FULL COMP: The Voice of the Restaurant Industry Revolution

What if I told you I knew a guy that could convince his guests to come back twice a month? What if I told you that same guy could actually convince his guests to come back twice a day? Today we sit down with Kris Schoenberger, the founder of the BBQ’d Productions restaurant group. Kris didn’t invent the red envelope campaign but he has certainly mastered it. In our conversation he provides us with...

Next year marks 40 years since the first California Pizza Kitchen opened. CPK predates the casual restaurant movement, social media, online delivery and even the internet. To stay relevant over the years you’ve got to find the perfect balance between consistency and innovation. Today we sit down with the head of innovation for CPK, Paul Pszybylski, to discuss how this prolific brand continues to a...

So many of us look to successful restaurateurs and wonder how they did it. How were they able to climb to such great heights? Today we sit down with Robby Berg, operating partner of Genghis Grill to find out exactly how. In our conversation, we learn the linear path to self determination and financial success.  For more information on Genghis Grill, visit http://www.genghisgrill.com . ____________...

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 massi...

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 t...

The Cornerstone Restaurant Group is like the Michael Jordan of restaurant groups–and not just because they partnered with Michael Jordan on MJ23 and the Michaell Jordan Steakhouse. Today we sit down with two of the three leaders of the organization, Josh and Danny to discuss how they’ve managed to scale blockbuster brands across multiple tiers of dining nationally and what their growth internation...

Prepare yourself for one of the most interesting guests I’ve ever hosted on the show. Today we sit down with Josh Copeland of the Camino Alto restaurant in the Bay Area. Josh is a zealot in the way we think of Blue Hill Restaurant or Chef Charlie Trotter–the best ingredients served in an uncompromising fashion. Josh Copeland is a model of focus, showing us what’s possible when we refuse to let go...

I can’t imagine any of us entered the fine dining category without hoping for a Michelin or a James Beard or Wine Spectator accolade. They say success leaves clues and today I sit down with Chef Juan Jose Cuevas to discuss what he’s learned over the years, running world-class restaurants and collecting awards along the way. There is a blueprint for excellence and Chef Juan provides it today.  For...

Before taking the restaurant world by storm, Andy Wiederhorn was a finance guy and used his deep understanding of business to grow in the quick service, fast casual, and casual dining markets. Today we sit down to discuss how one man franchises so many household brands from Round Table Pizza to Fatburger and from Johnny Rockets to Marble Slab Creamery. For more information on Fat Brands, visit htt...

How many hours have we spent worrying about what the future holds for our industry? How could that time be better spent? Enter Matt Newberg. Matt is a student of our industry, diving deep into every vertical of the food service space, analyzing its strengths and weaknesses. This exploration has evolved into a vibrant community which, next month, goes from online to in-person. We sit down to discus...

What happens when a restaurateur partners with a professional marketer? Well, the short answer is: magic. Today we sit down with the marketing geniuses behind For the Table Hospitality, a company blazing trails and setting sales records across Tallahassee, Florida. What’s working for them would work for you too and in our conversation we work to unpack the tactics and strategies that have helped t...

How lucky am I that one of my restaurant heroes is actually my friend. Ari Weinzweig built the $80 million dollar Zingerman's restaurant empire but what’s most interesting is how he built it. In an industry known for being cutthroat and cynical, Ari has chosen to lead with empathy and dignity. Today we sit down together to discuss the role that dignity plays in the modern restaurant environment an...

You’ve heard the story before…local guy leaves home, works for the best of the best, and then returns home victorious. But that’s only half of the story. When Chef Jeremy Blutstein returned home after working with some of the most prolific chefs in the industry, he saw the opportunity to influence the culinary future of the place he grew up. Today we sit down to discuss his culinary journey and th...

Believe it or not, one of the most powerful marketing tools in your business is customer feedback. The closer we are to our guests, the better able we are to serve them. Today we sit down with Zack Oates, the founder and chief evangelist of Ovation, a powerful platform that transforms customer feedback into actionable information. We cover everything from radical delegation to guest frequency stra...

I walked into today’s conversation with a little career envy. Few in our industry have had the good fortune to work for and with so many amazing companies. Today we sit down with Olivier Rassinoux to discuss how working with prolific brands like the Ritz Carlton, Daniel Boulud, and the Ace Hotel group paved the way for his current role as the VP of Restaurant and Bar for the one and only Patina Gr...

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 today 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....

Everyone wants the blueprint to scale their restaurant business but knowledge isn’t enough. It’s not just about what you need to know, it’s about who you need to become. Today I sit down with one of the strongest leaders in our industry. John Haggai has spent his life in the restaurant industry and the lessons he’s learned on his way to the top can help us all reach the summit. Get ready to learn...

No one would argue that QR codes are popping up more and more but the physical menus still reigns supreme. That being the case it made sense to bring in the master of the menu Kyle Ewing. Kyle and his company TerraSlate have crafted millions of the most durable menus on the planet and that gives him a unique perspective. Today we sit down to discuss the best practices he sees across the best menus...

On paper it seems like a no brainer…simply take one of the most famous restaurant brands in Italy and open it in the United States. What could go wrong? Just months into Francesco Zimone opening L’antica Pizzeria Da Michele in Hollywood the global pandemic hit. Leveraged to the hilt, Francesco set about creating a comeback so epic it could have been a Hollywood blockbuster. Today we sit down to di...

While so many of us spent the pandemic scrambling, Cody Pruitt spend that time planning. Cody is literally the only first time restaurateur I know that opened a restaurant in a major city and managed to adhere to the plan. Today we sit down to discuss how to build and stick to a restaurant business plan and how he managed to blow his revenue targets out of the water.  That’s Cody Pruitt. For more...

You walk into a restaurant and it just makes sense. It all feels right…the decor, the menus, the music and you know that they’re selling more than a meal, it’s a lifestyle. Today we sit down with Scott Lawton, the co-founder of bartaco, to discuss the foundational elements of the bartaco brand and how those elements come together to make the guest feel like they’re a part of something special. For...

Do you feel like you should be further along in your career–that you should be more successful than you are today? Had you met Bob Spivak at 39 years old, you probably wouldn’t have thought much of him but, in his 40’s, he would go on to create one of the most prolific restaurant brands in Hollywood and then scale it nationally. Today, we sit down with Bob to discuss what created this massive tida...

San Pedro Fish Market is one of the highest-grossing independent restaurants in the US. Once we’ve taken a moment for that to sink in, we need to talk about how it became one of the highest-grossing independent restaurants in America. To have that conversation, we’re sitting down with Michael Ungaro, San Pedro’s CEO to discuss how narrowing focus and scaling attention leads to massive revenues. As...

I have yet to come across an independent restaurant owner that didn’t open their restaurant to better serve their community. But things get tricky when we try to get granular. We all aspire to serve our communities but with tight margins and low profits, most of us struggle to fulfill our lofty goals around community impact. Enter Andrew Glantz of GiftAMeal. Andrew has built an ecosystem that help...

Chef Luke Reyes is a master of mastery. I’ve worked with Luke in the past and I’ve followed his career as he’s worked to reinvent himself and contemporary cuisines over the last almost two decades. We’re both a bit older and wiser and today we sit down to discuss what’s worked and what hasn’t over the course of our careers. This is a masterclass in the art of narrowing your focus to scale your bus...