

FULL COMP: The Voice of the Restaurant Industry Revolution
Josh Kopel
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.
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.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 27, 2023 • 24min
Ken Grossman on beating the competition
Ken Grossman is a craft brewing pioneer. In the late 1970's, he, along with about half a dozen other brewers, started the first craft breweries in the US. Over 40 years later, the other guys are no longer in business and Ken's company is worth over one billion dollars. Today, we discuss what it took to survive in those early days and the critical decisions he made that paved the way for him to become the king of craft brewing.
For more information on Sierra Nevada, visit https://sierranevada.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 shows:
Restaurant Marketing School
Restaurant expert videos & webinars

Jan 24, 2023 • 38min
Kim Freer on mastering restaurant marketing
Marketing is this big, intimidating thing for most of us. For many of us, marketing starts and stops with social media. For many more of us, we aspire to have the time needed to even get that far. That’s why I thought it would be incredibly valuable to chat with Kim Freer. Kim Freer is the Chief Marketing Officer of Wetzel’s Pretzels, an old brand innovating in very new ways. Today we discuss what marketing looks like in practical application–outside of social media–and how it can have a transformative impact on our restaurants.
For more information on Wetzel’s Pretzels, visit https://www.wetzels.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 shows:
Restaurant Marketing School
Restaurant expert videos & webinars

Jan 20, 2023 • 39min
Michael Tipps on scaling service standards
Winning in a major market requires a very different approach than opening a restaurant in a secondary or tertiary market. That’s why I was so excited to chat with Michael Tipps. Michael and his company Invictus Hospitality do many different things, but the one thing they’re most known for is taking successful concepts from major markets and scaling them across the country. Perfecting that process has revealed universal truths to Michael and his team about what a formula for restaurant success look like and in this episode he runs us through that formula tip to tail.
That’s Michael Tipps. For more information on Invictus Hospitality, visit https://www.invictushospitality.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 shows:
Restaurant Marketing School
Restaurant expert videos & webinars

Jan 17, 2023 • 35min
Phillip Baltazar on using analytics over instincts
Personally, I believe that the biggest hurdle for most of us when it comes to escaping day to day operations is finding the right person to replace ourselves. Aside from what it takes to find the right person, it’s the risk that holds most of us back. The risk of spending more than we’ve ever paid ourselves on someone that may not be right for the job. But, what if we could be sure that the person we’re hiring is the right fit for the role? Today we chat with Phillip Baltazar. Philip is a new kind of consultant using science and data driven methods to ensure the people we hire are perfect for the job. In this episode we cover everything from hiring your replacement to hiring a server.
That’s Phillip Baltazar. For your complementary team diagnostic, visit Team Diagnostics / CI Survey.
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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 shows:
Restaurant Marketing School
Restaurant expert videos & webinars

Jan 13, 2023 • 46min
Robert Greene on the laws that rule all industries
As business owners, we need to take a hard look in the mirror to determine what's working and what isn't. Today's guest, Robert Greene did just that, but, instead of tackling an industry, he chose to tackle the human condition.
Robert is a NYT bestselling author who's researched the intricacies of power, mastery, war and human nature.
In reading his work, I walked away with a better understanding of myself, my business, and my customers. In our conversation, Robert shares how he's internalized the lessons he's written about to help athletes, executives, and world leaders.
For more information on Robert's projects, visit https://powerseductionandwar.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 shows:
Restaurant Marketing School
Restaurant expert videos & webinars

Jan 10, 2023 • 31min
Ellen Bennett on the gritty side of entrepreneurship
The hardest part of ownership isn't owning the business, it's in owning the choices you've made and the impact they have on you and your team. Today, we chat with multi-million dollar culinary clothing maven, Ellen Bennett. Ellen wrote a book that's one part biography and one part action plan for aspiring entrepreneurs. In this conversation, we run though what the past 10 years has been like for Ellen, bringing to light the leadership lessons that have made her company so successful.
You can pick up Ellen's new book Dreams First, Details Later at major retailers everywhere.
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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 shows:
Restaurant Marketing School
Restaurant expert videos & webinars

Jan 6, 2023 • 32min
Best of: Paul Pruitt on holistic hospitality
To call Paul Pruitt a restaurant consultant fails to describe the depths of his contributions to our industry. Paul is a hospitality futurist who, in the decade I've known him, has predicted every major evolution that our industry has experienced.
In this episode, Paul and I discuss the future of our industry and how holistic hospitality could be the solution to all that ails us.
For more information on New School, visit http://newschoolconsulting.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 shows:
Restaurant Marketing School
Restaurant expert videos & webinars

Jan 3, 2023 • 35min
Best of: Chef Robert Irvine on our industry's leadership crisis
What if the labor crisis is a result of a leadership crisis? Could we build a better industry simply by becoming better leaders?
Celebrity Chef Robert Irvine specializes in overcoming the impossible. Today we discuss how this career soldier from a modest background built an empire and the lessons in leadership he learned along the way.
For more information on the chef, visit https://chefirvine.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 shows:
Restaurant Marketing School
Restaurant expert videos & webinars

Dec 30, 2022 • 37min
Best of: Kim Malek on the new rules of the restaurant industry
In this episode, we chat with Kim Malek, the founder of Salt & Straw. Kim's ice cream company abides by every foundational business principle while breaking every rule in the restaurant industry. Tune in to learn how to thrive using the new rules of the restaurant industry.
For more on Salt & Straw visit https://saltandstraw.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 shows:
Restaurant Marketing School
Restaurant expert videos & webinars

Dec 27, 2022 • 39min
Best of: Chef Wolfgang Puck on overcoming failure
Who do you look to for inspiration? For me, it's always been Wolfgang Puck. Not only is he a talented chef and restaurateur, he's proven himself to be a world-class entrepreneur.
Even without a formal business education, the chef has built an international empire. In today's conversation, we unpack the critical decisions he made to get to the top and how he overcame overwhelming obstacles along the way.
For more on the chef, visit https://wolfgangpuck.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 shows:
Restaurant Marketing School
Restaurant expert videos & webinars