The Restaurant Finance Podcast

Great restaurant operators do not just grow sales. They build systems that protect margins, improve the guest experience, and create consistency at scale. Carl Comeaux, CEO of Crust Pizza Co., sits down with James Tice to share how lessons from fitness, cell phone repair, and franchising shaped his approach to restaurants. He explains why technology should exist to get managers out of the office a...

Technology in restaurants is not about replacing people. It is about removing friction, improving operations, and creating a better experience for both staff and guests. Javier Correa, CEO of Sombrero Mexican Food, sits down with James Tice to share how a third-generation taco shop has evolved into what he calls the “world’s most high tech taco shop.” He explains how his team evaluates new technol...

A great brand might get people in the door, but structure is what keeps the business growing. Scott Snyder joins James Tice to break down what it actually takes to turn a strong brand into a scalable franchise system. From rebuilding Badass Coffee of Hawaii after years of stagnation to creating the infrastructure franchisees need to succeed, Snyder explains why growth only happens when brand and o...

If a guest walks into your restaurant once, that’s marketing. If they come back, that’s everything else. Pedro Uchoa joins James Tice to break down how Tap is building a Brazilian fast casual brand by focusing on the details most operators overlook. From how teams are trained to how stores feel, sound, and operate day to day, Uchoa explains why consistency in experience is what actually drives rep...

What do the best restaurant finance leaders see in the numbers that others miss? Domenic Bonacci, Executive Vice President at CLK HR Acquisition, LLC, joins Ty Wilson and James Tice to break down how finance leaders can move beyond reporting numbers and start using data to drive action inside restaurant operations. From analyzing sales trends and labor performance to understanding how culture show...

If a restaurant wants to grow, the product has to be the same every single time. Different store, different city, same experience. Donald Clifford joins James Tice to explain why consistency and hospitality sit at the center of every successful restaurant brand. Drawing from decades in the industry, Clifford shares how proprietary manufacturing helps maintain consistent product quality across loca...

If you don’t tell your story, someone else will. Mike Ungaro, CEO and co-owner of San Pedro Fish Market, joins James Tice to explore what it really takes to scale a restaurant brand in today’s environment. From a 70-year family legacy serving millions of guests to building a media company around the business, Ungaro explains why brand is defined by experience, consistency, and storytelling. He sha...

If you want consistency at scale, it starts with the smallest details. Jason Berry, Co-Founder of KNEAD Hospitality + Design, joins James Tice to unpack the operational discipline behind scaling restaurants the right way. From Southern comfort food to steakhouses and French bistros, Berry explains why growth multiplies complexity and why systems must be stronger than ambition. He breaks down how...

If quick service is supposed to be about speed and efficiency, why are people still paying for hospitality? Garrett Reed, CEO of Layne’s Chicken Fingers, joins James Tice to break down what’s really driving the brand’s explosive 100% year-over-year growth. From expanding beyond Texas for the first time to screening franchisees with extreme discipline, Reed explains why great food is only half the...

How do restaurant brands scale without losing the experience that made them memorable in the first place? Adam Goldberg joins James Tice to share how Rock & Brews has grown across freestanding locations, casinos, airports, and concessions while protecting food quality, culture, and guest experience. He breaks down why training the trainers matters, why food and people are never negotiable, and...

Is consistency the most underrated growth strategy in the restaurant business? Mehdi Zarhloul, founder and CEO of Crazy Pita, joins James Tice to explain why kindness, consistency, and discipline have been the real growth drivers behind a 20-year restaurant brand. From designing a menu that never changes to embedding “Be Kind” into core operating standards, Zarhloul shares how culture only works w...

What if the future of restaurant technology isn’t about replacing people, but protecting them? Dan Diaz, Founder and CEO of F3 Technologies, joins James Tice to unpack why brand, empathy, and real partnership still outperform automation alone in the restaurant industry. From building F3 as an extension of his personal reputation to supporting operators through outages, growth pains, and razor-thin...

What happens when emerging restaurant brands outgrow hustle but aren’t ready for full-time executive overhead? Toni Ronayne, Founder and CEO of The C Society, sits down with James Tice to break down why fractional leadership has become one of the most powerful tools for emerging and scaling restaurant brands. Drawing on her experience across quick service, fast casual, full service, and global fra...

What has to be true inside a restaurant brand before franchising even becomes an option? Jason Sobocinski and Etkin Tekin, co-founders of Haven Hot Chicken, sit down with James Tice to explain why values, management quality, and operational discipline must come before growth tactics. They share how founder involvement shapes culture at scale, why consistency is built through people rather than pla...

Just how important is culture to the growth of your restaurant? Steve Oldham and Joe Heeb, co-founders of Tucanos Brazilian Grill, sit down with James Tice to explore what long-term restaurant investment really looks like beyond growth for growth’s sake. From rebuilding teams after COVID to recommitting to training, shared values, and brand consistency, they explain why culture has always been the...

What does it take to scale an iconic restaurant brand without losing the people and systems that made it successful in the first place? Dominic Alessandrini, Chief Operating Officer of Magnolia Bakery, joins Ty Wilson and James Tice to chat about what sustainable growth really looks like behind the scenes of a globally recognized brand. From working every position on the line to leading a multi-ch...

What does it take to build a restaurant brand people love without trying to be everything to everyone? Omar Kasim, Founder of Plomo Quesadillas, sits down with Ty Wilson and James Tice to share what intentional growth really looks like for an emerging brand. From designing restaurants that match the menu to resisting the temptation of endless side quests, Omar explains why focus, consistency, and...

What does it take to scale a restaurant brand across hundreds of locations and multiple countries without sacrificing quality, consistency, or brand integrity? Troy Hooper sits down with Ty Wilson and James Tice to break down what sustainable restaurant growth really requires behind the scenes. Drawing on more than three decades in hospitality and his leadership role helping scale Pepper Lunch glo...

What does it take to grow a restaurant brand from a single shop to a fast-scaling multi-unit operation without losing the culture that made it special in the first place? Shaz Khan and Antonio Gambino sit down with James Tice to talk about the decisions that drive sustainable restaurant growth. They look at how culture shapes financial outcomes, how leaders balance immediate business needs with lo...