Podcasts about restaurant marketing

What if the thing you are most proud of in your business is also the thing quietly draining it?Amanda Signorelli and Nick McMillan took over the Golden Steer in 2019, the oldest steakhouse in Las Vegas, open since 1958. Neither of them came from restaurants. They came from tech, inherited a brand with more history than margin, and had exactly one year to learn the business before COVID shut it down.In this conversation, we get into why they rebuilt the financial model from scratch instead of fixing the old one, why none of us have any business running their own social media, and the lessons learned growing the brand to new markets.If you are sitting on a brand people love and numbers that do not work, this one is for you.To learn more about Golden Steer, visit goldensteer.com._________________________________________________________Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

What if the customers you're driving away are exactly why your restaurant works?Telly Justice and Camille Lindsley built HAGS into one of New York's most talked-about restaurants by refusing to be for everyone. An 18-seat queer fine-dining room in the East Village, a tasting-menu-only model, pay-what-you-can Sundays, and a point of view sharp enough to repel anyone who doesn't belong there.In this conversation, we get into why planting a flag makes you more distinct than your neighbors, why you need eight reasons to be different instead of one, and why scaling a concept means getting it out of your head and into the people you train.If you're afraid a strong opinion will cost you customers, this one will change how you think about who you're actually for.That's Telly Justice and Camille Lindsley. To learn more about HAGS, visit hagsnyc.com._________________________________________________________Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

On today's episode of Eat. Talk. Repeat.What makes a food influencer credible—and who gets to decide?This week on Eat. Talk. Repeat., John Curtas sits down with Chef Jeffrey Weiss and Phil Zing to dig into the messy world of restaurant marketing, PR, and influencer culture. They break down what actually makes an influencer valuable, how viral food content translates into real business, the ethics of comped meals and transparency, and whether awards and engagement really mean anything.Plus, they get into chef recommendations, consumer expectations, influencer pet peeves, and why integrity still matters when your dining recommendations can influence where people spend their money.Listen in for a candid conversation about the good, the bad, and the increasingly complicated world of food influencers.

What if the reason you survive your own mistakes has nothing to do with how smart you are, and everything to do with your product?Ashley Morris spent years in finance before he bought the sandwich shop he was obsessed with in college. Today he's the CEO of Capriotti's and Wing Zone. He'll tell you the real asset he bought was product-market fit so undeniable it gave him room to make every mistake in the book.In this conversation, we get into why product-market fit forgives the mistakes that sink everyone else, why owning your data means nothing until you know what to do with it, and what actually transfers when you scale into a second brand.If you're grinding against the current and can't figure out why, this one shows you where to look first.That's Ashley Morris. To learn more about Capriotti's Sandwich Shop, visit capriottis.com._________________________________________________________Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

What if the smartest thing you can do for your restaurant is refuse to rush it?Nick Wong spent twenty years in kitchens like Momofuku and UB Preserv while peers opened their own places at 28. He waited until 40, and his partner Lisa Lee left a tech career at companies like DoorDash and Facebook to build it with him. Together they opened Agnes and Sherman, an Asian American diner in Houston, on their own terms: two days off a week and staff benefits from day one.In this conversation, we get into why patience beats FOMO in a fear-driven industry, how they engineered product-market fit for a category of one, and why they invested in their team before profitability made it easy.If you're rushing to prove something, this one will make you slow down.That's Nick Wong and Lisa Lee. To learn more about Agnes and Sherman, visit agnesandsherman.com._________________________________________________________Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

What if the operators most likely to build something unforgettable are the ones who have never run a restaurant?Dave Shah and Camilla Caremoli had never worked a shift in hospitality before opening CasaDamí. Dave built a global tech studio and thinks in brand. Camilla comes from four generations of an Italian food family and thinks in operations. A year in, they've built the kind of room a community actually shows up for.In this conversation, we get into why they chased one unforgettable location instead of twenty, how they learned to separate real feedback from noise, and why the relationships built inside a room outlast any menu, wine list, or buildout.If you're an operator who believes experience is the only edge that counts, this one will challenge you.That's Dave Shah and Camilla Caremoli. To learn more about CasaDamí, visit casadami.com._________________________________________________________Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

What if the thin margins crushing your restaurant aren't the industry's fault at all?Hamed Mazrouei came into restaurants as a total outsider. He built Vivant, the managed network company that keeps thousands of restaurants online, and he refuses to accept the beliefs operators treat as gospel.In this conversation, we get into why the thin margins operators blame on the industry actually come down to volume, why guest retention is the highest-leverage metric almost nobody fixes, and why simplification is the one trait every successful founder shares.If you've been blaming the business for numbers you have the power to change, this one will make you rethink everything you assumed was fixed.That's Hamed Mazrouei. To learn more about Vivant, visit vivantcorp.com._________________________________________________________Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

What if the new customers you keep chasing are the reason your restaurant isn't growing?Ryan Volberg has spent more than two decades building the tools restaurants actually needed, from the first cloud POS to earned wage access. Now, as founder of Guestologie, he's attacking the most expensive blind spot in hospitality: the anonymous guest who walks in, gets seated, and leaves without anyone realizing they could have been a regular.In this conversation, we get into why frequency beats acquisition every time, why status is the cheapest loyalty tool you own while discounts are the most expensive, and how to grow revenue from the guests already sitting in your dining room.If you're spending to fill seats instead of keeping the right ones, this one earns its time.That's Ryan Volberg. To learn more about Guestologie and how they help restaurants see and keep their highest-value guests, visit guestologie.com._________________________________________________________Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

Having a bestselling cocktail does not mean you have a signature drink.A bestseller moves units. A signature moves people.In this episode, I'm breaking down what turns an ordinary cocktail into something guests photograph, talk about, recommend to friends, and associate specifically with your bar.We'll cover the five things a signature drink needs, how to identify a potential signature using your PMIX, how to create one if you don't already have it, and how to use your staff, menu, pricing, and social media to turn that drink into marketing.Because one drink people remember and talk about can be worth more than another promotion you're constantly paying to run.

This podcast is a micro lesson of what we teach and discuss every week in our Skool community.  Click the link below to join our free America's Best Restaurants Skool group. https://www.skool.com/americasbestrestaurants

What if the smartest way to grow in a market full of closures is to keep every restaurant small?Adam Weisblatt co-founded Last Word Hospitality and turned Found Oyster, a 777-square-foot oyster bar, into a seven-restaurant group that keeps expanding while famous names around it close.In this conversation, we get into why a tiny footprint takes the pressure off your rent and your margins, why he builds every concept around talented people instead of clever ideas, and why making your operators owners is the only way to grow without burning out.If you're convinced you need a bigger room to make real money, this one will change how you think about scale.That's Adam Weisblatt. To pre-order his upcoming book, For the Love of Restaurants, visit https://a.co/d/0cGZmQ5t._________________________________________________________Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

Your restaurant can't simply be an address in your community; YOU have to be active, and YOU have to become the area's #1 influencer.  --- Is your marketing plan built to WIN? Think so?  Take the audit ... https://business.americasbestrestaurants.com/audit

What if spending more on your staff is the fastest path to a more profitable restaurant?Jon Murray washed dishes at Applebee's and spent six years in music before rising to Chief Restaurant Officer at Indigo Road, running more than 20 concepts on someone else's terms. Then he walked away to build Noko and Kase in East Nashville on a people-over-profit model most operators would call reckless.In this conversation, we get into why he hands 5.5% of sales back to his team, how four-day workweeks and free therapy dropped his turnover to 15% in an 80% industry, and why he believes loving your people is the real driver of margin.If you think you can't afford to treat your people well, this one will change the math.That's Jon Murray. To learn more about Noko and Kase, visit nokonashville.com._________________________________________________________Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

What if your biggest profit leak is hiding behind the bar, in the engine your guests never see?Tobin Ellis spent 30 years behind the stick before he started designing bars for a living. As founder of Studio Barmagic, he's redesigned everything from NFL stadiums to five-diamond resorts, once lifting a landmark hotel bar's revenue 131% in a single quarter.In this conversation, we get into why your labor problem is really a design problem, why the money is made during peak volume instead of slow Tuesdays, and why he builds every bar for the bartender first, the guest second, and the investor last.If your margins are thin and your weekends are leaving money on the table, this one shows you where to look.That's Tobin Ellis. To learn more about his work designing high-performance bars and to grab his book, Bar Design Essentials, visit barmagic.com._________________________________________________________Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

Bar owners who avoid slow nights are not just lucky.They planned better.In this episode, I'm breaking down my Anchor Rhythm Tactical Marketing System and how it helps you plan your year, your week, and tonight.We'll talk about anchor events, weekly rhythm programming, and tactical promotions you can use when you need a short-term revenue bump.Because if you are only posting when the bar is already slow, your marketing is late.The goal is to stop reinventing your marketing every week.Build the plan once, execute it consistently, and give your guests a reason to show up before you need them.

Loyalty can and should be a solid contributor to your monthly sales.  BUT there are steps you must take to optimize it.   --- Is your marketing plan built to WIN? Think so?  Take the audit ... https://business.americasbestrestaurants.com/audit

What if owning a restaurant isn't the win you think it is, but a risk most people misunderstand?Helen Johannesen didn't just step into ownership, she sacrificed for it. Walking away from financial stability and taking a major pay cut, she bet on herself and a single restaurant that could have gone either way. Today, she's a partner behind one of LA's most respected hospitality groups and the force behind a wine brand built on trust, not intimidation.In this conversation, we unpack what ownership really demands, and why it's not a universal path. Helen breaks down the illusion of revenue versus profit, why equity isn't the right incentive for most teams, and how she built a wine program that rejects exclusivity in favor of access. If you're chasing ownership—or questioning it—this episode will force a reset.To explore her selections and join the club, visit helenswines.com._________________________________________________________Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

What if the smartest thing you can do with your single biggest advantage is hand it to the competition?Brendan and Bianca Shah run Chado Tea Room and the wholesale arm, International Tea Importers, the family business their father Devan built into one of the engines of America's specialty tea culture. When he died in 2016, the two of them inherited a company that lived entirely in his head and rebuilt it from first principles.In this conversation, we get into why selling their best tea to direct competitors grew the entire category and made the brand their real moat, how the wholesale and retail sides power a single flywheel, and why paring a 300-tea catalog down to its essentials is what unlocks growth.If you're competing on product alone, this shows you what it looks like to build something nobody can copy.That's Brendan and Bianca Shah. To learn more about Chado Tea Room, visit chadotea.com._________________________________________________________Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

What if the real thing holding your restaurant back is your refusal to trust your own taste?Jeremy Lett spent 26 years at Bloomin' Brands building food for Outback, Carrabba's, Fleming's, and Bonefish before taking over innovation at Cracker Barrel, a 650-unit institution he joined right as the brand was weathering its biggest public firestorm in decades.In this conversation, we get into why a great menu grows through subtraction, how to separate a product failing from you failing, and why your taste, earned over thousands of reps, is the one competency no spreadsheet can replace.If you're sitting on a concept people respect but won't repeat, this one will show you where to cut and what to trust.To learn more about his work leading culinary innovation and product development at Cracker Barrel, visit crackerbarrel.com._________________________________________________________Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

If you want to grow your sales, you 100% must have a marketing plan.  And that marketing plan must be built around these 3 MUST-DOs! --- Is your marketing plan built to WIN? Think so?  Take the audit ... https://business.americasbestrestaurants.com/audit

Text messaging can be a great part of your restaurant's marketing program, but you need to make sure you're using your database correctly.  --- Is your marketing plan built to WIN? Think so?  Take the audit ... https://business.americasbestrestaurants.com/audit

What if you can't actually manage your people, and every hour you spend trying is the reason your restaurant won't scale?Seth Gerber co-owns MIDA, a six-restaurant Italian group out of Boston, and was a 2024 James Beard semifinalist for Best Restaurateur. He came up through Hillstone, earned his sommelier pin and an MBA, and treats outlearning everyone in the room as his only real edge.In this conversation, we get into why you manage the structure people work in and never the people themselves, why the cinematic version of risk that bets it all on one move is a fantasy that quietly ruins operators, and why the best restaurateurs grow slower than their egos want them to.If you're grinding inside your business and still feel like the bottleneck, this one tells you where the real problem is.To learn more about MIDA and their growing collection of neighborhood Italian restaurants, visit midarestaurant.com._________________________________________________________Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

The streets are lined with gold, unless you're still ignoring the opportunity --- Is your marketing plan built to WIN? Think so?  Take the audit ... https://business.americasbestrestaurants.com/audit

What if the conventional wisdom about putting customers first is the very reason your restaurant keeps losing good people?Harry Posner and Natalie Dial walked away from careers in medicine to open Tomat, a Michelin-recognized, seasonally driven restaurant in Westchester, Los Angeles. Neither came from the industry. Both came with the analytical frameworks most operators spend years trying to build.In this conversation, we get into why they deliberately ranked employees above customers before opening day, how diversifying revenue across breakfast, lunch, dinner, events, and a rooftop gave them financial staying power when the calendar went quiet, and why the "wrong" location turned out to be one of the smartest market plays in recent LA dining.If you think the customer is always right, this episode will change your mind.To learn more about Tomat, visit tomat.la._________________________________________________________Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

What if the reason your restaurant isn't built to last is because you designed it to survive instead of dominate?Philippe Massoud opened ilili in November 2007, a 10,000 square foot Lebanese restaurant in New York City, nearly $7 million in debt, in the middle of a financial crisis, with critics questioning whether anyone wanted Lebanese fine dining at that scale. Nineteen years later, the restaurant is still breaking records.In this conversation, we get into why going smaller and safer is often the riskiest move an operator can make, how Philippe grew revenue 30% annually for five consecutive years after weathering the financial crisis, and why running a restaurant with two guests in mind changes everything.If you're building something real in a market that keeps getting harder, this episode is the one to hear.To learn more about ilili, visit ililirestaurants.com._________________________________________________________Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

What if the reason your margins are tight has nothing to do with efficiency and everything to do with strategy?Chef Michael White held five simultaneous Michelin stars under the Altamarea Group before co-founding BBianco Hospitality Group with hospitality attorney Bruce Bronster in 2020. Together, they run a restaurant company that deliberately prices below the competition and still gets guests back three and four times a week because of it.In this conversation, we get into why their three C's, cuisine, consistency, and conviviality, are the real operating system behind a loyal guest base, how volume answers margin problems that efficiency never can, and why knowing your lane inside a close partnership is the thing that keeps the business from falling apart.If you're still chasing 20% margins and losing guests in the process, this one lands where it counts.That's Chef Michael White and Bruce Bronster. To learn more about BBianco Hospitality Group, visit bbiancohospitality.com._________________________________________________________Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

Text messaging is a great tool for your restaurant, but only if you use it right.  --- Is your marketing plan built to WIN? Think so?  Take the audit ... https://business.americasbestrestaurants.com/audit

What if your guests aren't choosing your competitors, they just forgot you exist?Ben Leventhal has spent 20 years building the infrastructure that connects diners to restaurants. He co-founded Eater in 2005, co-founded Resy in 2014, sold it to American Express in 2019, and is now the CEO and founder of Blackbird Labs, a loyalty and payments platform built to give independent restaurants the tools that large brands have had for years.In this conversation, we get into why 42% of restaurants aren't profitable and what role loyalty plays in fixing that, how frequency and access are more valuable than acquisition, and why the independent restaurant's biggest competitive disadvantage is being invisible to guests who already love them.If your regulars aren't showing up as often as they should, this episode is where to start. To learn more about Blackbird Labs, visit blackbird.xyz._________________________________________________________Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

What if the most valuable thing you could do for your restaurant is make yourself unnecessary?Rob Herold has operated a single Chick-fil-A in Bowie, Maryland for 17 years. While most operators chase more locations, he went the other way, building a business that runs without him so he could coach leaders, serve communities overseas, and climb mountains with his son.In this conversation, we get into why your time is worth more than you think, how hiring a virtual assistant became the highest-leverage decision he ever made, and what it really costs operators to insist on doing everything themselves.If you are drowning in your own business and calling it dedication, this one will change how you see your calendar.To learn how to delegate like Rob, check out the free step by step guide below:https://resources.belaysolutions.com/partners/full-compTo learn more about BELAY Solutions and how they can help you reclaim your time, download their free Freedom Framework here or text COMP to 55123 to get the link sent directly to you._________________________________________________________Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

You know where you can reach your customers, on their phones. But, are you doing what it takes to RETAIN that attention? --- Is your marketing plan built to WIN? Think so?  Take the audit ... https://business.americasbestrestaurants.com/audit

What if the city everyone dismissed as a chain mecca was actually the smartest place to build a restaurant empire?Rachel Cope didn't wait for permission to prove Oklahoma City wrong. As Founder and CEO of 84 Hospitality Group, she's built a multi-concept portfolio (Empire Slice House, Gorō Ramen, Burger Punk, and Elisabetta) by doing what most operators won't: saying no to the wrong opportunities, coaching her team instead of managing them, and treating a secondary market as a competitive advantage rather than a ceiling.In this conversation, we get into how Rachel identifies the line between opportunity and distraction, why you cannot grow to the next thing until your current operation runs without you, and how an athlete's win-or-learn mindset changes the way you build culture.If you're operating in a market people underestimate, including yourself, this one is for you.To learn more about 84 Hospitality Group and their growing portfolio of Oklahoma City concepts, visit 84hospitality.com._________________________________________________________Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

You can't simply be an address in your neighborhood.  You expect the community to come to you and give you unconditional support, yet you never leave your restaurant to show them love where they are.  --- Is your marketing plan built to WIN? Think so?  Take the audit ... https://business.americasbestrestaurants.com/audit

What if the reason you keep breaking your own promises is that you're relying on willpower to keep them?Jeff Fenster is the founder of Everbowl, the superfood franchise he's built across more than 30 states. Three years after his first time on the show, he's back with a sharper answer for how he actually wins: he strips out whatever gets between him and the result instead of trying to become a more disciplined version of himself.In this conversation, we get into why your truth changes the moment your perspective does, how to treat AI as a multiplier instead of a crutch, and why building a personal brand has nothing to do with wanting to be famous.If you're grinding on discipline and still coming up short, this one will change how you operate.That's Jeff Fenster. To learn more about Everbowl and their franchise opportunities, visit everbowl.com._________________________________________________________Today's episode was brought to you by Square. If you want restaurant tech that actually supports how you run your restaurant, find out how Square can help at square.com/goodstuff.Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

What if you are the biggest obstacle to your restaurant's growth?Kyle Willis, VP of Growth at BELAY Solutions, has spent years watching high-capacity operators hit the same wall: too busy doing the work to actually lead the business. Growth always stalls at capacity, and most operators have no plan for getting out from under it.In this conversation, we get into why delegation develops your best people and multiplies what you can do, how a structured 30-60-90 onboarding relieves pressure fast, and why time is always the more expensive currency.If you are running at full capacity and still not moving the needle, this is where you start.To learn more about BELAY Solutions and how they can help you reclaim your time, download their free Freedom Framework here or text COMP to 55123 to get the link sent directly to you._________________________________________________________Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

Most operators think growth means adding more. More menu items. More locations. More channels. More promotions. More complexity.Randy Sharpe's approach at Wahlburgers was the opposite.When Randy stepped into the CEO role, the brand had 17 menus across roughly 98 outlets. Some locations were creating more pain than profit. Some models were diluting the brand. The business did not need more complexity. It needed more clarity.In this episode, Randy breaks down the fourth question every operator has to answer: can this restaurant grow without becoming harder to run?We talk about simplifying menus, defining operating models, testing new products, growing catering, investing in better systems, building franchisee buy-in, and using field support to create compliance. Randy also explains why cutting what is not working can be the most important growth decision an operator makes.This is the episode for operators who want to grow revenue without adding chaos.To go deeper, download the free 2026 Restaurant Playbook at joshkopel.com/square_________________________________________________________Today's episode was brought to you by Square. If you want restaurant tech that actually supports how you run your restaurant, find out how Square can help at square.com/goodstuff.Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

What if the smartest restaurant you could open wasn't the biggest, busiest, or most celebrated, but the one you could control?Kim Alter didn't build Nightbird to chase stars. She built it to survive—and more importantly, to profit. In an industry obsessed with growth and recognition, she chose discipline: tight costs, small footprint, and total operational control.In this conversation, we unpack how Kim turned a 20-seat restaurant into a high-margin business, why she was willing to run unsustainably in the short term to build long-term stability, and how consulting sharpened both her standards and her boundaries.This is for operators ready to stop chasing validation and start building something that lasts.To learn more about Nightbird, visit nightbirdrestaurant.com._________________________________________________________Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

Dan Simons had the systems. He had the corporate restaurant training. He had the operational discipline. And his first independent restaurant still failed in 14 months.That failure became the foundation for Founding Farmers.In this episode, Dan breaks down the third question every operator has to answer: can this business actually survive?We talk about why good food, good service, and even good systems are not enough if the concept is misaligned with the market, the business is undercapitalized, or the ownership structure is built for short-term pressure instead of long-term durability.Dan explains how Founding Farmers was built around alignment between farmers, investors, employees, guests, and leadership, and why that alignment matters more than most operators realize. We also get into product-market fit, capital, team retention, sustainability, AI visibility, PR, and what it really takes to build a restaurant that is still here tomorrow.This is the episode for operators trying to make it through the early years and build something durable.To go deeper, download the free 2026 Restaurant Playbook at joshkopel.com/square_________________________________________________________Today's episode was brought to you by Square. If you want restaurant tech that actually supports how you run your restaurant, find out how Square can help at square.com/goodstuff.Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com 

What if the biggest risk in scaling your restaurant isn't the market, but the people you trust to grow it?Peter Wright has spent decades inside brands like Starbucks, Panera, and now Jollibee, building systems that scale through people. But what he's learned is simple: most operators focus on experience and capital, while the best brands optimize for something far less obvious.In this conversation, we get into how to identify franchise partners who will actually protect and grow your brand, why humility beats track record, and how values move from posters on a wall to decisions on the floor.If you're thinking about scaling through people, this is the filter you didn't know you needed.To learn more about Jollibee Group North America and their expanding franchise program, visit jollibeefoods.com._________________________________________________________Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

Celebrity can create trial. It cannot create loyalty.Josh Halpern helped take Big Chicken from 2 units to nearly 50, but in this conversation he is clear about the trap behind celebrity-backed restaurant brands: people may come once because of the name, but they only return if the operations, service, product, and guest experience hold up.In this episode, Josh breaks down the second question every operator has to answer: does the market already have a reason to choose this?We talk about the difference between the shopper and the consumer, why operators confuse attention with demand, and how to build a restaurant around real guest occasions instead of wishful thinking. Josh also shares how Big Chicken thinks about LTOs, frequency, loyalty, craveability, value engineering, and the three moments that matter most in the guest journey: desire, decide, and delight.This is the episode for operators who want to stop chasing generic traffic and start owning a specific role in their guests' lives.To go deeper, download the free 2026 Restaurant Playbook at joshkopel.com/square_________________________________________________________Today's episode was brought to you by Square. If you want restaurant tech that actually supports how you run your restaurant, find out how Square can help at square.com/goodstuff.Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

What if the fastest way to stand out in a crowded market is to say no to the one thing everyone expects?Jenn Saesue and Chat Suansilphong didn't just open another Thai restaurant, they rejected the playbook entirely. No pad thai. No bloated menu. Just a clear point of view and the conviction to back it up.In this episode, we get into how complementary skill sets—not identical ones—became their competitive edge, why hiring experts early (especially around money) gave them control instead of costing it, and how they used data like a weapon to run smarter, not harder.If you're tired of playing it safe and blending in, this is the conversation that will challenge how you build, hire, and position your brand.To learn more about Fish Cheeks and Bangkok Supper Club, visit fishcheeksnyc.com and bangkoksupperclubnyc.com._________________________________________________________Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

Most restaurant brands think their problem is sales. Scott Snyder thought he was walking into a franchise sales problem at Badass Coffee of Hawaii. What he found was much bigger: a brand with enormous recall, loyal memories, and a great product, but almost none of the infrastructure required to grow.In this episode, Scott breaks down the first question every operator has to answer before opening or expanding: will anyone remember this?He explains why a restaurant needs more than good food, good coffee, or a clever name. It needs a unique, ownable truth that guests can feel, repeat, and share. From there, the business has to support that promise through product, systems, training, technology, franchisee trust, and a guest experience that delivers consistently.We talk about brand memory, social storytelling, local content, merchandise, franchisee buy-in, and why being memorable is not the same thing as being ready to grow.This is the episode for anyone trying to build a concept that does not disappear into the noise.To go deeper, download the free 2026 Restaurant Playbook at joshkopel.com/square_________________________________________________________Today's episode was brought to you by Square. If you want restaurant tech that actually supports how you run your restaurant, find out how Square can help at square.com/goodstuff.Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

What if the very thing you're afraid to remove is what's holding your restaurant back?Amanda Maneesilasan didn't plan to take over her family's restaurant. But when she did, she made a decision most operators avoid. She eliminated the familiar, stripped out the shortcuts, and rebuilt the menu around real, uncompromising Thai flavors. It cost her customers, consistency, and nearly her confidence.In this conversation, we get into what it takes to earn respect when you inherit leadership, how to navigate the financial and emotional pressure of a full menu overhaul, and why cooking for yourself—not the market—is often the only path to standing out.This is for operators who know they're capable of more, but aren't sure the risk is worth it.To learn more about her work and experience her take on authentic Thai cuisine, visit chaokrungthai.com and banbanburger.com._________________________________________________________Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

What if the biggest mistake in your business model is having a fixed address?Most operators spend their careers fighting for foot traffic. Michael Russo went the other direction. As the Chief Growth Officer of Wild Bill's, he bought a veteran-founded craft soda brand and scaled it into a 60-wagon franchise popping up at over 500 events a year nationwide.In this conversation, we get into why going where your customers already are is more scalable than trying to attract them, how to fail with discipline instead of just failing fast, and why direct customer conversations will teach you more than any analytics dashboard.If you're rethinking your revenue model or looking for a smarter path to scale, this one is worth your time.To learn more about Wild Bill's and their franchise opportunities, visit drinkwildbills.com._________________________________________________________Today's episode was brought to you by Square. If you want restaurant tech that actually supports how you run your restaurant, find out how Square can help at square.com/goodstuff.Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

What if your biggest problem isn't awareness—it's that people try your food and don't come back?Koji Kanematsu set out to bring onigiri to the American mainstream, convinced the market just needed to be introduced to something new. But for five years, his business sat at break-even: good enough to survive, not good enough to grow.In this conversation, Koji shares how a single shift in product design unlocked demand, why blaming the market can stall your growth, and how small, iterative changes beat big, expensive bets.If you're stuck wondering why traffic doesn't translate into loyalty, this one will challenge how you think about your menu.To learn more about his work, visit onigilly.com_________________________________________________________Today's episode is also brought to you by Table 22. Build predictable revenue outside your four walls with subscriptions, memberships, and product drops. Table 22 helps you design it and shows you the numbers before you commit. Try it free at table22.com. Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

What if the real advantage isn't better strategy… it's faster action?Matt Jozwiak, founder of Rethink Food, built a movement by rejecting perfection and embracing momentum. From washing dishes to working in the world's best kitchens, Matt shares how a bias toward action—not credentials—became his edge.In this conversation, we get into why failure is the fastest teacher you'll ever have, how telling a simple story unlocked millions in funding, and the operational shift that turned struggling restaurants into partners in solving food insecurity.This episode is a masterclass in execution, iteration, and building something that actually works, especially when the industry needs it most.To learn more about Rethink Food and their work paying independent restaurants to feed people in need, visit rethinkfood.org._________________________________________________________Today's episode was brought to you by Square. If you want restaurant tech that actually supports how you run your restaurant, find out how Square can help at square.com/goodstuff.Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

What if the difference between a good restaurant and a great one came down to what happens in the 20 minutes before service?Ti Martin, co-proprietor of Commander's Palace, has spent her life inside one of the most enduring restaurants in the country, and she's obsessed with the details most operators overlook.In this conversation, we get into the daily disciplines that shape her team, why curiosity at the table drives better outcomes, and how consistent training transforms service into something deeply personal.If you're looking to create consistency, connection, and culture at scale, this conversation is for you.To learn more about Commander's Palace and their approach to hospitality, visit commanderspalace.com._________________________________________________________Today's episode is also brought to you by Table 22. Build predictable revenue outside your four walls with subscriptions, memberships, and product drops. Table 22 helps you design it and shows you the numbers before you commit. Try it free at table22.com. Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

What if most restaurants fail because no one's really watching what matters?Maycoll came up peeling potatoes in Michelin-starred kitchens, learning the craft from the ground up. Over time, that experience evolved into something deeper: a clear understanding of what actually keeps a restaurant alive.In this conversation, we get into the leap from operator to owner, why “luck” is just a story people tell to avoid the truth, and how he built systems that let him scale globally without being trapped in the kitchen.If you're still running your restaurant without a clear pulse, this conversation will force a reset.To learn more about Cuna, visit cuna.nyc._________________________________________________________Today's episode was brought to you by Square. If you want restaurant tech that actually supports how you run your restaurant, find out how Square can help at square.com/goodstuff.Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

What if the real reason your product isn't scaling isn't marketing, but the fact that it's just not good enough?Ben Van Leeuwen built his business around a simple idea: if you make something truly exceptional, people come back and they tell others. In this conversation, we get into why supply chain is the most overlooked driver of margin, how “affordable luxury” creates reach without dilution, and why word-of-mouth still outperforms most paid growth.If you're building in a crowded market, this is about raising the bar, and keeping it there.To learn more about Van Leeuwen Ice Cream and explore their products, visit vanleeuwenicecream.com._________________________________________________________Today's episode is also brought to you by Table 22. Build predictable revenue outside your four walls with subscriptions, memberships, and product drops. Table 22 helps you design it and shows you the numbers before you commit. Try it free at table22.com. Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

What if the real reason your restaurant isn't growing… is because you're doing too much?Chris Schultz has built a career scaling cult brands without stripping away what made them special. Now, in his second appearance on the show—this time as CEO of Velvet Taco—he's doubling down on a contrarian idea: most operators aren't missing opportunities, they're drowning in them.In this conversation, we get into why great leaders grow through subtraction, how to identify the signals your team is giving you, and why saying no is the real unlock for growth.If you're chasing every new idea and still not seeing results, this episode will show you what to cut before it's too late.To learn more about Velvet Taco and their approach to building a cult brand at scale, visit velvettaco.com and if you enjoyed this conversation, you could also listen to Chris's previous appearance on the show on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. _________________________________________________________Today's episode was brought to you by Square. If you want restaurant tech that actually supports how you run your restaurant, find out how Square can help at square.com/goodstuff.Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

Warren Rustand is the most successful human I know. Warren is a basketball hall of famer, he's served US presidents, been the CEO of 10 companies and mentor to countless CEO's and, candidly, he's been an amazing father, husband and friend. Today, Warren will give you the tactics, tools and strategies he's used to live the life of his dreams.For more on Warren or to buy his book visit https://warrenrustand.com_________________________________________________________Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com