RESTAURANT STRATEGY

#211 - Let Your Community Market For You with Bestselling Author, Mark Schaefer *****  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 ***** Mark Schaefer returns to the show to talk about his newest book, Belonging to the Brand: Why Community is the Last Great Marketing Strategy. We rehash some of the insights we uncovered on Episode #106 (when he first sat down to chat with me), and dive even deeper into the idea of community and what it means for restaurants.    EPISODE #106 WITH MARK: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/restaurant-strategy/id1457379809?i=1000513907136 WEBSITE: https://businessesgrow.com/ MARK'S NEWEST BOOK: https://amzn.to/3RvHsHi MARKETING COMPANION PODCAST: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-marketing-companion/id663933566   ***** Want to learn more about my Restaurant Accelerator Mastermind?  Click the link to schedule a FREE 30-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule    ***** I will be co-hosting a FREE Webinar with Catherine Tindall CPA on Monday, February 27 to talk all about the Employee Retention Credit. This is a government program that will soon expire, and we will be answering all your questions. SIGN UP FOR FREE: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/employee-retention-tax-credit  

#210 - Rethinking the Role of the Waiter *****  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   ***** Restaurants have been around for thousands of years, and yet the model we now use was basically invested 250 years ago in Paris, France. It has served us well, but I dare say... it's become inefficient and clumsy. The world is changing and technology has shifted every other major industry including travel, education, publishing, television, movies, and on and on. We are at an intersection right now and we have the choice. The choice about whether we will utilize technology to create a new way of doing things. Or whether we'll resist and suffer like so many of the industries I just mentioned. Think about Blockbuster when Netflix came along.  The railroads when Henry Ford introduced the first "affordable" car. Barnes and Noble when Amazon launched.  Travel agents when Expedia first hit the internet.  We have a choice, but the window is closing. On today's episode we're talking about how we can incorporate technology to do things better. And to free up our people to provide a level of service we've never seen before.    ***** Want to learn more about my Restaurant Accelerator Mastermind?  Click the link to schedule a FREE 30-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule 

#209 - Building a Brand with Full Course CEO, Lauren Fernandez ***** 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 ***** Lauren Fernandez is the CEO of Full Course, a restaurant development and investment firm that incubates and accelerates emerging fast casual brands. They do this by partnering with owners and helping them with education, strategic planning, and growth models. A former owner/operator herself, Lauren brings a ton of knowledge and experience to the table.  WEBSITE: https://www.fullcourse.com/ GET 15% OFF WITH PROMO CODE: STRATEGY   ***** Ready to learn more about the Restaurant Accelerator Mastermind Program?  Click the link to set up a FREE 30-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule

#208 - How to Leverage TikTok to Market Your Restaurants *****  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   ***** TikTok isn't the end-all-be-all, but it is the "next big thing." I have no idea how long it will be around, but it has millions of daily users... which means it represents a significant amount of traffic. If it's all about "location, location, location" then this is definitely where a lot of people are right now. It's worth learning a bit more about the platform, so that we may leverage that attention to generate more revenue for our businesses.  On today's episode we're covering some of the basics, showing you how to get started... plus some ideas and advanced tactics for growing your following. Listen in!    ***** Want to learn more about my Restaurant Accelerator Mastermind?  Click the link to schedule a FREE 30-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule 

#207 - All Things TikTok with Restaurateur, Matt Kirschner ***** 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 ***** Matt Kirschner is the Owner of Red Knapps Rochester, a 50's-style burger and shake joint. They're traditional in the food they serve, but far from it when it comes to them marketing themselves. Today we're talking about the something I know many of you have questions about: TikTok.  WEBSITE: https://redknappsrochester.com/ FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/redknappsrochester/ INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/redknappsmattkirschner/ TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@redknappsmattkirschner?lang=en   ***** Ready to learn more about the Restaurant Accelerator Mastermind Program?  Click the link to set up a FREE 30-minute Strategy Session with me: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule

#206 - Your Questions About Ghost Kitchens, Costing, and More!   *****  Have you gotten your Employee Retention Tax Credit yet? This is a government program that was launched in the wake of the pandemic. On Episode 168 I had Catherine Tindall on the show to talk all about it. She is a CPA who has been helping hundreds of restaurants across the country recover hundreds of thousands of dollars. Set up a FREE assessment by scheduling some time on her calendar:  LEARN MORE: https://calendly.com/ctindall/erc_klose?month=2023-01   ***** 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 had so much fun last week that I figured I'd do it again. This week we're covering questions about ghost kitchens, inventory, COGS management, staff development, and more.    ***** Want to learn more about the Restaurant Accelerator Mastermind?  Click the link to schedule a FREE 30-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule 

#205 - How to Build a 7-Figure Catering Business with Duce Raymond *****  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 ***** Duce Raymond is the Managing Partner of Sweet Baby Ray's Restaurant & Catering, based out in the Chicago area. On today's episode we talk about the humble beginnings of the Sweet Baby Ray's brand and track the decades it took to finally launch a restaurant with the same name. Duce shares some of the highs and lows that came with starting that brand, and ultimately we dive into the catering side of the business. Tons of great stores and insights on today's episode. Check it out!  LEARN MORE: https://www.sbrbbq.com/ TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@sweetbabyrayscatering?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/sweetbabyrayscatering/ FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/sweetbabyrayscatering   ***** Sign up for my FREE Webinar on January 24 & 25 and learn my 5-Step Framework for Marketing Your Restaurant the RIGHT Way. This is an hourlong webinar that I am only giving twice. We're capping each one at 100 people, so secure your spot now!  REGISTER: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/two-secrets-profitability-jan?cid=154a8e4d-d3d0-44d8-b0c8-1ad7831d4b71

#204 - Your Questions Answered! *****  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 ***** Sign up for my FREE Webinar on January 24 & 25 and learn my 5-Step Framework for Marketing Your Restaurant the RIGHT Way. This is an hourlong webinar that I am only giving twice. We're capping each one at 100 people, so secure your spot now!  REGISTER: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/two-secrets-profitability-jan   ***** It's been a while since I've done one of these... in fact Episode 85 was the last time... so I think we can agree that we are loooooooooong overdue. Today is the first of two Q&A episodes. I put out a request for questions and you guys certainly delivered. Four questions today and another four next week. And don't fret if I don't get to your question; it probably means it was too good to cover in this format. Some were so good I've decided to turn them into their own episodes. We're talking budgets, problem solving, restaurant valuation, catering, and more... all on today's episode of Restaurant Strategy!     ***** Want to learn more about the Restaurant Accelerator Mastermind?  Click the link to schedule a FREE 30-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule 

#203 - Going for Maximum Profitability with Margin Edge Co-Founder, Bo Davis *****  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 ***** Bo Davis is the Co-Founder and CEO of MarginEdge, a revolutionary piece of software that helps owners and operators see their costs in real time. How do you build a profitable business? By controlling the controllables, of course. And MarginEdge is the best way I know to do that.  Not only is he a tech founder, but Bo is also an operator with more than two decades of experience in hospitality. He's smart, passionate, and opinionated... which makes for a great guest. Don't miss this wide-ranging conversation with one of the smartest people in our industry.  DEMO: marginedge.com/chip LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davis-bo/   ***** Want to learn more about my Restaurant Accelerator Mastermind?  Click the link to schedule a FREE 30-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule 

#202 - What I Learned From a Year of Travel *****  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   ***** A few years back I made travel a priority for me and my family. Until three years ago I'd only left the country once in my life... back in high school... and it changed me. So why didn't I go anywhere for the next 25 years?  It's a question I can't answer. But I solved the issue in 2019 when I took me, my wife, and our son to Paris. Since then (pandemic aside) I've made travel a priority. In fact, this past year I've been to Los Angeles, San Diego, Orlando, Las Vegas, Columbia, Milwaukee, and Charleston... not to mention London, the Amalfi Coast, and Punta Cana.  I know that for many, travel is a luxury. And I do not take it for granted. In fact, I've made it a priority and have worked very hard to be able to travel as much as I do. On today's episode I'm sharing my biggest takeaways from a year spent zig-zagging the globe.      ***** Want to learn more about my Restaurant Accelerator Mastermind?  Click the link to schedule a FREE 30-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule