some of us, myself included, are wondering if we have the energy and, more importantly, the desire, to hop back on.
Today we discuss the case for change with a man that did just that. Matthew Jennings walked away from his award winning restaurants and all of the perks that come with being a celebrity chef to follow his bliss.
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SHOW NOTES
- Change to the flow of service
- What happens to Front-of-House service?
- When doing delivery, does presentation matter?
- Restaurants won’t be restaurants anymore
- Reservation systems could be a benefit
- More information is taken from the guest
- Additional information is an opportunity for more engagement and connection with customers
- Pivoting
- Cornell Business suggests ⅓ bodega style, ⅓ takeout, ⅓ dine-in
- Chefs Matthew interviewed pivoted in different ways
- 1 pivoted to groceraunt model
- 1 pivoted to meal kits and family meals
- 1 pivoted to mercantile - soap, non-perishable products
- Starting in consulting
- Started as a side hustle whilst running own restaurant
- Worked with Dunkin Donuts
- Started Full Heart Hospitality
- Teamed up with Jason Rose
- Areas of consulting
- Creative
- Design concepts
- Design products
- Creating menus
- Marketing
- Operational
- Strategy
- Implementation
- Why Matthew left the restaurant biz at the top of his game
- Growing wasn’t fulfilling
- Running a restaurant took a toll on health and family life
- Doctor gave him a wake-up call
- Recovering from being overworked
- Moving
- Creating a new community
- Working from home
- Belief that life can be about abundance, joy, and progress can all happen at the same time
- Changes that can be made in the industry
- What do guests want
- Comfort food
- Number of people in a restaurant
- How to treat our teams
- What systems to keep
- The hard part is not having answers regarding the future of the virus
- Information changes every day
- How do you make decisions when things are constantly changing?
- 30/60/90 strategy for planning
- 30-day strategy aiming for small wins
- Reflect and measure the results at the end of the 30days
- Create a roadmap for 60 days then 90 days
- Cut down overwhelm by breaking it down
- We must remain flexible as things change
- Not completely reinventing the business model just in case things change quickly again
- Post-pandemic predictions
- How are guests going to feel in a restaurant?
- Restaurateurs responsibility to keep guests and staff safe
What are the folks at the top of our industry doing to help us and themselves? On today's show, we chat with four-time James Beard award-winning TV personality, chef, writer, teacher and social justice advocate, Chef Andrew Zimmern. Andrew has not only reached the pinnacles of success, he'd done so while supporting and advocating for independent restaurants. Today we talk about the where we are and where we're headed as an industry and what we can do to help each other.
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SHOW NOTES
- 3-pronged strategy for moving forward during the Covid crisis
- Not getting stuck in one metric or business model. Being fluid and flexible
- Covid give us a chance to review our businesses
- Many sectors of the hospitality industry were already broken - Covid accelerated the demise
- Building back the right way
- Reviewing pricing, menus, HR
- Realigning our motives for being in the hospitality industry
- Many people joined to become famous or seek wealth
- This can be poor for mental health as stardom is fleeting
- Stay in the industry because of love, not to get rich
- Wolfgang Puck took a huge risk coming to America and struggled alot in his early career. His passion led to his stardom.
- There is a low barrier to entry to become a restaurateur
- Anyone with finance can open a restaurant
- The restaurant life seems “sexy” and appealing to anyone who loves dining out
- The restaurant business is extremely fragile to run well - pennies business with slim margins
- Reflecting as a practice
- Andrew has a daily reflection practice he learned whilst becoming sober
- Taking regular inventory of problems e.g pros and cons lists
- Writing things on paper helps to reflect on them
- Any business or human being that doesn’t regularly take stock will fail
- Reflecting on the restaurant business
- Slowing down to learn from what is happening right now
- Working on ops issues
- How working for larger causes helps mental health
- Taking focus off himself slows his thoughts
- Working extremely hard
- Extremely fulfilling work
- Projects to help the hospitality industry
- Small anonymous group helping local community
- Speaking to the local governor regarding safety in hospitality reopening
- Why we are on this earth
- Andrew would ask First Peoples’ this question
- “We’re on this earth to love and nurture each other”
- Small gestures are more fulfilling than big gestures
- Things we can do to service the industry
- Start at a community level
- Create a community resource kitchen if it is needed
- Donate time, money, or food to resource kitchens and initiatives already operating
- Share causes on social media
- Checking in on people
- Donating masks
- The podcast is awareness-raising and impacting lives
- Positive changes predicted for after Covid
- Low-cost micro model restaurants for feeding small communities
On today's show, we chat with Steve Schwartz, founder of the Art of Tea, a bespoke tea company crafting custom blended tea for the biggest names in hospitality.
If you're going to create a product, logic would dictate that you'd want the masses to have access to it. But that's not the route Steve Schwartz went. He wanted his tea company to serve those that serve others. It's one of the foundational values that guides The Art of Tea. In today's tough economy, the companies that thrive will be culture first companies. Here, Steve walks us through the core values and culture-first perspective that has made The Art of Tea a huge success.
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SHOW NOTES
- The importance of mentors
- Find yourself a teacher, acquire yourself a friend
- Mentors can share lessons
- Friends can challenge you and learn with you
- Mentors and friends in Steve’s life
- 3 daughters - all under 15yo
- Coach - in his mid-70s and helps to separate belief from reality
- Group of peers in similar businesses - sharing best practices and meaningful lessons
- Lessons from childhood
- Had a very perfect, comfortable upbringing until parents’ divorce at 14
- Sent to live with 19yo brother with no financial support
- Learned to be scrappy and creative to make money
- Knew it was a phase and would be able to teach lessons to children one day
- Entering entrepreneurship
- Started digital gatherings in Arizona at 19
- Minimal resources but events were profitable
- Introduction to tea
- Mom became very ill with brain cancer - she passed within 10months
- Steve realized there could be other schools of medicine and treatments
- Found Ayurvedic Institute and learned about botanicals
- Began traveling the world for the best botanicals to create tea
- Tea as a business
- Ethos of not creating mass-produced low-quality tea
- Began selling in hotels and creating custom blends
- Creating a movement against big tea companies
- Aligning with core values
- Leadership team reviews the company’s core values every week
- Impact. Culture. Accountability. Results. Excellence (ICARE)
- This is much more important during Covid
- Projections for hospitality
- 3rd of businesses won’t survive
- 3rd will barely survive
- 3rd will thrive
- Pivoting during Covid crisis
- Becoming a conduit of ideas between businesses
- Learning how some clients are surviving and relaying that advice to other struggling businesses
- Changing marketing plans
- Government is unlikely to stop marketing efforts so there is an opportunity to be more creative with marketing
- Creating ice tea for sale to consumers or restaurants
- How to manage fear
- If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans
- Ideas that make Steve fearful and excited confirm he should pursue it
- He thanks the fear for protecting him
- Create a backup plan in case things do go wrong
- Coping with being back at zero
On today's show we chat with Othon Nolasco, co-founder of No Us Without You, a non-profit serving the most vulnerable amongst us within the hospitality community.
There are some revelations in life that hit you like a ton of bricks. It was Othon that brought to light that there are thousands of undocumented hospitality workers that are unable to receive government assistance and thus are unable to feed their families. Most of us can empathize but few of us have the courage to act. Within days of the quarantine, Othon and team were feeding families throughout Los Angeles county. Here, Othon provides a window into the work they're doing and the people they're supporting.
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SHOW NOTES
- Met partners Damien and Erin in 2012 and created Va’La Hospitality in 2018
- Consultants specifically for bar services
- Coping though Covid19
- All projects were shutdown when crisis hit
- Still figuring out the next steps for Va’La
- Focus on the charity work
- Being “unemployed” feels very odd since hospitality professionals are usually working constantly
- The beginnings of No Us Without You
- Predicted the lockdown and shutdown of bars would happen
- Lots of GoFundMes were being made for FOH staff but not the most vulnerable
- Started the initiative to feed 1 undocumented, unemployed family for 1 day.
- Bought food from restaurant outlets and packaged it
- The initiative grew to feed the family for 1 week
- Candidates for the program
- Families are of undocumented back of house staff who are now unemployed
- Hard-working people struggling without work
- Operations of No Us Without You
- Food packages have a mix of produce, dried staples, and home-cooked meals
- Food supply partners donate to subsidize food
- Team still shops 3-4 times a week to buy food from wholesalers
- Feeding 1 family = $33 per week
- They feed 300 families a week
- Future of No Us Without You
- Non-profit, tax-exempt status
- Aim to feed 600-700 families per week
- The human aspect
- Many children they see are very confused
- How many families not aware of the program are going hungry?
- How many children are going hungry?
- Hunger in America during Covid
- Due to restaurant closures, farmers are dumping milk and slaughtering animals as they cannot afford to keep them
- Many families are going hungry with rising unemployment
- Long-term implications
- Unemployment could mean families are behind on rent
- Families are typically working at least two jobs to pay bills in normal times
- When the job market reopens, competition for work will be high
- With accumulated debt, it will be a long time before they are financially stable again
- Goal of providing food stability to as many families as possible, for as long as possible. Prediction 12-18months
- Personal goals of Othon
- Planning a wedding which was postponed
- Improving on weaknesses
- Learning more about how to run a non-profit
Today we chat with Barrie Schwartz, founder of My House, an events company in New Orleans, Louisiana. Schwartz has made a name for herself as an industry disruptor by democratizing chefdom, proving that chefs don't need restaurants, they simply need an audience. These efforts have garnered her accolades including PCMA’s 20 in their Twenties, Connect Corporate’s 40 Under 40 and Gambit’s 30 Under 30. The COVID 19 pandemic has inspired new challenges as she and her team now work to ensure women and chef of color are represented on the front lines of this fight.
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SHOW NOTES
- Started her love of hospitality in college where she and friend ran a sandwich cafe
- What she loved about hospitality
- Making others happy
- Social aspect
- Entrepreneurial skills to run a business
- Time management
- Goal setting
- Community building
- Living and working by the company values
- How My House became an industry disrupter
- Allowing chefs to bring their voice and story to events
- Making food sexy
- Giving chefs an opportunity to add another revenue stream via catering whether they have a restaurant or not
- Getting past major obstacles
- 2013 they owned a food truck business that was forced to close due to politics
- Pivoted to start a food hall
- Learned that being pushed to a wall forced resilience, creativity and innovation
- Working in New Orleans
- Equally creative, entrepreneurial, and cultural
- Equally old school and present roadblocks for entrepreneurs
- Initiatives during Covid
- Providing chefs with other economic opportunities while restaurants are closed via small events
- Pushing female chefs and chefs of color to the forefront of community work
- Diverse mix of chefs feeding keyworkers in the community
- Rethinking the business model
- How can the business model accommodate smaller events?
- Could postponed events maintain their budget but happen on a smaller scale?
- Covid gives us time to pause and reflect
- What aspects of the business do we want to keep doing?
- Continue to bring different chefs together
- Continue to introduce people to food they may not have tried before
- What are the mechanics of keeping these aspects in a post-covid world?
- Allowing the team to rest and pause is also important
- Dealing with fear during the crisis
- Prioritizing self-care
- Somedays more resilient than others
- Not allowing fear to dictate the next moves of the business
- Not wanting to rush into things because of fear
- Gentle, slow approach to rebuilding
- Secrets to success
- Being adaptable to feedback and evolving the business idea over time
- You can’t over-communicate too much
- Communicate the “why”, not just the “how” and “what”
- Understanding your weaknesses and asking for help
- Pitfalls to avoid
Longtime leader in luxury goods and former Chairman of LVMH North America, Pauline is renowned for acquiring, building, and leading some of the world’s most influential brands.
In her groundbreaking new book, Aesthetic Intelligence, she shows businesspeople how to harness the power of their own senses to create products and services that delight their customers and build businesses that last. Her book is based on a course that she designed and taught at Harvard Business School.
Here, she looks to our industry, walking us through how to build a successful hospitality brand.
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SHOW NOTES
What is Aesthetic Intelligence?
Taste
A higher level of perception
The ability to discern and communicate what looks and feels good
Grew up as first-gen Jewish American in a creative but practical household
Going into business doesn’t always embrace the creative side
It took Pauline many years to combine creativity with her business knowledge
The importance of creative briefs
Marketing document
Roadmap for the brand plan
Stems from the company’s central idea into a more fixed template for branding
How to create a creative brief for a restaurant
Start with the core idea/usp/story
The core idea needs to be relevant, original and engaging to capture the imaginations of customers
Create an execution strategy to communicate that idea to customers
A central part of a restaurant’s idea - how do I want people to feel?
Getting to know the customer on a basic level
What do they order?
What is the occasion they come to your restaurant?
How much do they typically spend?
What time of day do they come to the restaurant?
Getting to know the customer on an advanced level
Mood state
Who are they as a person?
What drives them?
What are the wanting to feel in the restaurant?
Empathizing with the customer and getting to know them elevates the brand
Creating a “halo-effect”
Building anticipation before they come to the restaurant
Creating long-lasting memories for the customer after they have left
Aesthetics don’t need to be expensive
Nice things don’t need to cost a lot of money
Practical ways to save money aesthetically improving a restaurant
Consider the things you are already doing e.g paint a wall. Could that wall be a different color?
Making the same decisions more mindfully
Editing and taking away can also be effective
Having lots of capital can be a bad thing
Lots of money can make people lazy
Less money = more resourcefulness and creativity
Restaurants are not easy businesses
Most restaurateurs think very practically as operators
Tips to uplevel the customer experience in a restaurant
Sound design
Lighting design, down to the color of the bulbs
Visual design - small details
Pitfalls to avoid
Hiring a team that is not passionate about what they do
Amazing service leaves a lasting impression
Chef Eric Greenspan is probably best known for his appearances on big tv shows like Iron Chef America. What most folks don't know is the resilience required for Eric to carve out a place for himself within this industry. On today's show, Chef Greenspan shares his greatest successes, worst defeats and the lessons learned from each.
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SHOW NOTES
- 9/11 caused Eric’s first major pivot
- Worked at high end restaurant in New York
- After 9/11, the owners told staff they will no longer pay them but they can work for free
- Found this to be a distasteful way of dealing with crisis
- Creating his own opportunities
- Saw two positions advertised for line cooks
- Offered to do both jobs for 1.5 pay
- Seizing new opportunity despite a major life change
- Was offered Sous chef position at Patina which quickly became an exec chef position
- From 9/11 crisis to Exec chef at Patina in 8 months
- How to deal with adversity
- Believing that there is always an opportunity around the corner
- Paying attention to the signals that opportunities may be on their way
- Taking jobs that you don’t feel ready for
- Not passing up the opportunity, ready or not
- Having confidence to figure it out
- Finding the right work environment
- Conclusion: working for other people was not the right working environment
- Had to find a new more autonomous working environment
- Eric was unable to adapt to the corporate structure at Patina imposing boundaries on his work
- Became a partner at another restaurant but also left quickly
- The value of teaching as a chef
- The greatest chefs are great teachers
- Teachers allows you to hone skills of your staff and push them to excellence
- Uncovering every possible avenue to get what you want
- Potential restaurant space needed $25k to extend the lease
- Did not give up on trying to save the money despite very limited time frame.
- Asked friends and family
- Sold car on eBay
- First restaurant was hit by the recession and writers’ strike
- Surviving during crisis
- Running many promotions per week to attract customers
- Bought food from restaurant depots
- Businesses don’t succeed because you become famous
- Restaurant business success keys
- Being well run
- Being in the right place
- Being well funded
- Making money in the restaurant business is having multiple restaurants
- Success with Cloud Kitchens
- Creating multiple brands with different concepts
- All food from the multiple brands cooked and fulfilled by same staff
- No front-of-house
- Delivery only model
It was thought that to drink alcohol was to live a life shadowed by death. The Death & Co. team has been offering a warm embrace to those who shine after dusk for over a decade now. Its foundational elements are a love of great people and great drinks. Today, we chat with Alex Day, proprietor of the world-famous Death & Co., a bar that redefined cocktail culture for an entire generation.
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LINKS
https://www.deathandcompany.com/
SHOW NOTES
- Dave Kaplan & Ravi DeRossi started Death & Co in 2006
- Alex was captivated by the youthful, innovative approach to drinks
- They opened 3 branches of Death & Co, NYC, LA & Denver
- Early mistakes
- Not knowing what to do as new entrepreneurs
- Bars ran themselves
- “Failing forward”
- 2 years of growth by luck
- Difficult neighbour for years
- Legal implications
- Biggest lessons
- It is the owners’ job to find and cultivate good people
- Provide strong guidance
- Build a strong culture
- There is no such thing as smooth sailing
- Foundation issues in the industry
- Hospitality workers are not employed or compensated well
- Astronomical rents
- High operating costs
- Poor margins
- At this time of not operating, they are rethinking every aspect of the business
- Realigning focus on what the customer wants
- Avoiding getting hung up on vanity items like perfect cocktail recipe
- Bringing focus back to the consumer
- What will they want post-lockdown?
- Reevaluating how to relate to vendors and improve vendor relationships
- Improving the bars from an environment perspective
- Reviewing relationships with landlords
- How things could be different post-Covid
- Local cultures in each city
- Social norms
- Improving as employers
- Benefits they already offer
- Health insurance to full-time staff
- Wellness credits
- Potential ideas for future
- Offering health insurance to part-time staff
- Creating clearer avenues for staff to grow in the company
- What set Death & Co apart as a brand
- Meticulous focus on ingredients
- Passion about the craft
- Human, genuine, authenticity in their delivery
- Being serious about the craft but also having fun
- Harnessing individuality throughout the business
- Allowing bartenders to be creative
- Each bar is not a copy of the other
- Individual menus
- Different appearance
- Using social media as a marketing engine
- Industry typically focusses on bragging or nice photos of food/drink
- Creating a more community based social media presence
In 2006, two chefs and a foodie set out to change the way people eat for the better. Their guiding light was the 10 year plan created by founder Erik Oberholtzer. That plan took the restaurant chain from one location to 30 and carried Tender Greens through the crash of 2008, illuminating opportunities in a difficult time. Today, Erik shares how his plan helped the company weather the recession and offers a path forward for restaurants in a post coronavirus world.
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Yelp x Cornell University x Oyster Sunday x Jon Taffer and more combined forces to create a holistic guide to help restaurants thrive now and post-pandemic. Click below to download your free copy today!
Want to streamline your front-of-house operations and increase sales? Head over to http://restaurants.yelp.com/fullcomppodcast to claim your free page and learn more about these powerful tools for your business.
SHOW NOTES
- Opened their second restaurant in the midst of the recession.
- The recession created opportunities in the real estate market that they capitalized on.
- They innovated in product offering by bringing in whole animals at a lower cost and shopping the daily specials at farmer’s markets.
- Doubled down on vision and intentions
- This became a recruiting tool for out of work chefs
- Roadblocks and tension points are opportunities
- This was all based on TYP, a Ten-Year Plan
- Taking the long view
- 30 restaurants over 10 years across California
- Anyone who participates gets to take part in the wealth creation at the end of 10 years.
- Danny Meyer invested
- The magic of long-term thinking is that the plan never changes no matter what happens.
- When you’re going from LA to New York, the route might change but the destination does not.
- Foundational Changes that need to happen in the industry
- The restaurant market is overbuilt
- High development costs
- Disruption via third party delivery
- The pause button has been hit and we all need to think about how things need to change
- Innovation through a subscription model
- Opportunities exist within the delivery space
- The hidden gift in the pandemic is that we get the opportunity to reevaluate our lives and make new choices
- Time is now abundant. What are we going to do with that time?
- Deeper connections
- New priorities
- Evaluate what we miss most about community
- Tactical Advice to get open and stay open
- Conversion to a community kitchen
- Conversion into a bodega
- How can I be of service to my immediate community?
- Start with team
- Then Those in Need
- Biggest mistake made
- I didn’t pay attention to 3rd party delivery
- Been a disruptive element in consumer behavior
- What is the worst part of quarantine?
- Missing my community
- Best part of quarantine
- Time and simplicity
- Words of encouragement
- We’re resilient industry
- People have to eat and restaurants are central to the community
- We’re going to come back stronger than ever
Hospitality is in the blood for Darin Rubell, his father and grandfather were both restaurateurs, and his cousin Steve Rubell was the man behind Studio 54. A native of New York City, Rubell has created a restaurant empire spanning 8 concepts including restaurants, bars and a catering company. His companies have gone on to thrive even through the crash of 2008. In today's episode Darin shares how 9/11 inspired his path to entrepreneurship and his plan to overcome the obstacles created by the pandemic.
Yelp x Cornell University x Oyster Sunday x Jon Taffer and more combined forces to create a holistic guide to help restaurants thrive now and post-pandemic. Click here to download your free copy today!
I created this podcast to help us all through these tough times. I've also created a service committed to help you get open and stay open. Click here to check it out and sign up for a 60-day free trial.