Restaurant Rockstars Podcast

Episode #147 If you do nothing else in this New Year, Design a New Menu! Why? To Maximize Profit Of Course! Believe me, I constantly see restaurants with un-profitable menus. Even busy restaurants that are filling seats are spinning their wheels wondering why the bank account isn’t growing. Well, this episode has the answer. Menu design is an Art & Science so you’ve got to listen to my guest Mr. M...

Episode #146 - Wow!  The ground shook under my feet as I recorded this episode.  So much powerful information on getting the most out of each employee and building an unstoppable work-place culture. I’m talking to Mr. John Hopper of The Greatest On The Planet. He is a veteran business owner with a truly transformative employer philosophy.  We talk about the “6 Things You Should Care About as an Em...

Episode #145 - Every restaurant out there has a POS, but what you do with the data from that POS is what separates the smart and profitable operators from those just spinning their wheels.  There’s also an overwhelming amount of new tech out there… stuff that runs your front of house, your back of house, online orders, online delivery, wifi, telephone and even security. Have you seen all this and...

Episode #144 - There’s no end in sight for the food truck craze. Whether you’re looking for a low cost entry into the food biz or you’re a bricks n mortar operation looking to expand and find new sales & profits, opportunity is literally around the next corner. Why not go mobile? Today I’m speaking with Connie Baugher at One Fat Frog. Not only are they “the source” and a wealth of info on everythi...

Reservations are a given in most restaurants. Customers expect them.. customers call to make them. But, do you really need to take reservations? If you’re about to open a place, what would happen if you decided not to take reservations? What would happen if you suddenly stopped taking them altogether? Well, depending on your concept and your price point, maybe you really don’t need to take reserva...

Episode #142 - My guest today has to be one of my favorites! Mr. Jesse Vazquez delivers powerful advice from the trenches throughout a long illustrious career. He tells of early failure in his family’s Miami Cuban Cafe where 18 hour days were the norm, seven days a week. Imagine putting it all on the line and committing to a concept that’s bleeding money. They didn’t know what they didn’t know, bu...

Episode #141 - True, my guest today has NO interest in running a restaurant, but he’s going to share a ton of powerful business building stuff that you can use in your own place. You’ll hear how market research was the “Key” to establishing a successful niche in a crowded beer market. You’ll learn how Mr. Mike Marr is making a huge splash with his brewery and getting the customer’s attention. How...

Everyone’s telling you you’ve got to be on Social Media and its the “Key” to your Marketing Plan! Well know this: Social Media is Only reaching your current customer, those that already follow and like you, but unless you’ve got a Huge list, you’re in the fishbowl and Not in the Ocean! There’s a sea of customers out there and that means your restaurant is missing and Not reaching all the new poten...

Episode #139 - You’re in the business of Opportunity…  Don’t just sit inside your place and wait for them to come in.  Go out and get your customer, then make them loyal ambassadors! Opportunity is upon you and it starts now…there’s a ton of business coming your way! Starting in just two under two weeks and right through the holidays! How are you going to get customers in your door? Once you have...

The labor shortage is Not going away! But your approach to this challenge can either be “Woe is Me” or “I’ve Got This”. Its your choice. Give a listen to today’s episode as I offer a proven way to Fight Fire with Fire when hiring staff for your restaurant. Stop hiring warm bodies and anyone with a pulse. I know when staffing is tight, it's tempting but I assure you this approach is going to be dis...

Episode #137 - You have to listen to today’s episode. Restaurant Rock Stars is now based in one of the hottest restaurant towns in America and the takeaways from this dining experience say it all about SERVICE and will get you thinking about customer take-aways in your own place. Join Thea and I as we rave AND rant about our experiences at 3 different restaurants in Portland, Maine… the difference...

EPISODE #136 - That’s right, the Greatest Rock N Roll band actually has a lesson for the restaurant game and you’ll have to listen to this episode to find out. But first lets change your way of thinking and possibly your approach to service. Every seat and every table in your operation represents valuable real estate and opportunity… opportunity to create a loyal regular customer and opportunity t...

Episode #135 - The absolute first and lasting impression of your restaurant is your Ambiance. From the moment, a customer walks in your door they get an immediate feeling that speaks volumes about your concept or theme. What does the vibe say about your your place and does it bring the customer back again and again? Well whether your starting a new place or you’ve been in business for years, maybe...

EPISODE #134 - If your restaurant doesn’t deliver, you’’re missing out on a hassle-free new source of sales and with today’s technology, without the high cost or the risk of doing it yourself. I’m a huge believer in multiple profit centers in any restaurant or hospitality enterprise and here’s one you’ve gotta check out! Today, I’m talking with Mr. Zack Martin the Founder and CEO of OrderOut. He’s...

Episode #133 -Know this, “paramount” service is everything in your restaurant. Deliver anything less and your customers will talk… Immediately, their experience at your place is all over social media and online review platforms. You can lose your good reputation and customers at your restaurant’s peril. Know that customers choose their experiences from word of mouth and online reviews… it will alw...

Episode #132 - Soul and Passion are foundational to your customer’s experience! Innovation Rules! Useful defines your brand and ensures continued relevance with your guest! These are critical ingredients to your magic restaurant formula. Give today’s episode a listen as I’m speaking with Ben Gaddis, the President of one of the world’s Top innovation agencies counting some of the world’s most power...

Episode #131 -Restaurants are fickle!  Some are wildly successful for a variety of reasons.  Others fail miserably in a short period of time for different reasons.   This is a high-risk business, perhaps the riskiest and most challenging. If you’ve committed tremendous time and money to your dream, don’t increase your risk by neglecting what’s really important. Instead, give yourself every advanta...

Episode #130 - We all eat out in a variety of restaurants from time to time and being in the business, its only natural to form strong objective opinions of how well the other guys do it. We critique everything from our fresh perspective.. the food, the service, the atmosphere and curb appeal. Funny thing, this doesn’t always happen in evaluating our own operation. Its so easy to get so close to o...

EPISODE #129 - Of the thousand details in running your restaurant, beware of your customers Pet Peeves This episode is all about the details.. the important impressions each member of your staff and every detail make with your customer. Put yourself in your customer’s shoes and dine in your restaurant… do this often, sit in different sections and even visit the bar as a customer. Then get together...

Episode #128 - I’m betting you’re a “beer fan”. Just about everyone loves beer! Well today I’m talking with a certified beer judge, internationally acclaimed beer writer and just plain expert and connoisseur of all things beer. Mr. Don Tse has literally tasted his way around the world sampling 20,000 different beers. We’ll talk about that. You’re also going to learn how to curate a great beer list...

I’m not kidding, close your eyes and Imagine an Iceberg… now Imagine Doubling your restaurant’s sales! Now that I’ve got your attention, give this episode a listen. I’m sharing one of my most powerful Sales & Service teqniques that you can execute immediately to deliver amazing dining experiences while dramatically increasing sales! I’ve always believed that “Order Takers” in restaurants deliver O...

Episode #126 - 100% no B.S....this is an absolute must listen... From pitfalls and major struggles to straight out theft & fraud, you'll learn how I built my successful restaurants from a bold dream and no practical experience to a wildly successful multi-million dollar exit. In this action-packed episode, my friend and fellow industry pro Jaime Oikle of www.runningrestaurants.com interviews me fo...

EPISODE #125 - Social Media may possibly be your restaurants Most Powerful Marketing Strategy.. There’s Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter and by the end of the day there’ll be a couple more.. which ones are important? All of them… You can be sure that your customers are spending lots of time posting, tweeting, snapping or whatever, and if you ‘re not on these platforms, you’ll miss out on lot...

Episode #124 - My guest today is a real Restaurant Rock Star. After 9 short years with virtually no restaurant industry experience, Mr. Roger Perry of the Datz Group in Tampa Florida is now turning the restaurant scene upside down with several exciting concepts. Listen as Roger tells us how opening a bakery solved a critical problem and future threat to that first restaurant. We speak about cuttin...

Episode #123 - Scorpions? Listen to the episode to find out why! If you’re running a restaurant, you have to stay relevant your loyal audience and always be reaching ahead of the curve. Today I’m talking with Mr. Lee Zucker and Mr. Rev Ciancio from Yext.com who are Digital Knowledge Management Experts. Forget the fancy title for a moment, they’re all about Maximizing your brand presence and messag...