#259 - INTERVIEWS from Auckland, New Zealand (Hospo Hui 2023) *****  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: 7SHIFTS 7shifts is the team management platform for restaurants. From hiring, to scheduling, training and retaining, they’ve got the tools you need to help you run your business with ease. Better understand your restaurant, hit your labor targets, and keep your entire team connected. Plus, 7shifts integrates with POS and payroll systems you already use and trust! Join over 30,000 restaurants using 7shifts today. Restaurant Strategy listeners get 3 months free. VISIT: https://www.7shifts.com/restaurantstrategy ***** Last month I had the great privelege of delivering the keynote speech at Hospo Hui 2023, the annual conference hosted by the Restaurant Association of New Zealand. This year the event happened in coordination with Fine Food NZ, so there was a huge trade show floor downstairs and then a bunch of programming upstairs like panel discussions, speeches, workshops, etc.  I had a great time at the event, and even had the opportunity to interview a bunch of owners and operators from the trade show floor. On today's episode I am thrilled to be able to share those conversations. I hope you get a lot out of this one!    INTERVIEWS: Marisa Bidois Mike Egan Krishna Botica Rich Walshe Chand Sahrawat Rebecca Smidt Adam Neal Amanda Frecker   ***** What would your life look like if your restaurant could generate consistent, predictable 20% profits? My guess is it would change everything for you. If you've been open for at least a year, are generating at least a million dollars in revenue, but struggle with profitability... Then set up a free 30-minute strategy session to learn more about my P3 Mastermind: (The 3 Ps stand for Profit, Process, Progress)  Click the link to schedule a FREE 30-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule   

#258 - The 6 Common Complaints I Hear All The Time *****  This week's episode is brought to you by: SPOTON You may think of them as a POS system, but SpotOn is so much more.  With SpotOn you get a seamless restaurant tech solution that actually boosts revenue and manages costs. Book a demo today and see how SpotOn is changing the whole game.  VISIT: https://www.spoton.com/chip ***** This week's episode is brought to you by: 7SHIFTS 7shifts is the team management platform for restaurants. From hiring, to scheduling, training and retaining, they’ve got the tools you need to help you run your business with ease. Better understand your restaurant, hit your labor targets, and keep your entire team connected. Plus, 7shifts integrates with POS and payroll systems you already use and trust! Join over 30,000 restaurants using 7shifts today. Restaurant Strategy listeners get 3 months free. VISIT: https://www.7shifts.com/restaurantstrategy   ***** I spend most of my week speaking with restaurant owners from all over the world... and when I go out to eat I pay careful attention to what the operators are saying. (Yes, I sometimes eavesdrop, but I also like to strike up conversations with the managers when I can.) And there are 6 things I hear all the time these days...  And I just don't think they should be in our vocabulary any more.  So on today's episode I'm going to share these 6 complaints, and I'm going to show you a way to rethink them. A way to shift your mindset about all of them. Are you ready? Hit PLAY!    ***** 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 

#257 - SpotOn Restaurateur-in-Residence, Scott Youkilis ***** 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 ***** SpotOn has been a longtime sponsor of this podcast, and for good reason. They are an incredible company, dedicated to helping independent owners and operators with their innovative all-in-one platform. They are a sponsor because I WANTED them to be a sponsor. I truly believe in what they're doing.  On Episode 257 I got to sit down with Scott Youkilis, their restaurateur-in-residence, not only about the product and their solutions... but also about his trajectory and how he gets to work with operators all over the world to help them improve their profitability.  It's an incredible conversation that you do not want to miss.    IMPORTANT LINKS: Website: https://www.spoton.com/chip   ***** Are You Ready for the P3 Mastermind Program?Learn how to generate consistent, predicatable 20% profit every single month by setting up a FREE 30-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule

#256 - Understanding Your Mission, Vision, and Values *****  This week's episode is brought to you by: SPOTON You may think of them as a POS system, but SpotOn is so much more.  With SpotOn you get a seamless restaurant tech solution that actually boosts revenue and manages costs. Book a demo today and see how SpotOn is changing the whole game.  VISIT: https://www.spoton.com/chip ***** This week's episode is brought to you by: 7SHIFTS 7shifts is the team management platform for restaurants. From hiring, to scheduling, training and retaining, they’ve got the tools you need to help you run your business with ease. Better understand your restaurant, hit your labor targets, and keep your entire team connected. Plus, 7shifts integrates with POS and payroll systems you already use and trust! Join over 30,000 restaurants using 7shifts today. Restaurant Strategy listeners get 3 months free. VISIT: https://www.7shifts.com/restaurantstrategy   ***** On this week's episode I want to show you why your mission, vision, and values require specific attention. And why I think they can transform your business. Don't believe me? Listen in!    ***** Same results, but a brand new name: The Restaurant Strategy P3 Mastermind Curious to learn more? Schedule a FREE 30-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule 

#255 - Crafting Cocktails with Understory GM, Chance Curtis ***** 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: 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 ***** I've spent the last 23 years working in hospitality; 8 of those as a consultant and coach. Most people know what a consultant does (we see them on TV)... but coaching is somewhat harder to describe. Over the past several months I've decided to use this podcast as a way of letting you all in on the process. Every so often I record a live coaching call, published (un-edited) so you can see how this coaching thing works.  As you'll see on this episode, sometimes "perspective" can be a powerful thing. Chance Curtis is the General Manager of Understory Bar, out in San Diego, CA. He's an accomplished operator with years of experience, but over the course of an hour we dig down deeper to better understand the issues he's facing. And we lay out actionable steps he can take to make a difference in his bottom line.    IMPORTANT LINKS: Understory Website: https://understorybar.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100069816933268 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/understorybar/   ***** Introducing... the P3 Mastermind ProgramLearn how to generate consistent, predicatable 20% profit every single month by setting up a FREE 30-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule

#254 - Back to Basics   ***** 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/ ***** This week's episode is brought to you by: DAVO Don’t let sales tax spoil your business. Stay on top of sales tax with automation from DAVO by Avalara so you can spend less time in the back office, and more time in the front of house. Click the link below to learn more and try DAVO free for the first month: VISIT: https://www.DAVOsalestax.com/restaurantstrategy ***** Many of you have been along on this journey with me for the last four and a half years, tuning in religiously every single week to try to improve your business. Others have only recently found the podcast, and so you're still early in your journey. And I think both of those are great. No matter where you are with your business, I know this episode will help.  Today, we're going back to basics. There are a few fundamental beliefs I have -- both on the marketing and operations side of things -- that will help you shift the way your go about your day-to-day. Wrap your head around those and your business will change virtually overnight.  I hope you get a ton of value out of this episode!    ***** Everything changes when your restaurant starts generating consistent, predictable, 20% profits every single month. Are you ready to level up? To bring your restaurant to where you know it should be? Just imagine how consistent profit would change your like.  Ready to learn more about my P3 Mastermind Program?  Schedule a FREE 30-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule 

#253 - Make the Most of Your Profits with Mark Myers *****  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: 7SHIFTS 7shifts is the team management platform for restaurants. From hiring, to scheduling, training and retaining, they’ve got the tools you need to help you run your business with ease. Better understand your restaurant, hit your labor targets, and keep your entire team connected. Plus, 7shifts integrates with POS and payroll systems you already use and trust! Join over 30,000 restaurants using 7shifts today. Restaurant Strategy listeners get 3 months free. VISIT: https://www.7shifts.com/restaurantstrategy ***** I've been saying this for a while, but PROFIT is literally the only thing that matters in your business. Everything else must be in service of that bottom line number. So okay then... but what about when you're generating a bunch of healthy profits. What then? Mark Myers is sitting down with me to talk about how entrepreneurs and small business owners can make a few simple moves to maximize your take. It's a great conversation that will get you to think differently about your finances.    IMPORTANT LINKS: Peak Profit Solutions - https://peakprofitsolutions.com/   ***** What would your life look like if your restaurant could generate consistent, predictable 20% profits? My guess is it would change everything for you. If you've been open for at least a year, are generating at least a million dollars in revenue, but struggle with profitability... Then set up a free 30-minute strategy session to learn more about my P3 Mastermind: (The 3 Ps stand for Profit, Process, Progress)  Click the link to schedule a FREE 30-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule   

#252 - What If We Could Make 50% Profit Margins?   ***** 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/ ***** This week's episode is brought to you by: DAVO Don’t let sales tax spoil your business. Stay on top of sales tax with automation from DAVO by Avalara so you can spend less time in the back office, and more time in the front of house. Click the link below to learn more and try DAVO free for the first month: VISIT: https://www.DAVOsalestax.com/restaurantstrategy ***** We live with razor thin profit margins... but what if we could do it differently?   ***** Everything changes when your restaurant starts generating consistent, predictable, 20% profits every single month. Are you ready to level up? To bring your restaurant to where you know it should be? Just imagine how consistent profit would change your like.  Ready to learn more about my P3 Mastermind Program?  Schedule a FREE 30-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule 

#251 - Developing Managers with Il Buco General Manager, Steven Bloom *****  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: 7SHIFTS 7shifts is the team management platform for restaurants. From hiring, to scheduling, training and retaining, they’ve got the tools you need to help you run your business with ease. Better understand your restaurant, hit your labor targets, and keep your entire team connected. Plus, 7shifts integrates with POS and payroll systems you already use and trust! Join over 30,000 restaurants using 7shifts today. Restaurant Strategy listeners get 3 months free. VISIT: https://www.7shifts.com/restaurantstrategy ***** Steven Bloom is an accomplished operator with more than twenty years of experience in the industry. His resume includes restaurants like Gotham Bar & Grill, Dovetail, Jockey Hollow, and Craft Restaurant. Currently he is the General Manager of Il Buco, a Manhattan stalwart in the heart of Manhattan's NoHo neighborhood.  On this episode we talk all about how managers can successfully make the transition from hourly to salary staff. And more importantly, how leadership can help support their growth. Tons to cover on today's episode of Restaurant Strategy.  IMPORTANT LINKS: Il Buco - https://ilbuco.com/   ***** What would your life look like if your restaurant could generate consistent, predictable 20% profits? My guess is it would change everything for you. If you've been open for at least a year, are generating at least a million dollars in revenue, but struggle with profitability... Then set up a free 30-minute strategy session to learn more about my P3 Mastermind: (The 3 Ps stand for Profit, Process, Progress)  Click the link to schedule a FREE 30-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule   

#250 - How Your Servers Can Make Themselves (And YOU) More Money *****  This week's episode is brought to you by: SPOTON You may think of them as a POS system, but SpotOn is so much more.  With SpotOn you get a seamless restaurant tech solution that actually boosts revenue and manages costs. Book a demo today and see how SpotOn is changing the whole game.  VISIT: https://www.spoton.com/chip ***** This week's episode is brought to you by: 7SHIFTS 7shifts is the team management platform for restaurants. From hiring, to scheduling, training and retaining, they’ve got the tools you need to help you run your business with ease. Better understand your restaurant, hit your labor targets, and keep your entire team connected. Plus, 7shifts integrates with POS and payroll systems you already use and trust! Join over 30,000 restaurants using 7shifts today. Restaurant Strategy listeners get 3 months free. VISIT: https://www.7shifts.com/restaurantstrategy   ***** Your servers are your front line workers. An infantry. The ambassadors you need to sell your product and take care of the guest. So give them the tools they need to be great at their jobs. Show them how making more money for the restaurant also means more money for themselves. Ultimately it is a win/win situation... maybe even win/win/win situation, because the guest wins as well.  On today's episode I'm sharing the best 5 ways to help increase revenue and tips.    ***** Same results, but a brand new name: The Restaurant Strategy P3 Mastermind The three Ps stand for PROFIT, PROCESS, and PROGRESS. (Our three pillars.)  Curious to learn more? Schedule a FREE 30-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule