Restaurant Rockstars Podcast

The Bar is the “One” place in your restaurant where you can really make money. Labor dollar for dollar and for the amount of time it takes to pour a drink versus preparing a menu item, your bar provides serious profit. You want to fill your bar all day long day in and day out. Problem is, most restaurant and bar owners are Not maximizing their Marketing Firepower! Well in this episode of the Resta...

I know what you’re thinking… “how can all natural, fresh and sustainable food still make money for my restaurant”? Yes, its true that it is becoming harder and harder to find a balance between healthy operating practices and profitability, but my guest today may change your mind. In this episode of the Restaurant RockStars Podcast I’m speaking with Chef Ali Gonzalez, a man who has dedicated 30 yea...

If you’re thinking about freshening up your restaurant with a makeover or if you’re starting a brand new place, you have to listen to this episode of the Restaurant RockStars Podcast. Today I’m speaking with a 30 year veteran designer in the hospitality and food service space. Its incredible! Lu Schildmeyer of LU S Design Associates has designed over 700 restaurants, 400 bars and 1500 food service...

Anyone can market a business, but few can build an “Unstoppable Brand”! What’s the difference? Passion, inspiration, creativity, commitment! A Brand represents your customer’s image, perception and opinion of your business. Do this right and you’ll create a lasting legacy. There are so many aspects to Brand Building… logo, colors, font, ambiance, uniforms, signature dishes and drinks and theatrics...

Think what would happen if you had a fire in your restaurant. You might be insured, but would you lose your business to the competition while you remodeled or even rebuilt? Do you think your staff would stick around and wait for you to reopen or would they find jobs with the competition? This is scary stuff, but statistics show it happens. Don’t let it happen to your restaurant! In this episode of...

We’re all inspired by those incredible entrepreneurial journeys. The vision, the dreams, sacrifices, hardships and victories. Ideas can come from anywhere and the next great thing may be around the next corner. In this case, its all about a drink you may want to serve in your operation. In this episode of the Restaurant RockStars Podcast, I’m pleased to introduce you to Alejandro Russo, a young se...

You’ve probably all seen the film “The Founder” about how Ray Krok created the most powerful restaurant brand and franchise on the planet. Well in the film, you see its all about the “Systems”. You can’t grow a successful business without proven systems. In this episode of the Restaurant RockStars Podcast, I’m speaking with a franchise expert who cut his teeth in several other most successful bran...

I’m always amazed at those dynamic hard-charging people that can grow a concept to multiple locations. It takes courage, fortitude, an unwavering vision, not to mention leadership to build a brand and maintain consistency and quality that’s on point. In this episode of the Restaurant RockStars Podcast, I’m speaking with Leslie Silverglide who’s the co-founder and CEO of a fast growing chain of hea...

Payroll is a necessary detail with a huge impact on your bottom line, but it doesn’t need to be a challenge. There are so many other critical details in running your operation, so let’s talk Profit, Convenience and Efficiency. Payroll processing has come so far beyond just time and attendance reporting and paying your employees. In this episode of the Restaurant RockStars Podcast, I’m speaking wit...

Everyone’s says you need to Market your place on Social Media. Not only that, you need to know how to post, what to post and how often? Today’s guest Mr. Erik Shellenberger is going to turn that idea upside down and tell us why Social Media Marketing has Lost its Effectiveness. I love Erik’s “Test Taking” analogy. “Picture a room full of people all taking a test that nobody studied for. Everyone i...

This is one of the most powerful interviews I’ve ever done. Every word inspires, motivates and lays a foundation for how we all should approach growing our restaurant business. Passion, Vision and Leadership are the core elements that have led Sal Lupoli to the pinnacle our of our industry. From humble beginnings with the first Sal’s Pizza shop in Salem, New Hampshire, Sal has continually grown hi...

The most challenging issue in the restaurant business today is the labor shortage. Finding, motivating and keeping a dedicated staff has most of us up at night wracking our brain for a solution. In this episode of the Restaurant RockStars Podcast, I’m speaking with Mr. Duncan Parker the founder of DineGigs. He is sharing with us what he calls the “Linked-In” for the Food Service Industry. It is a...

It’s rare that one single “Hook” in a restaurant enterprise is so powerful that it defines the brand, and even rarer when that same hook inspires and drives that brand forward. Walk into any location and what first catches your eye and your appetite is the huge glass display filled with endless varieties of dessert and not just any desserts, but the most amazing cheesecakes the world has seen. I c...

Don’t just run a restaurant, build a BRAND! To do this, you need to follow a proven marketing strategy and one size does not fit all.  How do you cut through all the noise and clutter out there vying your customer’s attention?  The answers are in this episode of the Restaurant RockStars Podcast. Mr. Dan Westmoreland is the Vice President of Demand Gen at Fountain.com and a true marketing “Super He...

Imagine serving 1 Billion eggs, 340 Million Hotcakes and 326 Million cups of Coffee over 7 decades, serving generations of loyal customers and continuing to add locations. In this episode of the Restaurant RockStars Podcast, I’m speaking with Mike Colonna, the President and CEO of Norm’s Diner, a Southern California institution that’s all about Value & Service. We’ll talk about Norm’s unique conce...

Spunky lady has an idea, develops and tests prototypes, finds volume producer then takes on Coffee sweetener industry! Wow guys, if you sell coffee and tea, even if you just love to drink coffee or tea, you have to listen to this episode of the Restaurant RockStars Podcast. I’m speaking with Carolyn Barbarite, a very smart and savvy lady flying under the radar of the big corporations with her disr...

Your restaurant needs a strong Social Media presence. You know this! Problem is, very few of us operators really know what we’re doing here.. what to post, when to post, what platforms, who are we trying to reach? Then there are the all-important Online Reviews.. Yelp, Google, Trip Advisor. I have to ask - Are you routinely monitoring what people are saying online about your operation, good, bad o...

In this most challenging business, I love speaking with dynamic restaurateurs who rose from humble beginnings to find amazing success. But as you all know, its not just about the triumphs, but the key-learnings, mistakes, pivots and ultimate decisions that make all the difference. You’ve got to listen to this episode of the Restaurant RockStars Podcast. I’m speaking with Mr. Joshua Kopel who’s run...

We did a huge delivery business in our restaurants, but we also had the hassles of doing it all ourselves. This was long before technology revolutionized delivery. Now there are endless platforms that drive business to your door. Only problem is you probably need to use several to serve all your customers who have their favorite service. This means lots of tablets, clutter, confusion, lost orders,...

I always say “Don’t Run a Restaurant, Build a Brand”! In this hyper-competitive and most challenging business, you need every advantage you can get and an effective targeted marketing plan is critical to your success. Why not learn from an expert marketer whose company is setting the country on fire with a fast-growing and very unique concept? Tune in to this episode of the Restaurant RockStars Po...

Just like pro sports teams that use video to analyze and coach their best players, you can improve staff performance and deliver superior customer service experiences through video data analysis. In this episode of the Restaurant RockStars Podcast, I’m speaking with Mr. Ken Bianchi of Hoptix 720. We’ll be showing you how this technology will: - Give you Accurate Guest Counts - Show you how long it...

I love talking shop with true industry professionals and when a conversation clicks, you just know there will be lots of key-nuggets and best practices shared. In this episode of the Restaurant RockStars Podcast, I’m speaking with Mr. Greg Plester from Core Hospitality. We’re going to dive deep on the true meaning of Hospitality and great service. We’ll start with what makes a fantastic dining exp...

This is a tough business and sometimes cash is tight. Seems like we’re always writing checks faster than the customers are coming in the door. I get it. But why are you the last to get paid? What if you could take your Profit First? You’re probably thinking… “wait a minute, how can I do that before I pay my operating expenses”? Well, “Profit First” just happens to be a whole new way of looking at...

With so many Point of Sale choices on the market, it pays to do your homework. So begin here. I just bought a restaurant that uses the CAKE POS system. I’m told its built to meet the demands of quick and full-serve restaurants. I really like what I see so far. Its intuitive, user-friendly and really functional. Yesterday, I did payroll on CAKE and I can’t believe how little time it took compared t...

There are nearly 1 million unfilled jobs in the hospitality industry, and chances are you’re struggling to find and keep great people. Its no secret that the average tenure of a new restaurant hire is just 4 months. Every time you onboard someone, get them up to speed in the job, lose them, find another and train them, it just cost your operation $3,000 or more. No restaurant or lodging place can...