FULL COMP: The Voice of the Restaurant Industry Revolution

Forget the loyalty programs and outdated marketing tricks. Chris Smith, CEO of Zunzibar, has a different approach—one that turns customers into fans, simplifies operations, and scales with soul. From flipping burgers in college to building a franchise model with a clear mission, Chris shares how focusing on simplicity, relationships, and purpose has helped him create a brand that resonates with customers, team members, and franchisees alike. In this episode, we dive into why fandom beats loyalty, how to build an operation that scales without breaking, and how your personal purpose can power your business growth. To learn more about Zunzibar and how they’re blending fast casual with a bar-driven experience, visit https://www.zunzibar.com. Chris’s story is proof that when you keep it simple and lead with purpose, the result is a brand people don’t just visit—they love.____________________________________________________________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 PodcastsRestaurant 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 dig into something I wish I’d learned a lot sooner — how to build a profitable restaurant that doesn’t eat you alive. Hustle alone won’t cut it. I talk about what it really takes to break free from burnout: shifting your mindset and reconnecting with what genuinely fires you up. When we chase what excites us, we craft experiences our guests can’t resist. I share how showing up authentically — in how we engage with folks and how we market our businesses — draws in the right people and keeps them coming back. Because at the end of the day, if you build a restaurant that feeds your soul, it’ll feed your bank account too.Takeaways:Most restaurant owners think they need more guests.Profit isn't random, it's engineered.You need to change you and the way you see your restaurant.Design a restaurant that you love.Your best customers don't need a great reason to come back.Stop pushing lazy offers.Write marketing campaigns that would make you come in.Audit your menu and guest experience.Build a brand that you would fall in love with.Engage with customers authentically.Chapters:00:00 Introduction to Full Comp and Profitability Masterclass01:37 Transforming Your Restaurant's Approach to Marketing05:04 Creating Irresistible Experiences for Guests07:41 Engaging with Customers AuthenticallyIf 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 restaurants throw new hires into the fire and hope they stick. Cassie Miller, VP of Training at Craveworthy Brands, has built a system that keeps them thriving. In this episode, she reveals why generic training is a recipe for churn, how to build real accountability into your culture, and the simple systems that scaled Craveworthy to 19 brands—and counting. If you’re ready to turn your team from chaos into consistency, this episode is your roadmap. To learn how Craveworthy Brands turned training into a secret weapon for growth, visit https://craveworthybrands.com. Cassie’s story proves that when you invest in people, they invest in you—and your bottom line.____________________________________________________________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 PodcastsRestaurant expert videos & webinars

Most restaurant operators treat tips like a liability—or worse, an afterthought. But Kirk Grogan sees them for what they really are: one of the most powerful tools in your business. As co-founder of TipHaus, Kirk has helped thousands of restaurants transform tip management from a source of stress and legal risk into a lever for culture, retention, and operational clarity. In this episode, we break down why tip strategy is leadership strategy, how transparency builds trust and performance, and what happens when your team feels seen, paid, and empowered. If you think tip management is just about math, this conversation will blow your mind. To learn more about how TipHaus is transforming tip management into a tool for growth, click here. ____________________________________________________________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 PodcastsRestaurant 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 importance of understanding restaurant profitability and dialing in effective marketing strategies. I’ve seen firsthand how so many restaurant owners crush it when it comes to food and service—but really struggle when it comes to the business side of things. I address the common questions I hear all the time around how often to market and whether folks are actually listening. Spoiler alert: they are—but not in the way you think. I push for a shift in mindset: instead of chasing a bigger audience, focus on building a loyal one.You’ll walk away with actionable insights on how to communicate more effectively with your guests and why repetition in your marketing messages isn’t just helpful—it’s essential.Takeaways:You can run a successful restaurant without running a successful restaurant business.Most restaurant owners have great food but struggle with profitability.Marketing doesn't exist in a vacuum; it's a moving parade.Repetition in marketing is compelling, not annoying.Unsubscribes can help filter out uninterested audiences.Focus on cultivating an engaged list of buyers, not just size.Engagement is the key metric, not audience size.Marketing requires consistency and multiple touch points.Your marketing should resonate with what matters to your audience.Plan to reintroduce your story regularly to keep it fresh.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Restaurant Profitability00:55 Understanding Marketing in a Distracted World03:38 The Importance of Repetition in Marketing06:32 Building an Engaged Audience Over SizeIf 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.

Jack McGarry has achieved the accolades most of us dream about. He’s been awarded the best bartender in the world and his NY bar, The Dead Rabbit, was awarded the distinction of Best Bar in the World, a few years after that. But that’s not the end of Jack’s story. Since hitting the top, Jack has redefined excellence through the lens of bar ownership and has spent the last several years working to become the best owner he can be. Today, we discuss what that looks like in theory and how it manifests itself in practical application. For more information on The Dead Rabbit, visit https://thedeadrabbit.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 PodcastsRestaurant expert videos & webinars

Miguel Hernandez is a genius. You have never heard me begin a show this way before, but I was absolutely blown away by the fresh perspective Miguel is bringing to restaurant ownership and operations. This is a guy who’s scaled to 4 locations in just a couple of years and has financed his growth exclusively through the profits from his active restaurants. Today we discuss how to pick a winner, double revenues, and scale profitability. For more information on Rreal Tacos, visit https://rrealtacos.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 PodcastsRestaurant 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 tackle a really common frustration: pouring time and money into marketing when the real problem is the product itself. I break down the brutal but freeing truth: Marketing is a megaphone, not a magician. I share my own hard-earned lessons on how to stop masking product issues with ads and instead zero in on product-market fit. I explain how to test it, iterate fast, and double down on what works — so you can stop wasting dollars and start selling out seats and dishes naturally.Takeaways:Many restaurants fail to profit because they haven’t built a strong business behind great food and service.If your concept doesn’t resonate with your target market, no amount of marketing will fix it.True product-market fit shows up instantly — seats fill, dishes sell out, buzz spreads organically.Marketing only amplifies what’s already working; it can’t create demand where none exists.To find product-market fit, test small, track data, listen to feedback, and iterate constantly.Stop trying to revive your weakest menu items — double down on your best sellers and build on what already works.Once you nail product-market fit, that’s the time to scale your marketing and growth.Chapters: [00:17] Why Restaurants Struggle Financially  [01:35] Cathy’s Question — Is Marketing the Problem?  [02:00] Product-Market Fit Explained  [04:00] Marketing is a Megaphone, Not a Magician  [06:30] Double Down on What Works 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.

Our guests, even our most loyal guests, can cook at home. They don’t come to us for nourishment, they come to us for entertainment. Food and beverage done well is performance art and few have done it better than Eleven Madison Park. Today we chat with Natasha McIrvin, former head of the dreamweaver program at EMP. Her job was to build a system that ensured surprise and delight were baked into every guest experience. In our conversation she shares the system she built and the tactics she used to transform servers into the weavers of dreams. To check out what she’s working on now visit https://www.thankyou.nyc/____________________________________________________________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 PodcastsRestaurant expert videos & webinars

The numbers tell the story. Statistically, it’s nearly impossible to scale massively within our industry which is why so few do so. Keith Benjamin is the exception. With over 15 locations under his belt, Keith has broken the mold by systematizing that “it factor” we’re all looking to achieve. In today’s conversation, we discuss how to build with intention, the tools to create massive awareness, and the essential elements of a cool concept.  For more information on his restaurant group, visit https://uptownhospitality.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 PodcastsRestaurant expert videos & webinars