
RESTAURANT STRATEGY
The Restaurant Strategy podcast is dedicated helping independent restaurant owners increase the profitability of their restaurants. Hosted by industry expert, Chip Klose, the focus is split between operations and marketing... two episodes every single week. What would your life look like if your restaurant could deliver consistent, predictable 20% returns?
Latest episodes

May 1, 2025 • 18min
Use These 3 Follow-Up Scripts in Your Restaurant
#442 - Use These 3 Follow-Up Scripts in Your Restaurant
*****
This week's episode is brought to you by: MARGIN EDGE
Take control of your costs with using MarginEdge. Best of all? No contract. No setup fee. Free and unlimited training and support.
VISIT: marginedge.com/chip
*****
This week's episode is brought to you by: INKIND
To the over 1,800 U.S. restaurant owners who have been funded by INKIND, it is the source of capital that takes a lot of the pain out of starting and running a restaurant, ultimately helping their dreams come true.
VISIT: https://www.inkind.vip/restaurantstrategy
*****
This week's episode is brought to you by: RESTAURANT TECHNOLOGIES
Simplify and automate your back of house operations with RESTAURANT TECHNOLOGIES and their cooking oil management program. These guys take the dirtiest job out of your kitchen!
VISIT: https://www.rti-inc.com/
*****
News flash... we're not nearly as hospitable as we think we are. Not nearly as hospitable as we could be. On today's episode we're sharing 3 scripts for doing better FOLLOW-UPS.
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You ready for an insanely profitable restaurant? Set up a call to learn more about the P3 Mastermind!
LEARN MORE: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule

Apr 28, 2025 • 29min
The Power of Menu Engineering
#441 - The Power of Menu Engineering
*****
This week's episode is brought to you by: TORK
TORK understands that expectations for food service, sustainability, and guest experience are higher than ever. That’s why they provide products and services that help restaurants meet those demands.
VISIT: https://www.torkusa.com/your-business/solutions/overview/foodservice/restaurant-workflow?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=paid-social&utm_campaign=US_Tork_Social_PH-HoReCa_PH-All_Brand-Information_Brand-24-Hor_Influencer-Podcast_2024-01_2024-12_Internal
*****
This week's episode is brought to you by: KICKFIN
Thousands of restaurants across the country use Kickfin to send instant, cashless tip payouts, directly to their employees’ bank accounts, the second their shift ends. Get in touch today for a personalized demo and see how restaurants and bars across the country are tipping out with Kickfin.
VISIT: https://kickfin.com/demo/
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A lot has been written on the topic, and I'm going to share some of my own insights on today's episode... everything about menu engineering!
*****
Ready for consistent, 20% profits? Click below to learn more about the P3 Mastermind.
BOOK A CALL: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule

Apr 24, 2025 • 15min
This is How to CRUSH Street Fairs This Summer
#440 - This is How to CRUSH Street Fairs This Summer
*****
This week's episode is brought to you by: MARGIN EDGE
Take control of your costs with using MarginEdge. Best of all? No contract. No setup fee. Free and unlimited training and support.
VISIT: marginedge.com/chip
*****
This week's episode is brought to you by: INKIND
To the over 1,800 U.S. restaurant owners who have been funded by INKIND, it is the source of capital that takes a lot of the pain out of starting and running a restaurant, ultimately helping their dreams come true.
VISIT: https://www.inkind.vip/restaurantstrategy
*****
This week's episode is brought to you by: RESTAURANT TECHNOLOGIES
Simplify and automate your back of house operations with RESTAURANT TECHNOLOGIES and their cooking oil management program. These guys take the dirtiest job out of your kitchen!
VISIT: https://www.rti-inc.com/
*****
Yes, you're trying to make some money when you rent a stall at the farmer's market or street fair... but really your goal is to do two things:
Capture data from the new people you meet.
Drive them down to your actual restaurant.
This is the playbook to do it right!
*****
The first marketing dollars you spend should be on Google Search Ads and Meta Ads. Why? Because you can measure the results and prove that they work. We're currnetly working with 25 restaurants all over the country. Are you curious to learn more about the Restaurant Strategy Agency?
Email me to start a conversation: chip@chipklose.com

Apr 21, 2025 • 15min
Two Brilliant Things My Mentor Taught Me
#439 - Two Brilliant Things My Mentor Taught Me
*****
This week's episode is brought to you by: TORK
TORK understands that expectations for food service, sustainability, and guest experience are higher than ever. That’s why they provide products and services that help restaurants meet those demands.
VISIT: https://www.torkusa.com/your-business/solutions/overview/foodservice/restaurant-workflow?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=paid-social&utm_campaign=US_Tork_Social_PH-HoReCa_PH-All_Brand-Information_Brand-24-Hor_Influencer-Podcast_2024-01_2024-12_Internal
*****
This week's episode is brought to you by: KICKFIN
Thousands of restaurants across the country use Kickfin to send instant, cashless tip payouts, directly to their employees’ bank accounts, the second their shift ends. Get in touch today for a personalized demo and see how restaurants and bars across the country are tipping out with Kickfin.
VISIT: https://kickfin.com/demo/
*****
Two sentences will change everything about your leadership style.
"My bad."
"I don't know."
*****
Ready for consistent, 20% profits? Click below to learn more about the P3 Mastermind.
BOOK A CALL: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule

Apr 17, 2025 • 56min
Adopting the Luxury Mindset (Las Vegas - March, 2025)
#438 - Adopting the Luxury Mindset (Bar & Brestaurant Expo 2025)
*****
This week's episode is brought to you by: CHOWLY
The Chowly Platform unites powerful tools to transform your restaurant’s digital presence and grow profits ouside four walls. From Online Ordering and Third-Party Marketplace POS Integration to Smart Pricing and Digital Marketing, everything works together seamlessly—creating, capturing, and converting demand into meaningful growth. Your tools and data, all in one place, to save time, boost profits, and give you complete control.
VISIT: https://chowly.com/chowly-platform/
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Bar & Restaurant Expo is the one trade show I do not miss every year. It's held in one of my least favorite places in the world (Las Vegas, NV), which should tell you a lot about how much I love this show. On today's episode I am sharing one of the talks I gave at the event last month.
Want the full deck that goes along with it? Email me and I'll send it to you: chip@chipklose.com
*****
Your restaurant should be generating a consistent, predictable, 20% return every single month. If you're still stuck at single digits, then I'd love to hear what's going on.
SET UP A CALL: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule

Apr 14, 2025 • 26min
Managing Portions, Theft, and Waste
#437 - Managing Portions, Theft, and Waste
*****
This week's episode is brought to you by: TIME FORGE
TIME FORGE provides labor management for efficient teams. Recruit, retain, and manage your talent with a powerful piece of software.
VISIT: https://timeforge.com/RestaurantStrategy/
*****
This week's episode is brought to you by: POPMENU
If you’re a restaurant owner you need a great website that not only looks beautiful, but helps drive more traffic and sales. Use POPMENU to take your business to the next level. Best of all, listeners of this show can lock in one, set monthly rate… and get $100 off their first month.
VISIT: https://popmenu.com/restaurantstrategy
*****
This week's episode is brought to you by: DAVO
Automate your sales taxes using DAVO BY AVALARA. The software integrates with most POS systems. It sets aside your sales taxes, files on time, and submits payments before the deadline.
VISIT: https://davosalestax.com/RestaurantStrategy
*****
Understanding the variance between THEORETICAL and ACTUAL food cost is crucial to running a profitable restaurant. On today's episode we're talking about the three biggest culprits when it comes to the operation piece of executing foodservice.
Portion Contral
Waste Management
Monitoring Theft
*****
Tired of the 80-hour workweeks for pennies on the dollar? Our coaching program can help.
CHAT WITH US: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule

Apr 10, 2025 • 45min
Should You Be Working with Restaurant Influencers?
#436 - Should You Be Working with Restaurant Influencers?
*****
This week's episode is brought to you by: CHOWLY
The Chowly Platform unites powerful tools to transform your restaurant’s digital presence and grow profits ouside four walls. From Online Ordering and Third-Party Marketplace POS Integration to Smart Pricing and Digital Marketing, everything works together seamlessly—creating, capturing, and converting demand into meaningful growth. Your tools and data, all in one place, to save time, boost profits, and give you complete control.
VISIT: https://chowly.com/chowly-platform/
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We welcome back Rev Ciancio, marketer and restaurant influencer, to help answer this question!
LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/revciancio/
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/revciancio/
TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@revciancio
*****
Your restaurant should be generating a consistent, predictable, 20% return every single month. If you're still stuck at single digits, then I'd love to hear what's going on.
SET UP A CALL: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule

Apr 7, 2025 • 49min
Finding, Keeping, and Managing Great Employees with TimeForge CEO
#435 - Finding, Keeping, and Managing Great Employees with TimeForge CEO
*****
This week's episode is brought to you by: TIME FORGE
TIME FORGE provides labor management for efficient teams. Recruit, retain, and manage your talent with a powerful piece of software.
VISIT: https://timeforge.com/RestaurantStrategy/
*****
This week's episode is brought to you by: POPMENU
If you’re a restaurant owner you need a great website that not only looks beautiful, but helps drive more traffic and sales. Use POPMENU to take your business to the next level. Best of all, listeners of this show can lock in one, set monthly rate… and get $100 off their first month.
VISIT: https://popmenu.com/restaurantstrategy
*****
This week's episode is brought to you by: DAVO
Automate your sales taxes using DAVO BY AVALARA. The software integrates with most POS systems. It sets aside your sales taxes, files on time, and submits payments before the deadline.
VISIT: https://davosalestax.com/RestaurantStrategy
*****
Anthony Presley has built an incredible tool in TimeForge, one that's helping restaurants all over the country find great people, keep those people, and properly manage them to ensure profitability. I have worked with the platform for a long time at this point and have watched my clients flourish using the software.
Enjoy this wide ranging conversation with one of the smartest people I know in our industry.
VISIT: timeforge.com/RestaurantStrategy
*****
Tired of the 80-hour workweeks for pennies on the dollar? Our coaching program can help.
CHAT WITH US: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule

Apr 3, 2025 • 27min
How to WIN with a GREAT Social Media Presence (ENCORE)
#434 - How to WIN with a GREAT Social Media Presence (ENCORE)
*****
This week's episode is brought to you by: MARGIN EDGE
Take control of your costs with using MarginEdge. Best of all? No contract. No setup fee. Free and unlimited training and support.
VISIT: marginedge.com/chip
*****
This week's episode is brought to you by: INKIND
To the over 1,800 U.S. restaurant owners who have been funded by INKIND, it is the source of capital that takes a lot of the pain out of starting and running a restaurant, ultimately helping their dreams come true.
VISIT: https://www.inkind.vip/restaurantstrategy
*****
This week's episode is brought to you by: RESTAURANT TECHNOLOGIES
Simplify and automate your back of house operations with RESTAURANT TECHNOLOGIES and their cooking oil management program. These guys take the dirtiest job out of your kitchen!
VISIT: https://www.rti-inc.com/
*****
Remember the following rules:
Video first, or photo carousels
Uniformity so there's a brand identity
Think of your content pillars
Quantity doesn't matter as much as consistency
Use a tool like Linktree or Milkshake to have specific CTAs
Leverage all of the various tools like Stories, Highlights, Reels, etc
*****
The first marketing dollars you spend should be on Google Search Ads and Meta Ads. Why? Because you can measure the results and prove that they work. We're currnetly working with 25 restaurants all over the country. Are you curious to learn more about the Restaurant Strategy Agency?
Email me to start a conversation: chip@chipklose.com

Mar 31, 2025 • 1h 5min
Building a Better Restaurant with the Owners of Nashville Hotspot, Noko (ENCORE)
#433 - Building a Better Restaurant with the Owners of Nashville Hotspot, Noko (ENCORE)
*****
This week's episode is brought to you by: TORK
TORK understands that expectations for food service, sustainability, and guest experience are higher than ever. That’s why they provide products and services that help restaurants meet those demands.
VISIT: https://www.torkusa.com/your-business/solutions/overview/foodservice/restaurant-workflow?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=paid-social&utm_campaign=US_Tork_Social_PH-HoReCa_PH-All_Brand-Information_Brand-24-Hor_Influencer-Podcast_2024-01_2024-12_Internal
*****
This week's episode is brought to you by: KICKFIN
Thousands of restaurants across the country use Kickfin to send instant, cashless tip payouts, directly to their employees’ bank accounts, the second their shift ends. Get in touch today for a personalized demo and see how restaurants and bars across the country are tipping out with Kickfin.
VISIT: https://kickfin.com/demo/
*****
Noko's Website: https://www.nokonashville.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nokonashville/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086515181359
*****
Ready for consistent, 20% profits? Click below to learn more about the P3 Mastermind.
BOOK A CALL: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule