Restaurant Rockstars Podcast

There are many legendary restaurateurs in our business, and we can learn from each and every one of their stories. Rarely do I find a man still working his restaurants 50 years on with the same energy, passion and creativity that led to 26 different locations. Imagine building these brands, developing the concepts, leading the teams and fostering the customer relationships. He’s even written a boo...

We can all learn from a true restaurant magician… In my book, anyone who can rise from fry cook to creator of a 95 location taco concept has industry magic. In this episode of the Restaurant Rockstars Podcast I speak with Mike Rypka, Founder of Torchy’s Tacos. He started with a single food trailer in Austin riding a red Vespa scooter passing out “Damn Good” Tacos. Torchy's is now in 11 states and...

Sooner or perhaps later you will think about selling your restaurant. Maybe you want to retire, start another business, spend more time with family or just get out from under your operation. On the flip side, the pandemic has created lots of opportunity for new and existing operators. There are lots of restaurant spaces for lease, many with fit-ups and equipment in place. There are also many resta...

The menu, vibe, store design and service of this juice concept makes it a winning restaurant formula. Doing all of this in one location is hard…duplicating this into a fast-growing franchise, that's another ballgame! Furthermore…Chris & Ed take it a step further having more than one franchise concept! That really takes them into the big leagues of hospitality, and I can tell you, they have learned...

Talk about a great sports story! Take 2 Walk-Ons for the Louisiana State University Basketball Squad, one bench, one napkin and a pen. What do you get? A Sports Bar/Bistreaux concept on its way to 150+ locations. The idea for this winning concept was brainstormed on the bench of the basketball court. Good thing the founders weren’t starters for the team or Walk-Ons Sports Bistreaux wouldn’t be set...

This pandemic has absolutely required your restaurant to adapt to the times and adopt new customer safe, friendly conveniences. This is more important now than ever as we emerge from the crisis. The good news is, these guest-friendly conveniences actually increase Sales and Profits. In this episode of the Restaurant Rockstars Podcast, I’m speaking with Brian Cotlove, Chief Business Officer of Bent...

Most restaurateurs are great at food, but Marketing is not their strong point. Is it any wonder, I constantly see restaurants throwing Tens of Thousands of Dollars $$$ away on everyday advertising costs. A radio sales guy calls you up and promises to deliver 200,000 impressions a week to your restaurant. Bingo, that just cost you $500. You think “My customers all read that newspaper – I’ll place a...

Big or small; chain or indie, we can all learn from true success. The magic restaurant formula is all about service excellence, on point marketing, dialed in finance and a consistency. But don’t forget that social responsibility and giving back can also be a business builder. In this episode of the Restaurant Rockstars Podcast, I’m speaking with Co-Owner Chris Britt and Jim Metevier, President and...

We love the word FREE don’t we? Usually that comes with strings attached or means little to no value. In this case, you’ll want to stick around and hear about something to make running your restaurant easier, less labor intensive and YES, its Free. You even get you cash back! I don’t need to tell you that in most restaurants, the typical order and receiving process is inefficient. It requires labo...

I believe that anyone can delegate and tell someone what to do. Instead, it’s a rare thing entirely to nurture, develop and “Empower” your team to achieve greatness! Nothing in this business is more important than laying a sold staff foundation, as your team represent both your brand and ultimate guest experiences. In this episode of the Restaurant Rockstars Podcast, I’m speaking with Chef Joshua...

Face it, not every restaurant is busy 24/7. There are times, we need new business and more business. What if you could turn a switch on your slow times, and suddenly be driving sales and putting out significantly more food? Well, it’s now possible. In this episode of the Restaurant Rockstars Podcast I’m speaking with Alex Canter; a serial entrepreneur, the heir to the iconic Los Angeles eatery “Ca...

I believe that operators should relentlessly build their brand and run a strong business, not a restaurant. This approach led me to dominate my competition for over two decades. It was not about dumping buckets of money out the window on traditional advertising or experimenting with this marketing idea and that. Do this and you’ll never know what really works and what’s worth the spend. Instead, i...

Finding a lifestyle balance in the craziness of the restaurant business is one elusive challenge. Keeping our restaurants and ourselves free from substance abuse is an even greater one. It’s no secret this business is ripe for misuse. Chefs selling steaks out the back door to feed cocaine habits, bartenders dealing drugs, alcoholic beverages at arm’s reach, etc.. It’s nearly impossible to run a cl...

How many ways has your business shifted during the pandemic? Are you proud of what you and your team has accomplished? Do you see a bright future ahead? If you’re still standing, it’s time to stoke that fire, get re-inspired and rock your restaurant. I have to say, for our place the way forward was “Online Ordering” and the ability to instantly change menus to deliver guest convenience, wants and...

What can you offer your guests that they would eat literally any time of day? The answer is Gourmet Pie and Organic Coffee. That’s right, any time of day comfort food that will put a smile on anyone’s face. This might be the “key” to repeat business and this concept’s fast growth and success. In this episode of the Restaurant Rockstars Podcast, I’m speaking with Sean Brennan, the Founder of The Pi...

During this crazy pandemic, as a fellow restaurateur, I’ve gone through every bit of the challenge as you have. The biggest challenge continues to be labor. How do you find, motivate, keep and get the best performance from your team? In this episode of the Restaurant Rockstars Podcast, I’m speaking with fellow industry pro and friend Jaime Oikle of www.runningrestaurants.com We’ll be dishing up “5...

Our industry is always moving towards meeting high guest expectations, and their changing needs and desires. When Covid hit and our restaurants were forced to cut capacity, or shut inside dining down altogether, many of us immediately improvised with an outdoor solution. Parking lots, roof decks, sidewalks and even streets outside our restaurant became our new dining rooms. Well now that things co...

I believe that no matter what your concept, you can learn and grow your business from the pizza segment. It’s no surprise that pizza remains one of the strongest concepts in this business before Covid, during the pandemic and now as we emerge from the crisis. I also believe we should all approach our business like the CEO of a fast growing chain with the “Big” picture in mind. In this episode of t...

At some point, you’ll start thinking seriously about your “Exit Strategy” from the business. This might mean retirement, selling your operation, walking away to start a new business, or just spending more time with family. You can’t do any of these things without a solid manager or two that you can trust. So many of us spend so much time in our restaurants, but “empowering” our people to take on m...

It’s hard enough to run one successful restaurant keeping all the plates spinning day after day. What if you had to manage multiple diverse concepts and please a highly discerning clientele, while also executing big weddings and functions to boot? Think of the skillset and experience necessary, not to mention calm and cool under fire just for starters. In this episode of the Restaurant Rockstars P...

What can you learn from 102 years of success? Oh I don’t know… Service, Quality, Staff Training, Marketing, Consistency, etc.! Shall I go on? In this episode of the Restaurant Rockstars Podcast, I can only be speaking with Mr. Kevin Bazner, the C.E.O. of A & W Restaurants. As a kid growing up in Massachusetts, I remember the classic “Car Hop” Service, the “Frosty Mugs” of trademark Root Beer, the...

It’s no secret that to be really successful in this business, you must stay focused on Efficiency, Productivity and Profit! And Cost Controls are right at the top of that list as well! Perhaps your restaurant’s biggest expense is Labor Cost, and with all the challenges of staffing right now, you need to also be thinking about keeping your team happy. In this episode of the Restaurant Rockstars Pod...

The restaurant world has changed. Business is increasing, Customers expect more and staff are hard to find. This is a perfect storm for technology that empowers your customer to order, split checks and pay from their own mobile device which frees your team to deliver greater service. In this episode of the Restaurant Rockstars Podcast, I’m speaking with Mr. Jon Squire, CEO of www.cardfree.com. Thi...

Food, Service and Ambiance are the magic dust’’ of any successful restaurant! But when you add LOVE to that equation, you’re going to create raving fans. That’s exactly what you’ll see in this episode of the Restaurant Rockstars Podcast. Listen as we feel the love speaking with Renae Scott of California based Ike’s Love & Sandwiches. As Chief Marketing Officer, Renae and her team are building powe...

Did I ever tell you about when my power went out and I had to move everything in the walk-in to a snowbank? Its true. Our restaurant had no generator and we couldn't afford to lose thousands of dollars of perishable inventory. I needed a system. In today’s episode of the Restaurant Rockstars Podcast, Im speaking with Mr. Manik Suri Founder and CEO of Therma. Manik recognized that billions of dolla...