
FULL COMP: The Voice of the Restaurant Industry Revolution
What if I told you that the difference between struggling and thriving in the restaurant industry is just one conversation away?
I’m Josh Kopel, a Michelin-awarded restaurateur who’s spent decades building blockbuster brands across every tier of dining. I know the challenges you’re facing—because I’ve been there. That’s why I created FULL COMP.
Every week, I go one-on-one with the smartest minds in the game—restaurateurs, chefs, and industry insiders who’ve cracked the code. Together, we unpack their biggest wins, hardest lessons, and the strategies that changed everything.
No fluff, no filler—just actionable insights to help you boost profits, build your brand, and create the kind of restaurant you’ve always dreamed of.
So, if you’re ready to stop spinning your wheels and start seeing results, hit subscribe.
Latest episodes

Jun 18, 2024 • 36min
Fabio Viviani on crafting a concept guaranteed to succeed
The pandemic taught many of us many different lessons but it taught Chef Fabio Vivani how to fight back. The chef spent the years rebounding from the pandemic curating a concept that he believes is not only recession proof, it’s pandemic proof. Today we sit down to discuss the formula he’s crafted for guaranteed success so that we too can protect our businesses from what’s lurking around the corner.
For more information on the chef, visit https://www.fabioviviani.com/.
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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

Jun 14, 2024 • 35min
Nikita Seal on the joyful path to restaurant success
Nikita Seal shares many qualities with the average restaurateur. She’s smart, hard working, and focused on serving her guests to the best of her ability. But there’s one quality that makes her stand about amongst the rest: she’s one of the happiest people I’ve ever met. Nikita has cracked the code on how to transform the day to day grind of restaurant life into a joyful exercise that anyone can emulate. Today we sit down to discuss how in prioritizing her own happiness, she found a shortcut to success.
For more information on Nikita and her restaurant, visit https://www.zzsicecreampuffs.com/.
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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

Jun 11, 2024 • 36min
Kevin Beary on how to create an iconic bar program
You may not know Kevin by name but you definitely know Kevin’s work. As Beverage Director of Three Dots and a Dash in Chicago, Kevin has helmed a cultural revolution in Tiki cocktails over the last decade. Today we sit down to discuss the essential elements of an iconic beverage program, the value in a blockbuster non alcoholic offering, and the future of the bar industry.
For more on Kevin and his bar, visit https://www.threedotschicago.com/.
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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

Jun 7, 2024 • 35min
John Manion on succeeding in a major market
Two decades in our industry would equate to 80 in any other industry so there’s something to be said for getting to the top and staying there. Today we chat with John Manion, a chef who has dominated the Chicago dining scene for almost 20 years. We sit down to discuss the long road to the top and what’s required to maintain relevance in a competitive and ever-changing market.
For more information on the chef and his restaurants, visit https://www.elchechicago.com/.
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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

Jun 4, 2024 • 33min
Becca McIntyre on the right way to launch a limited time offer
There’s an art to creating a perfect limited time offer. It has as much to do with the offering as it does with the messaging around the offering. Becca McIntyre of Craveworthy Brands is an LTO expert, having created an endless series of limited time offers for the biggest brands in the country. Today she sits down to discuss the essential elements of a perfect LTO and how to get the most bang for our buck when it comes to marketing that offer.
For more information on Becca and Craveworthy Brands, visit https://www.craveworthybrands.com/.
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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

May 31, 2024 • 36min
Greg Willman on how to create the next big franchise
Rarely do we open a restaurant without the aspiration to open many. Sure luck plays a role but there are some folks out there that seem to have the secret to scaling. Today we sit down with Greg Willman, an investor and restaurateur who, after becoming the largest Qdoba franchisee in the world, has set his sights on dominating with a new brand. In our conversation he unpacks the steps to scaling successfully and the mistakes to avoid along the way.
For more information on Naf Naf Grill, visit https://www.nafnafgrill.com/.
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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

May 28, 2024 • 37min
Obadiah "Obie" Ostergard on the evolution in mindset from chef to restaurateur
I’ll be the first one to say that if you’re looking to achieve greatness in our industry, focus is the key. Today’s guest, Obie Ostergard, may just prove me wrong. A trained chef turned operations guru, Obie has mastered the hardest parts of our industry in both front and back of house. In our conversation Obie unpacks the lessons he’s learned and the tools he’s leveraged to become a jack of all trades in the trade industry.
For more on Obie and his restaurant group, visit https://www.vinehospitality.com/.
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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

May 24, 2024 • 38min
Mistie Boulton on the risks and rewards of dynamic pricing
Misite Boulton has had the inside track on our industry for years. As a consultant and secret shopping agency, she’s seen the best and worst that our industry has to offer. Her vantagepoint also gives her the ability to see trendlines in our industry that wouldn’t be readily obvious without such a large client base. Today we sit down to discuss how this industry is evolving and the things we can do in our restaurants today to ensure we evolve with it.
For more information on Mistie and her company, visit https://eyespycc.com/.
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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

May 21, 2024 • 42min
David Dittenber on AI's Game-Changing Role in Restaurants
All anyone wants to talk about today is AI and the way that it’s going to change our industry in the future, but I find it nearly impossible to see how it’s impacting day to day operations today. That’s why I called my friend and fellow restaurateur Dave Dittenber to discuss his latest project MABEL. MABEL is the assistant we deserve and that we’ve all wished we could have. In our conversation, Dave discusses how MABEL is changing the game for operators today and the roadmap for how he intends to transform our industry tomorrow.
For more information on Dave, BYOD, and MABEL, visit https://byod.ai/.
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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

May 17, 2024 • 35min
Jonathon Sawyer the keys to sustainable success
There’s this old curse I remember hearing when I was younger, “May you get what you wish for.” What if you do get it all…the locations, the accolades, the attention and it’s not all it’s cracked up to be? Then what? Today we sit down with celebrity chef and restaurateur Jonathon Sawyer to discuss what happens when our dreams become reality. He shares the path that led to his success, his potential demise, and the new path he’s set for the future.
For more information on the chef and his restaurant, visit https://www.kindlingchicago.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