FULL COMP: The Voice of the Restaurant Industry Revolution

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 i...

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 o...

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...

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 i...

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...

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 nex...

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 i...

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 asse...

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, Directo...

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 i...

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...

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 pan...

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...

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 i...

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 sca...

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...

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 princ...

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 inf...

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 hi...

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 t...

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/...

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 esse...

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...

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 ag...

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, i...