#249 - A Unique Approach to Differentiation with Grant Fry ***** 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 ***** Bean-to-Bar Chocolate is all the rage these days. Who needs a $2 Hershey bar when you can find a $12 bar just in the next aisle? Taste Chocolate entered this very saturated market a few years back and has found a very interesting way to differentiate themselves from the hundreds of competitors. On today's episode we talk to the head chocolatier, Grant Fry, to understand exactly how they're creating separation in the market.  Oh yeah, and they're also gearing up to expand the cafe concept that's attached to their factory and tasting room. A whole lot to learn from today's conversation!    IMPORTANT LINKS: Taste Chocolate: https://taste-chocolate.com/ Taste Cafe & Store: https://havetaste.com/?_ga=2.122934414.441969879.1686263075-1076813163.1680543068   ***** Introducing... the P3 Mastermind ProgramThe 3 Ps stand for PROFIT, PROCESS, and PROGRESS! Let me show you how to generate consistent, predicatable 20% profit every single month.  Learn more by setting up a FREE 30-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule

#248 - 8 Things You Need to Do to Turn Your Restaurant Around *****  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   ***** Sure, it's one thing to work with a coach for a year... but what can you do quickly? Is it possible to turn a struggling restaurant around in, let's say, two months?  It ain't easy, but sure!  On today's episode I'm covering 8 different areas you need to address to turn your restaurant around. If you work through these systematically and implement upgrades, you'll see a profound change in your operation.  Plus, listeners can now get exclusive access to my online course, Restaurant Recharge, at a new rate of just $297. There are 44 videos spread over 8 modules. A great way to bring some intention to how you go about turning things around.  PURCHASE NOW: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/recharge2023   ***** 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 

#247 - Hyper Growth with Condado Tacos Founder and CEO ***** 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 ***** Joe Kahn is the Founder of Condado Tacos and Chris Artinian is the CEO. Together they're taking a small Mexican concept and blowing it up. Their insights about growth and the future of hospitality and tech is exciting, and I can't wait for you to hear this conversation.     IMPORTANT LINKS: Condado Tacos: https://condadotacos.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/condadotacos/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/condadotacos TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@condadotacos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/condadotacos/   ***** Introducing... the P3 Mastermind ProgramThe 3 Ps stand for PROFIT, PROCESS, and PROGRESS! Let me show you how to generate consistent, predicatable 20% profit every single month.  Learn more by setting up a FREE 30-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule

#246 - Planning for Slow Weeks in Your Restaurant   ***** 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 ***** There's a seasonality to each of our businesses - a natural ebb and flow. And that's true for everyone. On today's episode we're talking about how to tell when it's coming and how to best prepare yourself for the slowdown. Finally I share some tactical advice for how to beat the downtime. Eventually, these times could be the best parts of your year.    ***** 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 

#245 - How to Step Away with Restaurateur, Dave Wakeling *****  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 ***** Dave Wakeling is the owner of Collie's Sports Bar in Park City, UT. He's successfully run the property for years, but now he's moved across the pond to England... and he's trying to understand his new role having stepped out of the day to day operation. I'm joined by him and his General Manager, Rachel, and together we coach through a couple of different areas. Lots of actionable insights on today's episode of Restaurant Strategy   IMPORTANT LINKS: Collie's - https://www.colliesbbq.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   

#244 - How Much Should You Spend on Your Marketing?   ***** 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 ***** Marketing your restaurant is simpler than the experts might lead you to believe. Yes, there are technical aspects to doing it well, but more than that it simply requires a strategic approach. Intention is a word I use a lot when it comes to marketing. The question I'm often posed is: "How much should I be spending on my marketing?" And the answer you'll often here is somewhere between 3-4%. So if you generate about $100K a month in revenue, you should be spending about $4K on your marketing.  But that's a poor way of looking at it because it doesn't ask you to think about the return. Marketing dollars are an investment, not just a spend. So if you're investing the dollars, you need to be clear about what sort of return to expect.  On today's episode we're simplifying all of this!    ***** 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 

#243 - Creating Authentic Leaders with Executive Coach, Steve Schloss *****  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 ***** On the surface, Steve Schloss, might not sound like someone you can learn from. He's an executive coach with works with leaders of hyper-growth companies in industries like tech, finance, and healthcare... but make no mistake, the leaders he works with are no different than you. They've gotten good at shepherding a company to where it is now and simply need guidance to help them take it to the next level.  I've gotten to know Steve over the past year or so, and I am constantly learning from him and his experiences. I am thrilled to be able to share this conversation with you this week. I hope it makes you a better leader for your patrons and staff. They deserve it and so do you.     IMPORTANT LINKS: Listen Forward - https://www.listenforwardllc.com/ Email - steve@listenforwardllc.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   

#242 - The Only 3 Ways to Increase Revenue *****  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   ***** There's a difference between revenue and profit, and often I urge my clients to focus on the latter. But sometimes it is just as simple as increasing revenue. But guess what? There are only 3 ways to do that. Sell more of your product Increase the price of your product Sell a variety of different products  Let's keep it simple and make sure we have a plan for each of those three areas. We cover all of that on today's episode of Restaurant Strategy!    ***** 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 

#241 - A New Service Model with Bartaco President, Anthony Valletta ***** 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 ***** Anthony Valletta has been making the rounds. Perhaps you've read about some of the waves he's making over at Bartaco... or maybe you've heard him on a podcast. This is certainly not the first interview he's done. But I think it's one of the more interesting interviews he's done. We dug below the surface to really get to the heart of what he's building with this brand.  And best of all, he shares all his secrets with you. I think this company is forging a bold path, innovating on a service model that I think will soon be the way of the world. Tune in to learn more!   IMPORTANT LINKS: Bartaco: https://bartaco.com/ Anthony's LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonyvalletta/   ***** Introducing... the P3 Mastermind ProgramThe 3 Ps stand for PROFIT, PROCESS, and PROGRESS! Let me show you how to generate consistent, predicatable 20% profit every single month.  Learn more by setting up a FREE 30-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule

#240 - Pros and Cons of Tip Pooling *****  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   ***** We're four years into this podcast and I have never once discussed Tip Pooling. Well, that ends today. We're digging into the nitty gritty to figure out the best system for your restaurant and your staff.      ***** 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