RESTAURANT STRATEGY

#141 - Top 20 Things That I've Learned From My Guests     This week's episode is also sponsored by STOCK MFG. With Stock you get all the style of retail, with the price, continuity, and customer service of a traditional uniform vendor. They offer an assortment of everyday items that are ready to ship with no minimum order quantity, and can also create custom uniforms to fit any aesthetic.  Visit: stockmfg.co/chip to get get started.    ***** Week after week I have the great privelege of chatting with some of the greatest minds in our industry... chefs, operators, marketers, founders, and more. I'm constantly overwhelmed by their generosity, and so I decided to sit down and share some of my all time favorites insights. They are listed in no particular order. I hope this prompts you to revisit some of your favorites... or maybe an episode or two you might've missed. Links and episode numbers are listed before for each. Enjoy!  MY FAVORITE INTERVIEW INSIGHTS: #1 - Martin Lindstrom - #112 - “It’s much, much easier to be a small player than a big player.” (LISTEN HERE) #2 - Christopher Tunnah - #96 - “A logo doesn’t matter, fonts don’t matter, the business cards don’t matter.” (LISTEN HERE) #3 - Peter Fader - #93 - “Frequency, Recency, and Monetary Spend” (LISTEN HERE) #4 - Mark Schaefer - #106 - “80% of the marketing is done behind our backs.” (LISTEN HERE) #5 - Kelly Cooper - #77 - “There are specific, tangible things you can do to make sure your business appears in relevant searches…. GMB, NAP credentials, backlinks, and reviews.” (LISTEN HERE) #6 - Saleem Khatri - #52 - “The data is overwhelming clear… technology… specifically kiosk service helps us drive more revenue, cut expenses, and create a better guest experience.” (LISTEN HERE) #7 - Bob and Kate Carpenter - #49 - “Respond to each and every review on Yelp… those responses are not for the critics, but for the people researching you. It’s an opportunity to show them what kind of an operator you are.” (LISTEN HERE) #8 - Mike McFall - #138 - “If you follow the guidelines, you’ll never be out of position. Your staff will always know what they’re supposed to be doing at any given point in the shift.” (LISTEN HERE) #9 - Zack Oates - #132 - “Restaurants are getting bigger and smaller at the same time.” (LISTEN HERE) #10 - Shawn Walchef - #130 - “Invite your staff in to be part of the process. It’s one of the best ways to get buy-in. To do that, put a phone in their hand and ask them to capture something interesting.” (LISTEN HERE) #11 - Andrew Scrivani - #126 - “Manage your expectations from the start… get it all out in the open.” (LISTEN HERE) #12 - Ken McGarrie - #122 - “We want to think of this as an acute crisis, but staffing in the restaurant industry is a chronic pain. We may be feeling it more now, but it’s been there for a long time.” (LISTEN HERE) #13 - Andrea Borgen Abdallah - #97 - “The way we pay people in this industry… in this country at least… is no longer working… and in order for the industry to grow again we will need to reconcile this.” (LISTEN HERE) #14 - Adriane Mack - #128 - “We all have bias that we have to face.” (LISTEN HERE) #15 - Yannick Benjamin - #140 - “Perspective is everything.” (LISTEN HERE) #16 - Matt Plapp - #134 - “We need to put systems in place to build effective, efficient, repeatable actions to help us achieve our goals.” (LISTEN HERE) #17 - Shawn Walchef - #130 - “It’s still all about location. It’s just that technology is redefining what we mean when we talk about location.” (LISTEN HERE) #18 - Jim Snediker - #120 - "We think about all the details and yet the people bring our place to life, and often uniforms are an afterthought." (LISTEN HERE) #19 - Renae Scott - #114 - “It’s all about brand filter.” (LISTEN HERE) #20 - Steven Hall - #98 - “We sell air.” (LISTEN HERE) *****Join me for a FREE 3-day challenge starting on Monday, November 29... get ready for the year ahead so 2022 can be your most profitable one yet: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/challenge

#140 - INTERVIEW with Restaurateur and Activist, Yannick Benjamin ***** JOIN THE FREE 3-DAY CHALLENGE: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/challenge *****   This week's episode is brought to you by: VIRTUAL RESTAURANT GROUP They offer innovative, turnkey delivery-only brands that you're able to easily operate out of your existing restaurant with very little disruption to your current operation. Onboarding is super easy, with recipe guides, and step-by-step training for you and your staff. Visit the link below and use the promo code CHIP2021 to get started. That link is in the show notes VISIT: https://www.virtualrestaurantgroup.com/chip ***** 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   ***** Yannick Benjamin is a 25-year veteran of the industry, having working in some of the most illustrious dining rooms in Manhattan. And guess what, more than half that time was spent doing it in a wheelchair. He's recently opened his own restaurant, Contento, in New York's East Harlem neighborhood. In this conversation we talk about the accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down, and the journey he took to become a restaurant owner. Learn all about his nonprofit, Wheeling Forward, and a gym he founded for the disabled community called The Axis Project.  IMPORTANT LINKS:  Contento - https://www.contentonyc.comWheeling Forward - https://wheelingforward.orgThe Axis Project - https://www.axisproject.orgLa Grenouille - https://la-grenouille.comLutèce - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lutèce_(restaurant)Le Cirque - http://lecirque.comDaniel - https://www.danielnyc.comRitz Carlton CPS - https://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/new-york/central-parkThe University Club - https://www.universityclubny.org/default.aspx?p=DynamicModule&PageId=394513&ssid=316785&vnf=1 ***** JOIN THE FREE 3-DAY CHALLENGE: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/challenge

#139 - How to Supercharge Your Email List This week's episode is brought to you by: VIRTUAL RESTAURANT GROUP They offer innovative, turnkey delivery-only brands that you're able to easily operate out of your existing restaurant with very little disruption to your current operation. Onboarding is super easy, with recipe guides, and step-by-step training for you and your staff. Visit the link below and use the promo code CHIP2021 to get started. That link is in the show notes VISIT: https://www.virtualrestaurantgroup.com/chip ***** 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   ***** An engaged email list is a restaurant's most valuble asset. On this week's episode we're going to talk about what an email strategy looks like, why it's important to the health of your business, and how you can get started and supercharge that list in short order. Tons of tactical advice on this one. Questions? Reach out to me directly: chip@chipklose.com    ***** ACCESS MY NEW FREE VIDEO TRAINING: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/thedailygrind

#138 - INTERVIEW with Mike McFall, Co-CEO of Biggby Coffee ***** This week's episode is brought to you by: SEVENROOMS With a full suite of products including reservation, waitlist and table management, online ordering, review aggregation, and marketing automation, SevenRooms is the perfect choice for helping you gain a 360-degree view of your guests across both on- and off-premise. Book a demo with SevenRooms today and receive an Amazon gift card for $50. Simply email to hello@trysevenrooms.com with "Restaurant Strategy" in the subject line. ***** This week's episode is also sponsored by STOCK MFG. With Stock you get all the style of retail, with the price, continuity, and customer service of a traditional uniform vendor. They offer an assortment of everyday items that are ready to ship with no minimum order quantity, and can also create custom uniforms to fit any aesthetic.  Visit: stockmfg.co/chip to get get started.    ***** Mike McFall is Co-CEO of Biggby Coffee, a big-little brand with nearly 300 units across the United States. We're talking about what it takes to launch a brand, grow that brand, and then to let it evolve over the course of a couple decades. He shares the details about the new Biggby drive-thru concept, and gives away the secrets to building a brand that scales. Whether you're looking to franchise your own brand or just want to build a better restaurant, this episode is packed with great insights and ideas.    IMPORTANT LINKS:  Biggby Coffee - https://www.biggby.comBiggby Franchising Opportunities - https://www.biggbyfranchising.comGRIND by Mike McFall - https://www.amazon.com/Grind-No-Bullshit-Approach-Business-Concept/dp/1732510261 *****Curious about my new group coaching program, RESTAURANT ACCELERATOR? Click the link below, watch the video, and schedule a free call with me to learn more about it: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/thedailygrind

#137 - What a Skyscraper Can Tell Us About the Future of Restaurants ***** This week's episode is brought to you by: SEVENROOMS With a full suite of products including reservation, waitlist and table management, online ordering, review aggregation, and marketing automation, SevenRooms is the perfect choice for helping you gain a 360-degree view of your guests across both on- and off-premise. Book a demo with SevenRooms today and receive an Amazon gift card for $50. Simply email to hello@trysevenrooms.com with "Restaurant Strategy" in the subject line. ***** This week's episode is also sponsored by STOCK MFG. With Stock you get all the style of retail, with the price, continuity, and customer service of a traditional uniform vendor. They offer an assortment of everyday items that are ready to ship with no minimum order quantity, and can also create custom uniforms to fit any aesthetic.  Visit: stockmfg.co/chip to get get started.    ***** We are witnessing the death of the 9-to-5. What happens to the world when people can work from anywhere in the world? This week's episode is about that and so much more. I'm sharing 8 trends that are reshaping our industry and our world.  IMPORTANT LINKS: NY Times Article about the Empire State Building - https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/09/15/nyregion/empire-state-building-reopening-new-york.html *****Curious about my new group coaching program, RESTAURANT ACCELERATOR? Click the link below, watch the video, and schedule a free call with me to learn more about it: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/thedailygrind

#136 - INTERVIEW with Ethan Falk, Founder and CEO of Virtual Restaurant Group   ***** ACCESS THE FREE VIDEO TRAINING: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/thedailygrind *****   This week's episode is brought to you by: VIRTUAL RESTAURANT GROUP They offer innovative, turnkey delivery-only brands that you're able to easily operate out of your existing restaurant with very little disruption to your current operation. Onboarding is super easy, with recipe guides, and step-by-step training for you and your staff. Visit the link below and use the promo code CHIP2021 to get started. That link is in the show notes VISIT: https://www.virtualrestaurantgroup.com/chip ***** 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   ***** Ethan Falk knows the hospitality industry inside and out, and he's used his experience to help him launch one of the hottest companies in the industry - Virtual Restaurant Group. Home to a handful of unique "ghost" brands, operators are now licensing and executing those concepts out of their existing kitchen to drive as much as $30,000 in additional revenue per brand.  LEARN MORE: https://www.virtualrestaurantgroup.com/chip *****   ACCESS MY NEW FREE VIDEO TRAINING: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/thedailygrind

#135 - How to Get Past This Staffing Crisis   ***** ACCESS THE FREE VIDEO TRAINING: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/thedailygrind *****   This week's episode is brought to you by: VIRTUAL RESTAURANT GROUP They offer innovative, turnkey delivery-only brands that you're able to easily operate out of your existing restaurant with very little disruption to your current operation. Onboarding is super easy, with recipe guides, and step-by-step training for you and your staff. Visit the link below and use the promo code CHIP2021 to get started. That link is in the show notes VISIT: https://www.virtualrestaurantgroup.com/chip ***** 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 reached out a little while back and asked you: What are the biggest challenges you're facing in your business? I got a ton of great responses and it was obvious what you're dealing with:  #1 - Struggling with profitability #2 - You're having trouble finding good staff This episode is all about that second issue... I'm sharing my thoughts about how we solve this long-term problem in a meaningful way. I know you're focused on it, and I am here to offer some real solutions. But for everyone who wants more help with the first issue, I've created a Free Video Training to help you understand why profitability is important and how to grow your bottom line. I give tangible ways for you to grow revenue and cut expenses.  GET THE FREE VIDEO TRAINING: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/thedailygrind

#134 - INTERVIEW: Restaurant Marketing That Works with Matt Plapp ***** This week's episode is brought to you by: SEVENROOMS With a full suite of products including reservation, waitlist and table management, online ordering, review aggregation, and marketing automation, SevenRooms is the perfect choice for helping you gain a 360-degree view of your guests across both on- and off-premise. Book a demo with SevenRooms today and receive an Amazon gift card for $50. Simply email to hello@trysevenrooms.com with "Restaurant Strategy" in the subject line. ***** This week's episode is also sponsored by STOCK MFG. With Stock you get all the style of retail, with the price, continuity, and customer service of a traditional uniform vendor. They offer an assortment of everyday items that are ready to ship with no minimum order quantity, and can also create custom uniforms to fit any aesthetic.  Visit: stockmfg.co/chip to get get started.    ***** Matt Plapp is the host of America's Berst Restaurants and the CEO and Founder of a company called Restaurant Marketing That Works. His agency works with hundreds of restaurants all over the country to help them acquire new customers and find ways to re-engage them. This episode is packed with great information, plus there's a giveaway at the end. Want to level up? Check it out! IMPORTANT LINKS: America's Best Restaurants - https://americasbestrestaurants.comMatt Plapp's Website - https://mattplapp.comAgency Website - https://restaurantmarketingthatworks.comMatt's newest book - BUY HEREMatt's previous book - BUY HEREMatt's first book - BUY HEREMatt's Cell Phone - 859-743-2408 *****Looking to cut expenses in your restaurant? How about 10 tips you can implement literally overnight? Get my new e-book: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/expenses

#133 - 3 Ways to Cut Expenses in Your Restaurant ***** This week's episode is brought to you by: SEVENROOMS With a full suite of products including reservation, waitlist and table management, online ordering, review aggregation, and marketing automation, SevenRooms is the perfect choice for helping you gain a 360-degree view of your guests across both on- and off-premise. Book a demo with SevenRooms today and receive an Amazon gift card for $50. Simply email to hello@trysevenrooms.com with "Restaurant Strategy" in the subject line. ***** This week's episode is also sponsored by STOCK MFG. With Stock you get all the style of retail, with the price, continuity, and customer service of a traditional uniform vendor. They offer an assortment of everyday items that are ready to ship with no minimum order quantity, and can also create custom uniforms to fit any aesthetic.  Visit: stockmfg.co/chip to get get started.    ***** Guess what? I wrote another e-book, and just like the first I'm offering it up absolutely FREE. Inside that document I share 10 tips to help chefs and operators cut expenses in their restaurants by as much as 10%. Best of all, they're highly actionable so you can implement them right away. To get you started I'm sharing the first 3 tips on this week's episode. I hope it inspires you to take action and go download the full e-book. Click the link below to get yours today. Cheers!  *****Looking to cut expenses in your restaurant? How about 10 tips you can implement literally overnight? Get my new e-book: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/expenses

#132 - INTERVIEW with Zack Oates, Founder & CEO of Ovation ***** This week's episode is brought to you by: VIRTUAL RESTAURANT GROUP They offer innovative, turnkey delivery-only brands that you're able to easily operate out of your existing restaurant with very little disruption to your current operation. Onboarding is super easy, with recipe guides, and step-by-step training for you and your staff. Visit the link below and use the promo code CHIP2021 to get started. That link is in the show notes VISIT: https://www.virtualrestaurantgroup.com/chip ***** 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   ***** Do you know what your customers think of you? I mean, truly... what do they say behind your back? If you do third-party delivery, how do you handle quality control? Yes, everything looks good when it goes out the door, but what happens during the 20 minutes it takes to get to the customer?  Zack Oates has founded a company to solve just such a problem. He's passionate, driven, and best of all... hospitality-minded. He's created a product that actually helps operators create a better experience AND drive more revenue. Listen in on this week's episode! ***** Click the link below to download my FREE e-book, "How to Increase Revenue by 10% Overnight: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/revenue