#90 - When the Pandemic Hits the Holidays This week's (SHORT) episode is a passionate rant about what's happening right now in America... the second wave of the pandemic is slamming up against restaurants in what is usually the most profitable time of the year. I told you this was coming, and if you didn't believe me then I hope you'll believe me now... you have to pivot NOW, diversify your revenue streams NOW, and find new ways to serve your customers.    ***** Happy listening,Chip Klose (Host of the Restaurant Strategy Podcast) P.S. - CLICK HERE to download the ONLY Restaurant Budget Template You'll Ever Need

#89 - INTERVIEW: Amin Yazdani, Founder and CEO of Craver App Amin Yazdani is the Founder and CEO of Craver, a software development company that creates branded apps for restaurants. Fully customizable with integrations with all of the major computer systems a restaurant uses like Loyalty, CRM, and POS. The success of restaurants hinges on our ability to adopt technology and use it to provide a better customer experience.  I hope you enjoy this wide-ranging interview!    IMPORTANT LINKS: Learn More about Craver: https://craverapp.com E-mail Amin directly: amin@craverapp.com Call the Sales Team: 1-800-688-1916   ***** Happy listening,Chip Klose (Host of the Restaurant Strategy Podcast) P.S. - CLICK HERE to download the ONLY Restaurant Budget Template You'll Ever Need

#88 - A Blueprint for Achieving Any Goal "A goal without a plan is just a wish."  This is the final installment of a 3-episode arc all about systems and goals. We're talking about Peter Drucker once more and a framework he designed back in the 50's called "Managing by Objectives"... just 5 steps that will help you make any goal a reality.    IMPORTANT LINKS: The Practive of Management by Peter Drucker Innovation and Entrepreneurship by Peter Drucker The Effective Executive by Peter Drucker   ***** Happy listening,Chip Klose (Host of the Restaurant Strategy Podcast) P.S. - CLICK HERE to download the ONLY Restaurant Budget Template You'll Ever Need

#87 - Setting S.M.A.R.T Goals In 1954 Peter Drucker coined the term S.M.A.R.T. Objectives. It's an acronym meant to help remind you of the best way to make your goals clear and actionable. It stands for Specific, Measurable, Acheivable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. On today's show I'm going to show you how to apply Drucker's philosphy to your own business. IMPORTANT LINKS: The Practive of Management by Peter Drucker Innovation and Entrepreneurship by Peter Drucker The Effective Executive by Peter Drucker   ***** Happy listening,Chip Klose (Host of the Restaurant Strategy Podcast) P.S. - CLICK HERE to download the ONLY Restaurant Budget Template You'll Ever Need

#86 - Goals-Oriented vs. Systems-Oriented Losing 10 pounds is a GOAL, but without a plan you have no hope of getting there. In order to succeed at anything in life, you need a SYSTEM. Changing your eating habits, scheduling time to workout, drinking enough water, getting more sleep. Those are the routines you put into place to make sure you achieve your goal.  Goals are great, but without a system they are empty things.  On today's show I talk all about the relationship between systems and goals, and share a few ideas for implementing things into your own business.    IMPORTANT LINKS: PURCHASE Atomic Habits by James Clear PURCHASE How to Fail at Almost Everything... by Scott Adams READ "Secret of Success: Failure" by Scott Adams (WSJ)     ***** Happy listening,Chip Klose (Host of the Restaurant Strategy Podcast) P.S. - CLICK HERE to download the ONLY Restaurant Budget Template You'll Ever Need

#85 - Q & A Session: Round 2 A few weeks back I did a Q&A episode and it's been one of my most popular to date. Not only have there been a ton of downloads, but a bunch of you have reached out with follow-up questions... and new questions... and ideas about the future. I love it. So I decided to do another one. Today we're tackling six burning questions from listeners like you:  #1) What exactly is a ghost kitchen and how would I set one up?  #2) In-house delivery versus third-party delivery services? What are the pros and cons of both?  #3) I can't envision getting rid of wiaters entirely, but I realize that technology can help me out. What are some steps I can take?  #4) My patrons seem to be nervous about indoor dining? What can I do to make people feel more comfortable?  #5) I'd like to open my own restaurant. Is it better to come up with a concept and then find the right space? Or find a good location and then build a concept to fit that space?  #6) Restaurants turning to retail... is this a trend that will continue? What about the other way around?    IMPORTANT LINKS: Craver App - https://craverapp.com ChowNow - https://get.chownow.com Bento Box - https://getbento.com Talulah’s Table - http://talulastable.com/tt/ Check out the Famous Toastery website   ***** Happy listening,Chip Klose (Host of the Restaurant Strategy Podcast) P.S. - CLICK HERE to download the ONLY Restaurant Budget Template You'll Ever Need

#84 - INTERVIEW: Robert Maynard, Co-Founder of Famous Toastery In this week's episode I chat with Robert Maynard CEO & Co-Founder of Famous Toastery, a chain of successful breakfast spots based out of North Carolina. Passionate, energized, opinionated... and extremely knowledgable. I hope you get a lot from this wide-ranging conversation.  Connect with Robert on LinkedIn Check out the Famous Toastery website Learn more about the franchises   ***** Happy listening,Chip Klose (Host of the Restaurant Strategy Podcast) P.S. - CLICK HERE to download the ONLY Restaurant Budget Template You'll Ever Need

#83 - Preparing for the Second Wave Last week the Governor of New York identified 20 hot spots where virus infection rates were spiking. He and his team took rapid action to curb the spread and shut down a bunch of zip codes across the state. 9 of them were here in NYC, including where I live here in Brooklyn. So I can tell you first hand what it looks like and feels like to see non-essential businesses forced closed once again. The second wave is coming, and I believe it's our responsibility to be ready for another round of shutdowns. I certainly hope I'm wrong, but if I'm not there are things you can do to prepare yourself.  #1)  Identify all of the potential ways you can can make money if your dining room gets shut down to in-person customers.  #2)  Put an action plan into place for each of your revenue streams. #3)  Make a budget! #4)  Exhaust all resources like grants and loans.  #5)  Make sure your staff is prepared for another shutdown.  #6)  Gather e-mail addresses now so you can keep in touch with patrons throughout the shutdown.  #7)  Open a dialogue with your landlord and vendors.  #8)  Lay out a communications strategy that goes beyond posting on social media.   ***** Happy listening,Chip Klose (Host of the Restaurant Strategy Podcast) P.S. - CLICK HERE to download the ONLY Restaurant Budget Template You'll Ever Need

#82 - Q & A Session: Your Questions Answered! I get questions all the time from clients, listeners, colleagues, friends, and people I went to high school with. And there's been a spike these past few months, so I'm sharing some of my favorites. I hope you enjoy this one!  #1)  I understand now that I need to diversify my revenue streams. How do I get started with rolling out retail products?  #2)  I want to get started with video, but it seems like a lot of work. Is it really that important when it comes to marketing my restaurant, and what’s the easiest way to get started?  #3)  How do I know how to position myself in the market? What if I make the wrong decision?  #4)  Do you really see iPads replacing waiters in the near future?  #5)  What’s the biggest danger facing restaurants in the next 2 years? #6)  What’s the biggest opportunity you see in the next 12-24 months? #7)  Will ghost kitchens help or hurt the delivery apps like Grub Hub and Seamless?  #8)  Is Tock really the future?  #9)  I want to open a restaurant after all this. What do you think is an opportunity worth exploring?  ***** Happy listening,Chip Klose (Host of the Restaurant Strategy Podcast) P.S. - CLICK HERE to download the ONLY Restaurant Budget Template You'll Ever Need

#81 - Two Years into the Future What will dining look like in September, 2022? How will this pandemic change the way patrons dine out, and the way we run our restaurants? Chef Adam Liaw wrote a terrific article about a vision he has of the future.  You can read it by CLICKING HERE Check out Adam Liaw's KILLER Instagram feed by CLICKING HERE Explore the Tock Reservation Ticketing System by CLICKING HERE   Happy listening,Chip Klose (Host of the Restaurant Strategy Podcast) P.S. - CLICK HERE to download the ONLY Restaurant Budget Template You'll Ever Need