Restaurant Rockstars Podcast

What keeps guests coming back again and again? In this episode, Roger sits down with Brian Toll, co-founder of h.wood Group, to discuss the leadership, culture, and hospitality strategies behind one of the industry's fastest-growing restaurant groups. You'll learn: Why "wow" experiences create loyal guests How to hire and retain exceptional employees The leadership habits that build winning restau...

What separates an average restaurant manager from a truly great general manager? In this episode, Roger sits down with Andrew Roy, General Manager of Mahogany Prime Steakhouse, to discuss the leadership habits, systems, and financial discipline that drive successful restaurants. From hiring and accountability to labor management, guest recovery, online reviews, inventory, prime cost, and profitabi...

If you're looking for restaurant growth strategies that increase sales without relying on constant discounts, this episode is for you. Roger sits down with Dog Haus CEO Mike Montagano to discuss how one of the industry's fastest-growing brands is building customer loyalty, protecting margins, and growing sales through memorable guest experiences, smart marketing, AI, menu innovation, and operation...

What if one employee mistake could cost your restaurant $100,000...or more? In this episode of the Restaurant Rockstars Podcast, Roger sits down with employment attorney and former chef Doug Plass to discuss the restaurant labor law mistakes that create the biggest risks for owners and operators. From wage and hour violations, overtime rules, and tip pooling compliance to discrimination claims, wo...

The response to the first two episodes in this series was incredible, so we're back with Part 3. In this episode, Roger shares exactly what he'd focus on if he owned your restaurant today. From labor controls and inventory systems to menu profitability, recruiting, marketing, catering, mug clubs, and daily break-even analysis, this episode is packed with practical strategies to help operators prot...

What does it take to grow a restaurant from a single location to an 8-unit operation while maintaining profitability, culture, and consistency? In this episode of the Restaurant Rockstars Podcast, we sit down with Enga Stanfield, owner of Mattenga's Pizzeria in San Antonio, Texas. Enga shares the restaurant KPIs her team tracks daily, including labor per hour, sales per hour, inventory, and prime...

Are your kids menus helping drive family revenue…or just checking a box? In this episode of Restaurant Rockstars, Roger sits down with Mick Carr, founder of GrubLab, to explore a new approach to family dining that turns the traditional kids menu into an interactive experience. Using augmented reality, licensed sports and entertainment brands, and rotating collectible content, GrubLab helps restaur...

Roger sits down with Omar from Talkin' Tacos to unpack the systems, leadership, and operational discipline that fueled their growth. This is not a story about luck. It's about building repeatable systems, protecting culture, developing teams, and creating an operation that can scale without sacrificing quality or guest experience. Show Notes: https://restaurantrockstars.com/audio/488-restaurant-op...

Restaurant veteran Ben Fischer joins Roger to share 45+ years of hard-earned restaurant operations lessons on leadership, staffing, labor management, pricing, systems, marketing and what actually makes restaurants successful long term. From opening and selling restaurants to building a restaurant-focused marketing agency, Ben has seen every side of the business. This episode is packed with practic...

Independent restaurant operators are facing rising labor costs, shrinking margins, inconsistent team performance, and growing pressure to deliver value while maintaining hospitality. In this episode, Roger sits down with Chad Offerdahl, CEO of Big Biscuit, to break down the operational systems helping their rapidly growing restaurant brand scale successfully across 30+ locations. Chad shares pract...

Running 35 restaurants takes more than systems. It takes real restaurant operations. In this episode of the Restaurant Rockstars Podcast, I sit down with Alex Sadowsky, Vice President of Training, Culinary, and Beverage at Ojos Locos Sports Cantina, a growing 35-unit brand. We go inside how a multi-unit restaurant actually operates, from hiring and training to culture, accountability, and managing...

Turn catering into a profit machine. In this episode, Roger sits down with Elias from Rally Catering to talk about how the right restaurant catering system can help operators simplify the ordering process, reduce chaos, and turn catering into a repeatable revenue stream. They break down the biggest mistakes restaurants make with catering, the systems needed to streamline operations, and how easy o...

Most restaurant owners are stuck chasing food costs. The real opportunity is building systems that scale profit. In this episode, Roger sits down with Jessica Zouaoui, Co-Founder of Oakwell Beer Spa, a fully booked, multi-location concept built without investors. She shares how systems, team culture, and experience-driven strategy created a business that runs without burnout. You’ll learn how to s...

If your restaurant is busy but not making money, your systems, not your effort, are the problem. In this episode, Roger breaks down exactly what he would do if he took over your restaurant today. From menu costing and prime cost to labor control, leadership, and marketing, this is a complete restaurant systems playbook designed to increase profit and give you back control of your business. These a...

If you think great food and service are enough to grow your restaurant… think again. In this episode, marketing powerhouse Shawn Walchef breaks down the restaurant marketing strategies that actually work today—and why “if you build it, they won’t come” is one of the biggest myths in this business. We dive into: • Why your digital front door matters more than ever • How storytelling drives real tra...

Rising costs are squeezing profits across the industry, but the smartest operators are adapting fast...and winning. In this episode, Roger sits down with Samir Zabaneh to break down the real strategies restaurants are using right now to protect and grow their restaurant margins. From operational efficiencies to smarter marketing and menu optimization, Samir shares practical insights and real-world...

Restaurant profits are under pressure, and many operators are unknowingly making mistakes that destroy their restaurant margins. In this episode of the Restaurant Rockstars Podcast, Roger Beaudoin breaks down the five biggest profit-killing mistakes he sees in restaurants today, from poor menu engineering and rising food costs to labor inefficiencies and weak operational systems. Drawing on decade...

What does it take to build a multi-unit restaurant group starting with $70,000 during the Great Recession? In this episode of Restaurant Rockstars, Roger talks with Molly Irani, co-founder of Chai Pani Restaurant Group, about the leadership discipline and people-first culture that turned a bootstrap startup into a nationally recognized brand. This is a practical conversation about restaurant leade...

In Episode 478 of the Restaurant Rockstars Podcast, Roger sits down with hospitality futurist and author Carl Orsbourn to discuss AI for restaurants, smarter restaurant systems, and the leadership required to navigate a changing industry. Technology is everywhere right now. Every platform promises transformation. But most restaurant technology fails — not because it doesn’t work, but because it is...

Restaurant Leadership is the difference between running a restaurant and leading one. In this episode, Roger sits down with a multi-unit operator to unpack the systems behind stronger leadership, tighter labor control, and better profitability. We cover: • Proactive labor management and forecasting • Building and developing A-level managers • Creating culture that drives accountability • Using KPI...

AI is everywhere, but what actually works inside a real restaurant? In this episode, Roger breaks down how restaurant owners are practically using AI to tackle today’s biggest challenges: rising labor costs, shrinking margins, inefficient systems, and marketing that doesn’t deliver ROI. You’ll learn how AI can support: • Inventory management and waste reduction • Menu engineering and pricing decis...

Running a profitable restaurant doesn’t mean doing more — it means making simpler, smarter decisions. In this episode of Restaurant Rockstars, Roger talks with Kelly of Hot Head Burritos about how focused menus, disciplined operations, and clearer decision-making lead to higher profit for independent restaurant owners. Learn how simplifying menus, labor, tech, and daily decisions improves executio...

Most restaurant problems don’t come from a lack of effort, they come from a lack of systems. In this episode of the Restaurant Rockstars Podcast, I break down the restaurant systems and SOPs that actually move the needle on profit, with a clear focus on prime cost, consistency, and control. We talk about why systems matter more than personalities, how the right SOPs protect your margins, and what...

Labor costs are squeezing restaurant owners harder than ever but some restaurants are quietly winning. In this episode of the Restaurant Rockstars Podcast, Roger Beaudoin sits down with Lawrence from Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard to break down the thinking behind low-labor, high-margin restaurant models. This conversation isn’t about copying a walk-up counter concept, it’s about understandin...

A global hospitality leader breaks down what really drives profitable restaurants. In this episode, Roger sits down with Marvin Alballi to unpack the thinking behind high standards, smart training, menu discipline, and guest-first leadership and why getting the fundamentals right is the most strategic move a restaurant operator can make. Restaurant Rockstars Academy Built for restaurant owners who...