Restaurant Rockstars Podcast

Everyone has a birthday and everyone has to eat. Get the connection? Well, you’ve probably racked your brain more than once for new restaurant marketing ideas. We’ve all been there, but this one is worth your attention. If you’ve been wondering how to increase restaurant business, why not harness the power of birthdays to get new customers in the door… not just a two-top, but a whole party then ge...

To open a restaurant you need equipment. To expand your menu and increase restaurant sales you need equipment. New or Used? Buy, rent or lease? Finding time to source it? What to do? Today’s episode is a different way in sourcing equipment. I’m talking with KWIPPED, a B2B Marketplace where you can find virtually any piece of restaurant equipment across the country. You get quotes from multiple sou...

Listen, You Can’t have too many Profit Centers in your business. There is so much more opportunity than just selling food and drink. One of the biggest strategies to increase sales in a restaurant is “events” and private parties. Events are a beautiful thing! They’re predictable - you know how many are coming, when, what you’re serving and how much you’re making. This is how to run a restaurant an...

You can run a failing restaurant, an average restaurant or a wildly successful restaurant. The difference all comes down to 3 critical “systems”. If you don’t know them and don’t have them, it’s pretty likely you are not making any money. In this restaurant podcast episode, I’m going to share my 3 Secrets to Wild Success. My biggest mantra has always been “Be a Student of your Restaurant”. That is...

Today’s guest is one of my favorites! Mr. Jesse Vazquez delivers powerful advice from the trenches throughout a long illustrious career. Jesse began to learn how to run a restaurant in his family’s Miami Cuban Cafe where 18 hour days were the norm, seven days a week. They put it all on the line committing to a concept that bled money. Despite the staggering odds of failure in this business, Jesse...

What would you do to compete if you ran a casino hotel in famous Las Vegas? What would you do to open a restaurant and what strategies would you use to increase sales in the restaurant? Yes, we can all name the mega-brand hotels on the famous strip, but how could you make a splash if your operation was “Off” the strip? How could you capture the imagination of the public and get them in your door?...

I have a mantra: The Money’s either in Your Pocket or Their Pocket, so it pays to Shop around! I can’t tell you how many times I changed credit card processors over the years before finally finding one that offered both great service and a rate I could count on. But I’m willing to bet many of you are struggling with this, or have just given up accepting whatever processor you’re working with. Well...

Straight and simple. These 5 Letters: F, A, C, E, S will transform your customer experience and your business. What you do with these letters will be a true game-changer for your operation. I’m a firm believer in daily training. It doesn’t need to take much time; but to be effective, it needs to be focused and consistent. In today’s episode, I’m going to show you a simple training exercise that’s...

Restaurant success is fleeting and fickle. There I said it! Even with the right approach, success is far from guaranteed. I get it. Everyday you put your heart and soul into your business. You get up early, open your doors and get home late. You work weekends and sacrifice holidays. You truly care about your staff and your customer, but sometimes the thousand details and the unexpected get in the...

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...