#190 - Talking All About Your Tech Stack *****  This week's episode is brought to you by: MARGIN EDGE Take control of your costs with using MarginEdge. Best of all? Listeners of this show get to try MarginEdge FREE for 30 days. 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 ***** We're talking all about tech stack, and I'm sharing specific recommendations for the software I think you need in your restaurant! IMPORTANT LINKS:  Popmenu - https://get.popmenu.com/lp/restaurant-strategy Margin Edge - marginedge.com/chip 7Shifts - https://www.7shifts.com/restaurantstrategy KickFin - https://kickfin.com/demo/ Sprout Social - https://sproutsocial.com/ Marqii - https://marqii.com/ Bikky - https://www.bikky.com/ MailChimp - https://mailchimp.com/ Sevenrooms - https://sevenrooms.com/en/ Ovation - https://ovationup.com/   ***** Want to learn more about my Group Coaching Programs?  Click the link to schedule a FREE 45-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule   Last chance to get $500 off my Restaurant Recharge Program! Want the promo code? E-mail me directly and I'll send it: chip@chipklose.com 

#189 - Interview with Asheville Restaurateur, Eric Scheffer *****  This week's episode is brought to you by: MARGIN EDGE Take control of your costs with using MarginEdge. Best of all? Listeners of this show get to try MarginEdge FREE for 30 days. 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 ***** After a couple of decades in business, he must be doing something right. Eric Scheffer is as thoughtful as he he smart. He joins me to share all of this staffing secrets. Tune in!  IMPORTANT LINKS:  https://www.thescheffergroup.com/ https://jettieraes.com/ https://vinniesitalian.com/ https://www.cieloavl.com/   ***** Want to learn more about my Group Coaching Programs?  Click the link to schedule a FREE 45-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule   Want to get $500 off my Restaurant Recharge Program?  E-mail me directly and I'll send you the discount link: chip@chipklose.com 

#188 - Two Things All Restaurants NEED to Succeed ***** 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 my entire adult life -- 22 years -- working in hospitality. For the past 7 years I've been working primarily as a restaurant consultant and coach, and there are two common threads I see in the restaurants I consult with. The struggling restaurants all lack it, while the places that are killing it have these two things locked down?  One on the operations side, and the other dealing with marketing... What are they? OPERATIONS: A path to profitability MARKETING: A clear framework for marketing the restaurant On today's episode we dig into all of that, and I give you simple, actionable ways to put this stuff into practive right away. Tune in!    ***** Ready to learn more about the Restaurant Accelerator Group Coaching Program?  Click the link to set up a FREE 45-minute Strategy Session with me: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule

#187 - Going for the WOW Factor with Woworks CEO, Kelly Roddy ***** 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 ***** Woworks CEO Kelly Roddy sits down to talk about culture, evolution, and what a brand needs to stay relevant in a changing market. He's helped SaladWorks grow in unimaginable ways, and has helped grow the company's roster of brands in just a few short years. Lots to learn, so listen in! IMPORTANT LINKS: Woworks USA - https://woworksusa.com/ Saladworks - https://saladworks.com/ Fruttabowls - https://fruttabowls.com/ Garbanzo - https://eatgarbanzo.com/ The Simple Greek - https://thesimplegreek.com/ Barberitos - https://www.barberitos.com/ Zoup - https://zoup.com/   ***** Ready to learn more about the Restaurant Accelerator Group Coaching Program?  Click the link to set up a FREE 45-minute Strategy Session with me: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule

#186 - What Makes Great Hospitality? *****  This week's episode is brought to you by: MARGIN EDGE Take control of your costs with using MarginEdge. Best of all? Listeners of this show get to try MarginEdge FREE for 30 days. 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 a modern team management platform, designed by restaurateurs, for restaurateurs. It integrates seamlessly with the POS and Payroll systems you already use to give your team a competitive advantage. And guess what? Listeners of the show get their first 3 months FREE! VISIT: https://www.7shifts.com/restaurantstrategy *****   Back in August, my wife and I took a trip to the Dominican Republic... just a quick, 3-day getaway to recharge after a very stressful spring and summer. When I was down there, I couldn't help but pay attention to how we were treated. And it got me thinking: What makes great hospitality?    ***** Want to learn more about my Group Coaching Programs?  Click the link to schedule a FREE 45-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule

#185 - Understanding the Impact of Marketing Research with Dr. Ernest Baskin *****  This week's episode is brought to you by: MARGIN EDGE Take control of your costs with using MarginEdge. Best of all? Listeners of this show get to try MarginEdge FREE for 30 days. 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 a modern team management platform, designed by restaurateurs, for restaurateurs. It integrates seamlessly with the POS and Payroll systems you already use to give your team a competitive advantage. And guess what? Listeners of the show get their first 3 months FREE! VISIT: https://www.7shifts.com/restaurantstrategy *****   A few years ago I decided to go back to school to get my MBA, and one of my absolute favorite professors was Dr. Ernest Baskin. He went University of Pennsylvania for undergrad and then got his Master's and PhD from Yale. His perspective is unique and I knew I wanted to bring him onto the show to talk about the importance of research.  Enjoy this wide-ranging conversation with one of the smartest people I know.  IMPORTANT LINKS:  LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ernestbaskin/   ***** Want to learn more about my Group Coaching Programs?  Click the link to schedule a FREE 45-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule

#184 - What a Lemonade Stand Can Teach Us About Business ***** 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 ***** After 20 years, my family and I made the big move out of NYC. We now live about thirty minutes outside the city in the New Jersey suburbs, and honestly, I couldn't be happier about it. But the one thing my 7-year old son made me promise was that I would let him run a lemonade stand one day. So I happily obliged, but of course, I had to do it my way; I used the experience as an opportunity to teach him about COGS and profit margin, and how to find a target market. Tune in to hear all about it, and to discover what all that can teach us about what we do working at a somewhat higher level.    ***** Ready to learn more about the Restaurant Accelerator Group Coaching Program?  Click the link to set up a FREE 45-minute Strategy Session with me: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule

#183 - Talking Evolution and the Importance of a Growth Mindset with Chef Michael Reed ***** 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 ***** Chef Michael Reed is a bit old school. He started his career at the bottom worked his way up through some of California's best kitchens, being mentored by industry giants like Nancy Silverton. He has slowly, quietly been building his empire over the past few years and was kind enought to take time out of his day to chat with me about that growth. Lots of insights, and more than a few good food stories.  IMPORTANT LINKS:  Poppy & Rose: https://www.poppyandrose.comPoppy & Seed: https://www.poppyandseedoc.com  ***** Ready to learn more about the Restaurant Accelerator Group Coaching Program?  Click the link to set up a FREE 45-minute Strategy Session with me: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule

#182 - Providing Greater Personalization *****  This week's episode is brought to you by: MARGIN EDGE Take control of your costs with using MarginEdge. Best of all? Listeners of this show get to try MarginEdge FREE for 30 days. 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 a modern team management platform, designed by restaurateurs, for restaurateurs. It integrates seamlessly with the POS and Payroll systems you already use to give your team a competitive advantage. And guess what? Listeners of the show get their first 3 months FREE! VISIT: https://www.7shifts.com/restaurantstrategy ***** CONSUMER TRENDS (Part 10/10)  Welcome to the FINAL installment in a 10-episode arc where I've been breaking down the biggest consumer trends we're seeing right now, with a particular focus on how they're going to affect our industry. We're diving into an area that I believe with be a big part of our business strategy moving forward: personalization.   ***** Want to learn more about my Group Coaching Programs?  Click the link to schedule a FREE 45-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule

#181 - Niche Audiences *****  This week's episode is brought to you by: MARGIN EDGE Take control of your costs with using MarginEdge. Best of all? Listeners of this show get to try MarginEdge FREE for 30 days. 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 a modern team management platform, designed by restaurateurs, for restaurateurs. It integrates seamlessly with the POS and Payroll systems you already use to give your team a competitive advantage. And guess what? Listeners of the show get their first 3 months FREE! VISIT: https://www.7shifts.com/restaurantstrategy ***** CONSUMER TRENDS (Part 9/10)  Welcome to the ninth installment in a 10-episode arc where I'm breaking down the biggest consumer trends we're seeing right now, with a particular focus on how they're going to affect our industry. Today I'm sharing ideas from some of my favorite thought leaders: Chris Anderson, Seth Godin, and Kevin Kelly. We're talking about how to niche down and serve a specific audience, and why that might just be your path to success moving forward.  FURTHER READING:  The Long Tail by Chris Anderson - BUY IT HERE Unleashing the Ideavirus by Seth Godin - BUY IT HERE What Technology Wants by Kevin Kelly - BUY IT HERE The Inevitable by Kevin Kelly - BUY IT HERE 1,000 True Fans by Kevin Kelly - READ IT FOR FREE   ***** Want to learn more about my Group Coaching Programs?  Click the link to schedule a FREE 45-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule