
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

7 snips
Jan 1, 2024 • 1h 3min
Talking Customer Centricity with Wharton Professor, Peter Fader (ENCORE)
In this enlightening conversation, Peter Fader, a Wharton marketing professor and co-founder of innovative companies like Zodiac, shares his expertise on customer centricity. He highlights the shift from product-focused to customer-focused strategies in restaurants. Fader discusses leveraging customer insights to boost engagement and retention, integrating data for improved decision-making, and embracing technology for operational success. He also addresses post-pandemic challenges and the importance of understanding customer behavior for sustainable growth.

Jan 1, 2024 • 4min
BONUS: The Year of IDEAS
Too often we focus on that ONE BRILLIANT IDEA... that stroke of genius... the silver bullet that will fix all of our problems. But I don't believe in inspiration; I believe in the creative habit. Creativity is a mysterious pool of energy that expands the more we dip into it. And so I think we need to make time to be creative every single day.
To that end, I'm going to make 2024 the year of ideas.
I have no shortage of ideas and so I'm going to share them every week here on the podcast. But more than that, I'm going to dedicate my social media feeds to sharing new ideas every single day of the week. Ideas on how to grow catering sales. Ideas on how to reinvent service. Ideas on how to motivate your team. Ideas on how you can find more joy in your day-to-day.
To get those ideas, you'll need to follow me:
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/restaurantstrategy/
TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@restaurantstrategy

Dec 28, 2023 • 37min
Setting Goals and Getting Organized for 2024 (ENCORE)
302 - Setting Goals and Getting Organized for 2024 (ENCORE)
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This week's episode is brought to you by: TRIPLESEAT
Revolutionize your private event planning with Tripleseat's all-in-one platform. Boost new booking sales by 30%, generate more leads, create contracts, BEOs, and more. Plus listeners of the show get a discount when you sign up.
VISIT: https://tripleseat.com/restaurantstrategy/
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This is an encore presentation of an episode that originally aired this time last year. It's all about setting goals and getting organized for the year ahead. Are you ready for a great year? Let me give you the tools you need to crush it in 2024.
I talk about three different tools in this episode. If you want any of them, just email me: chip@chipklose.com
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Want to learn more about the P3 Mastermind?
Schedule a FREE 30-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule

Dec 25, 2023 • 55min
Jonathan Morse, Founder and CEO of Tripleseat
#301 - Jonathan Morse, Founder and CEO of Tripleseat
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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
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Jonathan Morse comes from the restaurant and event management side of things, but has spent a signifcant portion of his professional career in tech as well. So it was perhaps inevitable that he would ultimately build a piece of software that would help event directors and even managers.
Tripleseat is an incredible piece of software that helps owners and operators build catering and event business more effectively... and run those programs more efficiently.
He's got an incredible story, and tons of incredible nuggets to share!
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Currently the P3 Mastermind has more than 100 members enrolled, spread across 3 different groups. Our members are seeing huge transformations, often in the first 90 days. The system works, and yes it can work for you.
Click the link to schedule a FREE 30-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule

Dec 21, 2023 • 40min
Celebrating 300 Episodes of the Restaurant Strategy Podcast
#300 - Celebrating 300 Episodes of the Restaurant Strategy Podcast
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We are only selling 100 tickets to the P3 Marketing Summit... and there are only 20 left.
SNAG ONE HERE: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/2024-marketing-summit
Co-hosted by Chip Klose and Rev Ciancio, this is specifically geared toward independent owners and operators who are ready to level up when it comes to marketing.
3 days5 workshops2 parties
JOIN US: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/2024-marketing-summit
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Maybe it's just me, but 300 episodes feels like something worth celebrating. Today I want to take a second to reflect on where we've been and where we're going. I want to share with you some insane stats, like this one... "86% of our listeners only just discovered the show this year!"... and others that truly blow my mind. I also want to share with you our Top 10 episodes of the year and my 6 favorites that didn't make the top ten.
I'm sharing some of the biggest things I've learned through the podcast guests I've met, and I want to lay out a rough path for the next 100 episodes. Things I'm curious about and want to explore. I'm glad to have you along on the journey and hope you stick around for a long while to come.
Let's all pause a minute and celebrate 300 episodes of the show!
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Are you ready to generate consistent, predictable, 20% returns? Click the link to schedule a FREE 30-minute strategy session to learn about my P3 Mastermind: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule
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AND DON'T FORGET 50% OFF MY NEW BOOK: https://www.therestaurantmarketingmindset.com/

Dec 18, 2023 • 42min
How to Make Kids Feel More Included (an interview with my son!)
#299 - How to Make Kids Feel More Included (an interview with my son!)
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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
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I had a life before kids and now I have a life with one.
And to say it changes your perspective would be an understatement. (I'm sure the parents out there can appreciate that statement.) But I'm constantly baffled by how inhospitable most US restaurants are when it comes to taking care of families. On today's episode I'm interviewing my son, Preston, so he can share his perspective about what it's like for an 8 year old to dine out... at both casual restaurants and Michelin-starred properties.
Some of the very best meals I've had over the last 4 or 5 years have been ones I've been able to share with both my wife AND son. I love this industry. And I love to go out when we travel. And I love to travel with my family. Soooooo... that means if I want to dine out these days, I'm going to have to drag my kid along.
Today's episode is a bit of a recap of some of the best and worst dining experiences we've had as a family.
Trigger Warning: This kid is so stinking cute and very excited to finally be able to appear on the show!
*****
Currently the P3 Mastermind has more than 100 members enrolled, spread across 3 different groups. Our members are seeing huge transformations, often in the first 90 days. The system works, and yes it can work for you.
Click the link to schedule a FREE 30-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule
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THE P3 MARKETING SUMMIT (2024)
And don't forget to secure your ticket to the P3 Marketing Summit happening January 14-16, 2024 in Columbia, SC. This is a two-and-a-half day event that will take your marketing to the next level.
RESERVE HERE: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/2024-marketing-summit

Dec 14, 2023 • 16min
Could Your Restaurant Survive Without You?
#298 - Could Your Restaurant Survive Without You?
*****
We are only selling 100 tickets to the P3 Marketing Summit...
SNAG ONE HERE: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/2024-marketing-summit
Co-hosted by Chip Klose and Rev Ciancio, this is specifically geared toward independent owners and operators who are ready to level up when it comes to marketing.
3 days5 workshops2 parties
And there are only 40 spots left...
JOIN US: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/2024-marketing-summit
*****
Take 10 minutes today to consider where you are, where you've been, and where you're going. Answer the following question: "Could your restaurant survive without you?"
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Are you ready to generate consistent, predictable, 20% returns? Click the link to schedule a FREE 30-minute strategy session to learn about my P3 Mastermind: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule
*****
AND DON'T FORGET 50% OFF MY NEW BOOK: https://www.therestaurantmarketingmindset.com/

Dec 11, 2023 • 1h 20min
Talking Restaurant AI and Tech Solutions with Popmenu Co-Founders, Brendan Sweeney and Tony Roy
#297 - Talking Restaurant AI and Tech Solutions with Popmenu Co-Founders, Brendan Sweeney and Tony Roy
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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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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
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Popmenu has been a sponsor of this podcast for several years now mainly owing to the fact that I LOVE the product they've built and I continue to be impressed with the solutions they're crafting to help restaurant owners. The co-founders, Brendan Sweeney and Tony Roy have already appeared twice on the podcast and I'm thrilled to welcome them back. In many ways this is a continuation of the conversations we started a very long time ago.
Check out the first interviews I did with them on Episode #144 and Episode #172.
IMPORTANT LINKS:
Website: https://get.popmenu.com/lp/restaurant-strategy
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Ready to learn more about my P3 Mastermind?Set up a FREE 30-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule

Dec 7, 2023 • 22min
A Proven Strategy to Sell $100K in Gift Cards
#296 - A Proven Strategy to Sell $100K in Gift Cards
*****
We are only selling 100 tickets to the P3 Marketing Summit...
SNAG ONE HERE: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/2024-marketing-summit
Co-hosted by Chip Klose and Rev Ciancio, this is specifically geared toward independent owners and operators who are ready to level up when it comes to marketing.
3 days5 workshops2 parties
And there are only 40 spots left...
JOIN US: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/2024-marketing-summit
*****
We all know that gift cards are a very profitable revenue stream... and yet I've often wondered why many operators don't have a plan for selling them within the four walls of the restaurant. On today's episode I'm sharing a proven strategy for driving HUGE revenue this holiday season. I have personally implemented this strategy half a dozen times and it has crushed every single year.
Steal it, or put your own plan into place. I don't care which... but do something!
*****
Are you ready to generate consistent, predictable, 20% returns? Click the link to schedule a FREE 30-minute strategy session to learn about my P3 Mastermind: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule
*****
AND DON'T FORGET 50% OFF MY NEW BOOK: https://www.therestaurantmarketingmindset.com/

Dec 4, 2023 • 1h 22min
Talking Hyper Growth with Pepper Lunch Superstar, Troy Hooper
295 - Talking Hyper Growth with Pepper Lunch Superstar, Troy Hooper
*****
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/
*****
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
*****
On Episode 295 I welcome Troy Hooper back to the show. For those keeping count, this mark's his 4th appearance and I am thrilled to be able to share in insights and experience with all of you. This time we're talking about how to tell when a brand is ready for the big time... and specifically what some of your first steps should be when going from the shallow waters into the deep end.
We talk about his journey, some of his advice, and of course he lets us in on the future of his newest venture... heading up Pepper Lunch USA.
IMPORTANT LINKS:
Website: https://www.pepperlunchrestaurants.com/
Pepper Lunch on IG: https://www.instagram.com/pepperlunchrestaurants
Pepper Lunch on FB: https://www.facebook.com/pepperlunchrestaurants
Pepper Lunch on LI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pepperlunchrestaurants/
*****
Ready to learn more about my P3 Mastermind?Set up a FREE 30-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule