FULL COMP: The Voice of the Restaurant Industry Revolution

What if trying to control everything is the very thing holding your business back? Most operators think control means being everywhere at once. Today’s guest thinks that mindset is killing your business. After opening 100+ stores, managing $100M in revenue, and building teams across international brands, Won Jeong realized the real goal isn’t knowing everything—it’s building systems so you don’t have to. In this episode, we unpack how training becomes a growth engine, not a time suck. Won shares how AI is transforming onboarding from guesswork to guided execution, why memorizing SOPs is a waste of leadership potential, and the real ROI of training that makes your team independent—not dependent. If you’re ready to stop firefighting and start scaling, this episode is your blueprint. To learn more about Smart Trainer and the future of restaurant training, visit SmartTrainerApp.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 Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time. We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content: Yelp for Restaurants Podcasts Restaurant expert videos & webinars

I’m Josh Kopel, a Michelin-awarded restaurateur and the creator of the Restaurant Scaling System. I’ve spent decades in the industry, building, scaling, and coaching restaurants to become more profitable and sustainable. On this show, I cut through the noise to give you real, actionable strategies that help independent restaurant owners run smarter, more successful businesses. In this episode, I dive into what it really takes to scale a restaurant successfully—and why opening a second location isn’t always the right next step. I break down how to strengthen your systems, master your financials, and get your house in order before expanding. I share the key lessons I’ve learned about maximizing one restaurant’s potential first, so growth becomes sustainable, not stressful. Takeaways Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Restaurant Success 01:51 The Myths of Expansion 05:40 Preparing for Expansion 07:07 Actionable Steps for Growth If you’ve got a marketing or profitability related question for me, email me directly at josh@joshkopel.com and include Office Hours in the subject line. If you'd like to scale the profitability of your restaurant in only 5 days, sign up for our FREE 5 Day Restaurant Profitability Challenge by visiting https://joshkopel.com.

What if AI could make your restaurant more human, not less? That’s the bold idea Devana Bhargava is betting on. As a product leader at Yelp, she’s rethinking restaurant tech from the inside out—building tools that support staff instead of replacing them. In this episode, we dig into the design philosophy behind Yelp Host, why your Yelp page converts better than your Instagram, and how Devana’s team builds with operators, not just for them. She shares the questions that unlock real insights, the AI features that are actually working, and why independents are outpacing the big guys with smarter tech. This one’s for every operator who’s tired of tech that gets in the way—and ready for tools that finally get it right. To learn more about how Yelp is supporting restaurants with human-first tools, visit restaurants.yelp.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 Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time. We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content: Yelp for Restaurants Podcasts Restaurant expert videos & webinars

Does the world really need another coffee shop? That’s the question Darren Spicer had to answer before walking away from a six-figure career to start Clutch Coffee. The answer wasn’t coffee—it was connection. In this episode, Darren breaks down why community, not caffeine, is his true product, what he learned from Dutch Bros, how he made it his own, and why being “Chick-fil-A for coffee” means never settling for average service. For every operator asking what business they’re really in—this episode delivers clarity. To learn more about Clutch Coffee Bar and their work in the community, visit clutchcoffeebar.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 Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time. We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content: Yelp for Restaurants Podcasts Restaurant expert videos & webinars

I’m Josh Kopel, a Michelin-awarded restaurateur and the creator of the Restaurant Scaling System. I’ve spent decades in the industry, building, scaling, and coaching restaurants to become more profitable and sustainable. On this show, I cut through the noise to give you real, actionable strategies that help independent restaurant owners run smarter, more successful businesses. In this episode, I dive into how to turn restaurant events into true profit centers instead of simple marketing stunts. I explain why events should be treated as products with clear margins and measurable results, and how that mindset shift can transform your bottom line. I walk through the systems I use to plan, price, and evaluate events so they drive both revenue and brand loyalty. Takeaways Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Restaurant Marketing Strategies 01:50 Transforming Events into Profit Centers 05:44 Actionable Steps for Event Profitability If you’ve got a marketing or profitability related question for me, email me directly at josh@joshkopel.com and include Office Hours in the subject line. If you'd like to scale the profitability of your restaurant in only 5 days, sign up for our FREE 5 Day Restaurant Profitability Challenge by visiting https://joshkopel.com.

How do you define luxury? What if it isn’t about white tablecloths—but about meeting every guest, every need, every time? Aaron Bludorn didn’t just open a restaurant—he opened a new playbook for hospitality. After a business education under Daniel Boulud and Gavin Kaysen, Aaron took a massive bet: move to Houston, build a concept mid-pandemic, and serve a community he was still getting to know. And that gamble paid off. In this episode, he shares how Bludorn became a “Swiss army knife” of occasion—able to host everything from business dinners to caviar-and-burgers at the bar. He also shares how flexibility became a growth engine and how promoting from within turned his group into a magnet for top-tier talent. This is for operators who want to scale without losing soul—and win by design, not default. To explore his restaurant, visit bludornrestaurant.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 Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time. We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content: Yelp for Restaurants Podcasts Restaurant expert videos & webinars

Everyone says restaurants are about food, service, or scale. But what if it’s really about emotional engineering? Yann didn’t come from the kitchen. He came from the world of marketing and strategy. But when he opened Boqueria, he reimagined what a restaurant could be—vibe-forward, high-design, emotionally resonant, and built to scale. In this episode, Yann breaks down why restaurants are “weak link systems,” how to distill a concept to its essence, and why tension—not harmony—is the secret to a space that sings. If you’ve ever wanted to build something iconic without following industry dogma, this episode will challenge everything you’ve been told. To learn more about Boqueria, visit boqueriarestaurant.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 Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time. We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content: Yelp for Restaurants Podcasts Restaurant expert videos & webinars

I’m Josh Kopel, a Michelin-awarded restaurateur and the creator of the Restaurant Scaling System. I’ve spent decades in the industry, building, scaling, and coaching restaurants to become more profitable and sustainable. On this show, I cut through the noise to give you real, actionable strategies that help independent restaurant owners run smarter, more successful businesses. In this episode, I dive into how to market restaurants more effectively by treating each service as its own unique offering. I explain why lunch, dinner, and brunch each need clear promises and tailored marketing, and how productizing those services can transform customer acquisition. I break down the phased approach I use to launch them and the strategies that actually move the needle on performance. Takeaways Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Restaurant Marketing Strategies 01:49 Understanding Different Service Times 05:39 Productizing Each Service for Success 08:51 Implementing and Measuring Marketing Strategies If you’ve got a marketing or profitability related question for me, email me directly at josh@joshkopel.com and include Office Hours in the subject line. If you'd like to scale the profitability of your restaurant in only 5 days, sign up for our FREE 5 Day Restaurant Profitability Challenge by visiting https://joshkopel.com.

Eric Bost built something remarkable in LA. Then, like so many, he lost it to the pandemic. But what came next wasn’t a pivot. It was a complete reinvention. Today, Eric runs four thriving restaurants in a market many still underestimate—North County, San Diego. In this episode, he breaks down how he rebuilt his career by doubling down on team culture, operational clarity, and a commitment to place over prestige. If you’ve ever felt defined by a loss—this episode is your reset. To explore his work, visit restaurantlilo.com and thisiscampfire.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 Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time. We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content: Yelp for Restaurants Podcasts Restaurant expert videos & webinars

What if your next move isn’t another location—it’s owning a moment in your guest’s life? Mark Rampolla built ZICO into a category and now backs founders with a $600M fund; his playbook is built for operators under pressure. We talk about the five-year reality of product-market fit, why velocity per store beats “more units,” and how owning a specific occasion (post-workout, post-shift, post-party) unlocks scale. Mark breaks down risk discipline—grow deep before wide—and what acquirers actually buy: a future customer and a missing occasion, not just a product. If you’re tempted to expand because it feels like progress, this episode shows a sharper path: focus, proof, and traction that travels. To learn more, visit groundforcecapital.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 Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time. We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content: Yelp for Restaurants Podcasts Restaurant expert videos & webinars

I’m Josh Kopel, a Michelin-awarded restaurateur and the creator of the Restaurant Scaling System. I’ve spent decades in the industry, building, scaling, and coaching restaurants to become more profitable and sustainable. On this show, I cut through the noise to give you real, actionable strategies that help independent restaurant owners run smarter, more successful businesses. In this episode, I dive into strategies for boosting restaurant profitability without raising prices. I explain why it’s so important to see restaurants as providers of time slots rather than just food and beverage, and how that shift impacts service. I share why the first 20 minutes of the guest experience matter most, plus the tactics I use to improve pacing, satisfaction, and table turns. Takeaways: Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Restaurant Success 01:21 Reframing Restaurant Profitability 02:51 Understanding Time as Inventory 05:45 Optimizing Service for Profitability If you’ve got a marketing or profitability related question for me, email me directly at josh@joshkopel.com and include Office Hours in the subject line. If you'd like to scale the profitability of your restaurant in only 5 days, sign up for our FREE 5 Day Restaurant Profitability Challenge by visiting https://joshkopel.com.

What if your factory was idling, your shelves were empty, and your business had just lost $15 million—and you still chose not to lay off a single person? That’s the line Pepper Baumer drew. As the third-generation CEO of Crystal Hot Sauce, he inherited a 100-year-old legacy—and nearly watched it collapse under the weight of supply chain failure, market loss, and generational transition. But instead of shrinking, he stood firm. In this episode, we get into the decision that nearly cost him everything—and why he says it saved the company. Pepper shares why one $100K social media experiment rewired their marketing strategy and how he’s introducing a century-old product to an entirely new generation. This one’s for operators who believe legacy doesn’t mean stuck—and that people come before profit, even when it hurts. To learn more about Crystal Hot Sauce, visit crystalhotsauce.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 Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time. We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content: Yelp for Restaurants Podcasts Restaurant expert videos & webinars

If your guests remember the night but forget the meal, did you succeed? Sara Fay Egan never planned to run restaurants—she built experiences. After a career in high-end event planning, she was thrust into leadership at Beale Street Blues Company after the sudden passing of her father. But instead of mimicking traditional models, she brought an outsider’s eye—and a showrunner’s instinct. In this conversation, we break down the strategy behind “improvisational hospitality,” the power of sensory immersion, and why giving your team the freedom to perform might be your strongest cultural move. If you’ve ever wondered how to make your place unforgettable—this is the playbook. To learn more about Beale Street Blues Company, visit bealestreetbluescompany.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 Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time. We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content: Yelp for Restaurants Podcasts

What if your restaurant’s biggest threat isn’t your competition—it’s your own irrelevance? Jean-Pierre Lacroix has spent decades helping brands regain their footing after losing touch with what made them matter. In today’s conversation, we unpack what’s killing restaurant loyalty—and it’s not what you think. Jean-Pierre argues that operators are over-indexing on price and efficiency, while starving their brand of emotional connection. We get into how to build a restaurant that creates memories, not just meals; why frequency is the new frontier of growth; and how to design an experience so strong, your customers do the marketing for you. This isn’t about promotions. It’s about staying relevant, meaningful, and unforgettable. To learn more about his work in brand transformation, visit sld.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 Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time. We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content: Yelp for Restaurants Podcasts Restaurant expert videos & webinars

Most restaurant owners think better food or better service will win the game. But Allan Dib has a different take: your product is not your problem—your marketing is. Allan is the best-selling author of The 1-Page Marketing Plan, and in this conversation, he dismantles the myths that keep restaurants stuck. We get into the high cost of bad positioning, why most marketing attracts the wrong customers, and the dangerous assumption that quality alone will drive sales. He shares how loyalty is about identity, not discounts—and why clarity, not complexity, is the real growth lever. This is for operators who are tired of being the best-kept secret and ready to market like they mean it. To learn more about his work and access free tools, visit https://allandib.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 Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time. We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content: Yelp for Restaurants Podcasts Restaurant expert videos & webinars

I’m Josh Kopel, a Michelin-awarded restaurateur and the creator of the Restaurant Scaling System. I’ve spent decades in the industry, building, scaling, and coaching restaurants to become more profitable and sustainable. On this show, I cut through the noise to give you real, actionable strategies that help independent restaurant owners run smarter, more successful businesses. In this episode, I share effective strategies for restaurant marketing and team engagement. I talk about the importance of aligning team goals with personal motivations and introduce the GWC framework to evaluate whether team members truly understand their role, want to succeed in it, and have the capacity to deliver. I also highlight why consistency in training and communication is so critical for creating a productive environment and achieving lasting results. Takeaways: Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Full Comp and Restaurant Marketing 00:57 Engaging Teams with Meaningful Goals 02:40 The GWC Framework for Team Alignment 05:31 Implementing Consistency for Lasting Results If you’ve got a marketing or profitability related question for me, email me directly at josh@joshkopel.com and include Office Hours in the subject line. If you'd like to scale the profitability of your restaurant in only 5 days, sign up for our FREE 5 Day Restaurant Profitability Challenge by visiting https://joshkopel.com.

Ahu Hettema didn’t hedge her bets—she burned the boats. No Plan B. No safety net. Just a belief that betting everything on one restaurant could rewrite her life. And it did. But not through stubbornness. Through adaptation. In this episode, Ahu breaks down how listening—really listening—to her guests saved her concept, why comfort matters more than cuisine, and how leadership based on likability, not fear, created a team that shows up like it’s opening night, every night. This is for every operator who’s done the math and knows the numbers don’t work unless the heart of the place does. For more on Istanbul Hawaii and her story, visit istanbulhawaii.com

Chris Adams does. He’s built a business on showing some of the biggest brands in the world how to make guests feel something—without faking it. In this episode, we dig into what defines modern luxury and why it has less to do with money and more to do with culture, people, and emotional precision. Chris shares how AI and tech can enhance—not replace—hospitality, why perceived value is the new battlefield, and what most operators get wrong about training. If you’re still trying to out-system your staffing problems, this is your wake-up call. Luxury isn’t about perks. It’s about people. And Chris is here to show you how to invest in them the right way. To learn more about Ellis Adams Group and their work in luxury hospitality, visit ellisadamsgroup.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 Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time. We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content: Yelp for Restaurants Podcasts Restaurant expert videos & webinars

I’m Josh Kopel, a Michelin-awarded restaurateur and the creator of the Restaurant Scaling System. I’ve spent decades in the industry, building, scaling, and coaching restaurants to become more profitable and sustainable. On this show, I cut through the noise to give you real, actionable strategies that help independent restaurant owners run smarter, more successful businesses. In this episode, I dive into the critical aspects of restaurant marketing, the value of hiring top talent, and how to build a high-performance culture inside a restaurant. I break down why clear roles and defined outcomes are essential, how to financially justify investing in A players, and the role leadership plays in shaping team performance. I also share practical insights for restaurateurs who want to strengthen their operations and elevate their team dynamics. Takeaways: Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Restaurant Marketing Challenges 01:45 The Importance of Hiring A Players 04:39 Defining Roles and Outcomes in Restaurant Leadership 07:31 Creating a High-Performance Culture If you’ve got a marketing or profitability related question for me, email me directly at josh@joshkopel.com and include Office Hours in the subject line. If you'd like to scale the profitability of your restaurant in only 5 days, sign up for our FREE 5 Day Restaurant Profitability Challenge by visiting https://joshkopel.com.

Most people buy a restaurant and inherit someone else’s problems. John Gelastopoulos bought a closed breakfast spot, maxed out his credit cards to keep it alive—and turned it into a 41-location powerhouse. The secret? Relentless persistence and an obsession with people. In this conversation, John shares how he went from washing dishes to franchising nationwide, why filling the dining room once can create a lasting ripple effect, and the systems that keep his culture intact across dozens of locations. We get into scaling without losing empathy, making smart pricing moves through economic swings, and focusing only on what you can control—no matter the competition. If you’re ready to see how grit, relationships, and a well-timed Rolodex can build an empire, this episode delivers. To learn more about Broken Yolk Café and their franchise opportunities, visit www.thebrokenyolkcafe.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 Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time. We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content: Yelp for Restaurants Podcasts Restaurant expert videos & webinars