
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

Jun 20, 2022 • 24min
Two Shifts That All Restaurateurs Need To Make!
#171 - Two Shifts That All Restaurateurs Need To Make!
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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: 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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I was at a party a few weeks ago, and began chatting with someone NOT in the industry. He asked what I did for a living and I told him that I was a restaurant coach. He gave me a quizzical look -- (I'm guessing he doesn't meet too many restaurant coaches) -- and asked exactly what I did. I explained about some of the programs I run for chefs and operators, and the impact that work has had. He then asked me a GREAT question...
"What are the common threads you see across all struggling restaurants?"
This episode is a recap of my response. Enjoy!
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Ready to learn more about the Restaurant Accelerator Group Coaching Program?
Click the link to set up a FREE 45-minute Startegy Session with me to see if you're a good fit: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule

Jun 13, 2022 • 1h 13min
Talking Entrepreneurship and Social Change with T2D Founder, Tom Foley
#170 - Talking Entrepreneurship and Social Change with T2D Founder, Tom Foley
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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? 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
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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
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Tom Foley has a winding background that eventually led him to the restaurant industry. Now he's changing things up from the inside out.
IMPORTANT LINKS:
T2D - https://www.t2dconcepts.com
Roots Southern Kitchen - https://www.rootssoutherntable.com
Roots Chicken Shak - https://www.rootschickenshak.com
Curious to see if you'd be a good fit for any of my coaching programs?
Click the link to schedule a FREE 45-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule

Jun 6, 2022 • 27min
Leveraging Third-Party Delivery Apps
#169 - Leveraging Third-Party Delivery Apps
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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? 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
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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
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What if I told you that third-party delivery apps like GrubHub, DoorDash, and UberEats were the best thing to ever happen to our industry? It's more true than you think. Don't believe me? Tune in if you're willing to give me 20 minutes or so to try to convince you.
Oh, and guess what? I'm sharing my best tips for leveraging those apps to explode your revenues. Trust me; it's totally possible!
Curious to see if you'd be a good fit for any of my coaching programs?
Click the link to schedule a FREE 45-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule

May 30, 2022 • 1h 5min
Talking FREE MONEY with CPA, Catherine Tindall
#168 - Talking FREE MONEY with CPA, Catherine Tindall
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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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Catherine Tindall is here to talk about tax planning, accounting best practices, and how the Employee Retention Credit is basically FREE MONEY for restaurants. Tune in to learn more!
IMPORTANT LINKS
Dominion Enterprise Services: https://dominiones.com
Catherine Tindall on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ctindallcpa/
Employee Retention Credit: https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/employee-retention-credit
Ready to join our 3-Day Marketing Challenge?
It's totally free and you can sign up here: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/challenge

May 23, 2022 • 20min
The Two Problems That Restaurants Are Solving
#167 - The Two Problems That Restaurants Are Solving
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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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Seth Godin is an award-winning author, a noted public speaker, a podcast host, and very famous blogger. He publishes a daily post and on April 9, he wrote something that I believe has direct applications to what we do in the restaurant industry. This week's episode is short and sweet, but packed with insights.
IMPORTANT LINKS
Seth's Blog from April 9, 2022: https://seths.blog/2022/04/convenience-and-boredom/
The Akimbo Podcast: https://www.akimbo.link
Ready to join our 3-Day Marketing Challenge?
It's totally free and you can sign up here: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/challenge

May 16, 2022 • 1h 4min
Finding the Next Great Restaurant Space with Kyle Inserra
#166 - Finding the Next Great Restaurant Space with Kyle Inserra
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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? 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
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Everything you need to know about Kyle Inserra:
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kyleinserra
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyleinserra/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kyleinserra
Curious to see if you'd be a good fit for any of my coaching programs?
Click the link to schedule a FREE 60-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule

May 9, 2022 • 34min
6 Ways That Travel Changes Us
#165 - 6 Ways That Travel Changes Us
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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? 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
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"Travel changes you."
That's what they say right? And it's true. I come back different every time I visit another country. I just returned from a 9-day vacation with my family to the Amalfi Coast, and I want to share 6 takeaways with you... observations, insights, and epiphanies that hit me while we were eating our way through Southern Italy.
Curious to see if you'd be a good fit for any of my coaching programs?
Click the link to schedule a FREE 60-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule

May 2, 2022 • 1h 19min
INTERVIEW with Award-Winning Bar Director, Jonathan Howard
#164 - INTERVIEW with Award-Winning Bar Director, Jonathan Howard
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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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Restaurant Strategy recently celebrated its 3rd Anniversary, and I'm embarrassed to say that I've sort of ignored beverage. But no more! On this week's episode I'm thrilled to be speaking with my friend and colleague, Jon Howard, all about how to build (and maintain) a profitable bar program. He's sharing tips from his two decades in the industry so do not miss this one.
IMPORTANT LINKS
Jon Howard's IG: https://www.instagram.com/jonnybhoward/
Chef Sean Brock's IG: https://www.instagram.com/hseanbrock/
The Continental IG: https://www.instagram.com/thecontinentalnashville/
Audrey IG: https://www.instagram.com/audreynashville/
June IG: https://www.instagram.com/june.nashville/
The Continental Website: https://www.thecontinentalnashville.com
Curious about any of my Coaching Programs?
Schedule a FREE 60-minute Strategy Session to see if you're a good fit: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule

Apr 25, 2022 • 24min
Takeaways from the BAR & RESTAURANT EXPO in Las Vegas
#163 - Takeaways from the Bar & Restaurant Expo in Las Vegas
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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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Last month I had the privilege of speaking at the BAR & RESTAURANT EXPO out in Las Vegas. It's an event that I've been dying to attend for a few years now, but Covid sort of scrambled those plans. Well, the party was back in full swing and I was thrilled to join a killer lineup of speakers on the first day of the event. On this week's episode I'm sharing my insights from the show itself, and then some of my observations while dining out in the city of sin. Best of all, these are some learnings you can apply directly to your business!
Apply for my new 8-week coaching program...
FOLLOW THIS LINK: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/restaurant-recharge-application

Apr 18, 2022 • 1h 5min
INTERVIEW with Mark Kelegian, Owner of LA's Iconic, Randy's Donuts
#162 - INTERVIEW with Mark Kelegian, Owner of LA's Iconic, Randy's Donuts
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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? 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
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Mark Kelegian is reinventing Randy's Donuts and growing the brand at a breakneck space. The original -- celebrating 70 years in Los Angeles -- still boasts the giant donut on the roof... but Kelegian insists the brand's staying power is due to something else. Hear the good, the bad, and the ugly on this week's episode.
IMPORTANT LINKS:
Randy's Donuts Website - https://randysdonuts.com
LEARN MORE ABOUT RESTAURANT RECHARGE...
This is a guided 8-week program to help turn your restaurant around. You'll have daily video lessons to watch on your own, along with simple assignments to help you implement the lessons in your own business. Then we'll have LIVE 60-minute, Group Coaching calls once a week where I can answer questions and help lead you through the materials. The program works if you show up and do the work. The doors close soon, and the program starts May 1.
Are you ready to make the money you deserve?
JOIN NOW: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/offers/C5Bx3r7q/checkout