FULL COMP: The Voice of the Restaurant Industry Revolution

You are your restaurant and no one is ever going to know it or be able to run it better than you. But is that a good thing? Today we chat with Michele Hecken, an executive coach who specialized in helping you get out of your own way--eliminating you as the bottleneck to growth and empowering your team to fulfill your dreams. Today we begin the process of offboarding ourselves. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES [2:22] Offboarding: when delegation isn't enough. [4:20] Getting fired from you own life: the choice to do something different. [7:30] The symptoms of success: measuring your effectiveness as a leader. [10:44] Why work/life balance is bullshit. [13:11] Why assigning responsibility trumps delegating tasks. [16:53] The struggle for restaurateurs: translating magic to the rest of the business. [22:10] Accelerating the decision-making process. [23:57] If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there. [28:07] How to offboard yourself: getting clear on what matters. [31:05] Don't be held by the shackles. To get started with a FREE 25-Minute Coaching Session with Michèle, visit  https://www.michelehecken.com/fullcomp 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. ________________________________ CLICK HERE to Chat with Josh Free Download: 5 Steps to Achieve a 15% Net Profit We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out the FULL COMP media universe by visiting: FULL COMP Restaurant Marketing School The Playbook Industry Town Halls

Who do you look to for inspiration? For me, it's always been Wolfgang Puck and not just because he's a talent chef and restaurateur, but because he's a skilled 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 it to the top and overcome the obstacles along they way. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [2:11] Rising from ashes: how a household name was born in the journey from one hell to the next [5:11] Staying above the fray: how Chef defied the odds and stayed off the sauce [6:35] Showmanship and status: the evolution of an industry [8:51] Dreaming big, sinking in, and mastering hospitality as a craft [11:59] Accelerating an education: lessons learned in the early days at Spago [13:07] The critical decisions that shaped one of the world's best-known chefs [15:35] Mistakes and what we can learn from the man who's failed his way to unparalleled success. [20:34] Get knocked down, get back up: fear as a motivator [22:15] Staying relevant: a lesson in innovative evolution and finding balance [24:30] Chef's recipe for success [27:24] Marketing greatness: why personal relationships are the backbone of success [29:51] Pandemic perspective: projections from the man who sees opportunity where others don't [31:47] Passing a legacy on: hopes from a father to his children for a healthy succession [34:08] Defining and communicating success [35:56] The gift of listening: advice from a legend 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. ________________________________ CLICK HERE to Chat with Josh Free Download: 5 Steps to Achieve a 15% Net Profit We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out the FULL COMP media universe by visiting: FULL COMP Restaurant Marketing School The Playbook Industry Town Halls

How many hats are you wearing on a daily basis? One? Two? Two hundred? The only way we're going to get better is by getting better at sharing our workload with others. That's where Emily Morgan comes in. Emily is a delegation expert and today she walks us through the mindset and strategies we need to pull this off along with the pitfalls to avoid. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [3:14] Out of the weeds: WTF do I do with myself now? [4:25] The discipline, art, and science of delegation [6:05] The 5 types of bottlenecks we threaten our businesses with [10:20] Checks and balances: getting realistic about your habits [11:49] Expenses and investments: understanding what you're worth [13:13] Reversing the math [13:55] The 5 Golden Rules of Delegation: best practices to set your goals [15:05] We are special unicorns: discovering what's possible to delegate [17:21] The low-hanging fruit: get rid of the easy stuff first [18:45] How to create the steps and build the systems [20:30] How to avoid delegating a broken machine [22:08] The first 5 things to pull off your plate [23:21] The science of delegation [24:25] Delegating the end result: the value of defining success [25:27] Feedback: how to solicit honesty and communicate productively [27:30] How to avoid setting your hair on fire [28:18] Determining good enough: the 80% rule [29:00] Committing to the boring stuff [29:40] Clearing space for your impact To check out everything Emily referenced on today's show go to https://www.delegatesolutions.com/fullcomp 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. ________________________________ CLICK HERE to Chat with Josh Free Download: 5 Steps to Achieve a 15% Net Profit We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out the FULL COMP media universe by visiting: FULL COMP Restaurant Marketing School The Playbook Industry Town Halls

What does the restaurant of the future look like? Well, if we've figured anything out in our time together it's that I could look like many different things. I think Chef Steve Brown has stumbled upon a really intriguing business model. He's evolved the pop up model into a restaurant incubator, creating massive demand and awareness for his brands. In our conversation we unpack what went into conceptualizing and executing this restaurant ecosystem and how he leveraged his unique personal brand to bring it to the masses. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [2:] Taking partnership to the next level: creating a brand vibe with the love of your life [5:01] Being in hospitality vs. being in the hospitality business [6:56] Anything but a restaurant! How the Swagyu pop-up was born [8:15] It wasn't marketing... it was survival. [9:39] The Wagyu concept: born the Coachella of culinary battles [11:25] Taking it on tour: You can't perform the concert in the same town every day [12:48] The last supper: how a moment of desperation tripled revenue [16:07] Swagyu Study Hall: how Covid shaped next-level hospitality [17:13] "Uhh, Chef, we don't see it...": the journey into Brick & Mortar [18:36] Making what was for the 1% accessible to the 99% [19:36] Capitalizing on sh*tty strip malls: the golden ticket that made Swagyu Chop Shop possible [20:54] The Wagyu Smashburger: how the greatest oxymoron in the history of food became a huge success [23:46] What's better than zero waste? Negative waste. [24:16] And the beat goes on: the success keeps rolling in at every turn [25:13] Failing your way to success:  trust your gut and understand your audience [27:43] Why Chef Steve Brown was able to rise from the ashes of Covid [29:09] Choosing the good choices: "I'd rather be miserable than without clarity." [29:49] Now what?: The future of Swagyu [31:12] "Wouldn't it be so funny if this worked?" [33:17] Listen for the mic drop: Chef detonates the Hiroshima of truth bombs. [33:43] "You wanna know how to expand this fast? I'll tell ya..." [36:00] Multiple revenue streams done right: Chef Steve divulges an EPIC strategy [37:41] Massive expansion during the great recession: where he's finding his employees [38:38] The creativity doesn't end at the plate: make big moves that might seem crazy. For more on all of his projects visit https://chefstevebrown.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. ________________________________ CLICK HERE to Chat with Josh Free Download: 5 Steps to Achieve a 15% Net Profit We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out the FULL COMP media universe by visiting: FULL COMP Restaurant Marketing School The Playbook Industry Town Halls

I'm always amazed when someone with absolutely no prior experience in our industry can open a place and dominate the market. Today we chat with Dana Shertz of the RMD Group who did just that. In our conversation he shares how he was able to take the lessons he learned while scaling Calloway Golf and leverage them to create a hospitality empire. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [3:16] Lessons from the sports industry: unpacking the fundamentals of business with Dana Shertz [5:22] Building a relationship-focused business: How to leverage your vendors for success [7:02] Pivoting to restaurants: the road that led a sports professional into the hardest industry on earth [8:17] How to create a banger out of the gate: getting your financial house in order [10:25] The top KPIs to keep track of and optimal review frequency [12:30] The overlap between consulting and operating [13:35] Pandemic drama: thriving through challenges [14:53] Pulling in a crowd: the art and science of tapping into demand [17:07] To compete or play your own game: the mentality of success [21:04] The universal issues: what a consultant sees when they can see everything [21:51] The benefit of mentoring others: learning how to work and think in different ways [24:04] Cultural shifts: changing your mindset to align with generational values [26:38] A philosophy of mutual investment: how to get the best out of your people [28:11] A mentor's mentors: the people who shaped and influenced Dana Shertz [29:52] What will change and what won't: the bird's eye view [31:28] Keeping a focus on what's important: camaraderie in the industry For more on the RMD Group go to https://rmdgroupsd.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. ________________________________ CLICK HERE to Chat with Josh Free Download: 5 Steps to Achieve a 15% Net Profit We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out the FULL COMP media universe by visiting: FULL COMP Restaurant Marketing School The Playbook Industry Town Halls

There are a thousand roads that can lead to success in our industry but only one road that leads to profitability. Today we're talking numbers with Anne Gannon, founder of the Largo Group. In our chat today we're going to explore what the formula for success looks like by examining some of her most successful clients and unpacking the tactics, tools and strategies they've used to achieve massive profitability. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [2:56] How to stop playing catch-up: The trends worth tracking weekly. [4:20] Analyzing your restaurant. [5:26] The labor crisis: an economic perspective and evaluation. [7:01] Bottom line revenue: budget and operational inefficiencies [8:15] The reality of labor: You can't have it both ways. [9:55] Lessons from the best: where passion and practicality collide. [11:51] Profitability: you are in control of your own destiny. [13:50] An industry comparison: where we can shift, and what we can embrace. [15:33] The KPIs you should be tracking and the tools to do it with. [17:24] Nauseating, but necessary: what we really should be considering when we invest in a POS. [19:28] What we shouldn't return to: the hidden dysfunction in the successes of 2019. [21:43] Cashflow is king: remembering  the pain of being top-heavy. [23:53] Setting yourself up moving forward. [25:25] Financial aid resources you don't know about yet. (Here, have some money. You're welcome.) [26:56] What we don't know we don't know: Accounting doesn't actually suck (really!). [28:20] Congratulations are in order. For more on her company go to https://www.thelargogroup.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. ________________________________ CLICK HERE to Chat with Josh Free Download: 5 Steps to Achieve a 15% Net Profit We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out the FULL COMP media universe by visiting: FULL COMP Restaurant Marketing School The Playbook Industry Town Halls

What is Chutzpah? I think Guy Kawasaki described it best as “calling up tech support to report a bug on pirated software”. In a word, chutzpah is audacity, and I really want to explore how being skillfully audacious can transform a restaurant and a restaurateur into something more. In this episode, we’re talking to Mason Harris, who wrote the book on audacity and how it can be systematized and weaponized to turbocharge our restaurants. TIME STAMPED SHOW NOTES [2:32] How the early days of email led to the philosophy of Chutzpah. [5:48] What exactly is chutzpah? “Audacity?” “Gumption”? Maybe…“Intestinal fortitude”? [7:03] A world view, a set of behaviors, and a skill set: It’s all in how you implement it. [7:55] The Trifecta: Need, Pain, and Opportunity. [11:12] Service, training, staff, and food: How to be a trailblazer in the restaurant industry. [13:40] Messaging: the role of authenticity in trailblazing. [15:03] The power of clarity: why understanding the nature of your decisions matters. [20:00] The lens of intention: positioning yourself to make critical decisions. [22:55] Humility in action through the good times and the bad. [27:30] The Chutzpah Mentor: The story of Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse [29:10] How to Return a Tire to Nordstrom: An Exceptional Tale of Chutzpah in Service [32:25] Remembering the value of your impact. To learn more about Mason Harris, visit https://www.thechutzpahguy.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. ________________________________ CLICK HERE to Chat with Josh Free Download: 5 Steps to Achieve a 15% Net Profit We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out the FULL COMP media universe by visiting: FULL COMP Restaurant Marketing School The Playbook Industry Town Halls

When I think about Mark Birnbaum, I think about the word cool. This dude has 50,000 followers on instagram, his trendy restaurants have lines out the door nightly and celebrity investors dump boat loads of cash into everything he creates. But, at his core, he's a restaurateur, just like you and me. And his path to success was formulaic and well thought out. In today's episode Mark shares the formula he used to build a restaurant that doesn't follow trends, it creates them. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [2:25] After-Prom King: Hustling cool through school. [4:30] Finding gusto through tragedy. [6:41] Higher margins, and better experiences: An innovative one-stop experience. [12:50] The essential elements of cool: Good food, good service, good vibe. [14:51] Design is everything: Creating the perfect vibe. [18:05] Determining success: When you know something is or isn’t working. [22:00] Lessons from the pandemic: What Catch did differently. [25:30] How to make it in the restaurant industry: The reality of success. [29:35] Less is more: Knowing how to spot a good deal. [31:43] The recipe for getting where you want to go in the hospitality industry. For more on The Catch Hospitality Group go to https://catchhg.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. ________________________________ CLICK HERE to Chat with Josh Free Download: 5 Steps to Achieve a 15% Net Profit We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out the FULL COMP media universe by visiting: FULL COMP Restaurant Marketing School The Playbook Industry Town Halls

To call Paul Pruitt a restaurant consultant fails to describe who he is and his contributions to our industry. Paul is a hospitality futurist who, in the 10 years I've known him, has predicted every major evolution that our industry has faced. Today Paul and I chat about the present and the future of our industry and how holistic hospitality could be the solution to all that ails us. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [2:30] Catching rising stars: [3:58] Kickin' it New School: It's not always about reinventing wheels. [6:25] The importance of exploring what you can control, what you cant, and what will last. [10:19] Horrible cupcakes on beautiful plates: The value of The Fun Sponge [14:45] Tempering the algorithm: The balance contemporary thinking and innovation [18:40] From concept to execution: Leaning into process, building a foundation, and creating cooperation. [20: 40] Scaling a business is easy. Scaling culture is hard. [26:17] Holistic thinking: Embracing a nonbinary perspective in your business. [30:27] Exploring shades of grey: appreciating nuance, and refusing black and white decisions. For more on New School go to http://newschoolconsulting.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. ________________________________ CLICK HERE to Chat with Josh Free Download: 5 Steps to Achieve a 15% Net Profit We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out the FULL COMP media universe by visiting: FULL COMP Restaurant Marketing School The Playbook Industry Town Halls

Today, Olo is a billion-dollar company with a captivated audience of restaurateurs excited about the future of restaurant tech. But the story of Olo and its founder, Noah Glass, is far from an overnight success. Noah has spent the last 16 years evangelizing the merits of restaurant tech to an industry unwilling to change. But he never lost hope and he never gave up. And I can only imagine that a man with that kind of vision and that kind of fortitude must have a clear vision of what’s coming next for all of us. Today we talk about the future of restaurants and restaurant tech. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES [2:25] The ripple effect that planted a seed: Lessons learned from Silicon Valley [5:11] Finding the courage: seizing the opportunity to realize a vision [8:38] Evolving an ideology: rallying the troops and doing good while doing well. [11:50] Evolving a leader: the challenges of scaling and having faith in your partners and values. [16:38] How one restaurant Dallas, TX changed Olo’s framework. [22:08] Embracing the Digital Age: Is the industry backsliding as we lean into tech? [24:20] Imagining the future of the restaurant industry: [27:25] Turning the tables: The kind of restaurant Noah Glass would open. [31:15] The North Star metric: Customer lifetime value and what it means for your restaurant. That's Noah Glass. For more on OLO visit https://www.olo.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. ________________________________ CLICK HERE to Chat with Josh Free Download: 5 Steps to Achieve a 15% Net Profit We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out the FULL COMP media universe by visiting: FULL COMP Restaurant Marketing School The Playbook Industry Town Halls