Restaurant Owners Uncorked

Julian Boyd, CEO of D’bo’s Daiquiris, Wings & Seafood, shares the incredible story of the Memphis-born brand, pioneered by his parents, David and Latisha Boyd, starting with a food truck in 1990. Built on faith and the philosophy of "People, Service, Profits," D'bo's became known as the "godfather of hot wings" in Memphis. Following a personal tragedy, Julian earned his MBA to strategically guide the company's franchising expansion. The concept continually evolves—adding daiquiris and seafood—and successfully adapted to post-COVID challenges through on-site experiences and smart tech integration. D'bo's is now focused on intentional growth across the Southeast and Midwest.10 Takeaways Wing Pioneers: Founded in 1990 from a food truck, D'bo's is credited as the "godfather of hot wings" in Memphis. Entrepreneurial Grit: The founder maxed out five credit cards for capital when banks refused, demonstrating immense belief in the concept. Core Philosophy: The business success is rooted in "People, Service, Profits," prioritizing customer and staff well-being above all. Faith and Family: Julian's drive to grow is deeply tied to honoring his late older brother, emphasizing family first. Strategic Education: Julian pursued an MBA with a family business focus to learn how to scale the company through intentional franchising. Menu Evolution: The concept has adapted over 35 years, expanding to include daiquiris, seafood, smash burgers, and fried catfish to diversify revenue. COVID Adaptation: The quick-service model thrived during the pandemic, boosted significantly by the ability to sell to-go alcoholic daiquiris. Profit Protection: D'bo's switched its primary online ordering to DoorDash Storefront for its crucial 100% chargeback protection feature. Experiential Revenue: New on-site events like brunches, karaoke, and live music were implemented to increase sit-down traffic and spending. Headwind Strategy: To manage rising costs, D'bo's focuses on menu innovation (e.g., loaded fries) and increased volume rather than aggressively out-pricing customers.

Brandon Laroque. Brandon, who owns The Goat Bar in Raleigh, NC, details his extensive career in the hospitality industry, starting from a country club to bartending at a renowned comedy club, which eventually led him to open six of his own bars, primarily using a "flipping" strategy. The core of the discussion revolves around the challenging decision to retire and close his successful, long-standing bar due to mounting stress from employee issues and the difficulty of verifying increasingly sophisticated fake IDs, which led to legal problems with alcohol law enforcement (ALE). However, his retirement was abruptly cut short when he was devastated by the theft of over $3 million in cryptocurrency from a cold wallet. This financial catastrophe forced Brandon and his wife to make the difficult choice to reopen The Goat Bar, facing new bureaucratic hurdles with the city to reinstate expired permits. The segment concludes with Will transitioning into the formal podcast interview, eager to share Brandon's compelling and dramatic story.10 Takeaways Longevity and Experience: Brandon and his wife have a combined 70 years of experience in the hospitality industry (30+ for him, 40 for her). The GOAT Bar's Success: The Goat Bar, a dive bar in Raleigh, has been a highly successful "cash cow" since opening in 2003, built on years of hard work, self-maintenance, and a strong local following. Entrepreneurial Spinoffs: Brandon's experience at Charlie Good Nights comedy club, where he was forced to be hands-on, spawned approximately 30 different bars opened by former employees, including six by Brandon himself. "Flipping" Bars: Brandon developed a strategy of opening, establishing, and then selling (flipping) bars, noting his favorite part of the business is the opening process. Growth Challenges: He learned the hard lesson that owning multiple bars brings "three times the headaches and one and a half times the money" compared to a single location. Impact of 2020: The COVID-19 shutdown (2020) and subsequent reopening severely impacted the business, leading to employee turnover and stress, contributing to the decision to retire. Sophisticated Fake IDs: A major stressor was the rise of highly realistic fake IDs, often from China, that are nearly impossible for bar staff to verify, even with ID scanners, leading to legal action from ALE agents. Control State Regulations: The bar operates in North Carolina, a control state, where the state controls liquor sales, which means the bar pays a high tax (approx. 75%) on liquor purchased from the county ABC. Retirement Derailment: The planned retirement, which included moving to Las Vegas, was unexpectedly ruined by the theft of over $3 million in cryptocurrency from a cold wallet. Forced Reopening: The financial loss forced Brandon and his wife to abandon retirement plans and reopen The Goat Bar, leading to new challenges with re-securing permits from the city.

n this episode, Chris Gannon, co-founder of Bolay Fresh Bold Kitchen, shares his journey in the restaurant industry, influenced by his family's legacy in hospitality. He discusses the unique culinary experience Bolay offers, emphasizing health-conscious choices and community dining. The conversation explores the challenges of supply chain management, labor issues, and the importance of hospitality in creating memorable dining experiences. Gannon advocates for encouraging youth to join the hospitality industry, highlighting the valuable life skills it imparts. The episode concludes with a discussion on growth strategies, particularly the benefits of joint ventures over franchising.Takeaways Chris Gannon's background in hospitality stems from his family's legacy. Bolay focuses on nutritious, bold flavors from various cuisines. The restaurant industry is evolving towards healthier food options. Community dining and breaking bread together are essential for connection. Supply chain challenges are a significant concern for restaurants today. Hospitality is crucial for creating memorable dining experiences. Labor challenges and minimum wage increases impact restaurant operations. Encouraging youth to work in hospitality teaches valuable life skills. Joint ventures may offer more control than traditional franchising. The restaurant business thrives on teamwork and collaboration.

Alex Smereczniak, co-founder and CEO of Franzy, shares his entrepreneurial journey and the development of his franchise marketplace platform. Franzy is described as the "Zillow for franchising," using an AI engine to match prospective franchise buyers with suitable brands based on their background, net worth, and goals. Alex's journey began with a profitable college laundry and dry-cleaning service, inspired by his entrepreneurial father's advice to either work for himself or have people work for him. After an unfulfilling stint in consulting at Ernst & Young, he started 2U Laundry, raising $33 million in VC and eventually verticalizing by building physical laundromats. This led to franchising the concept under Laundrelab, where he experienced the franchise ecosystem's inefficiencies firsthand, particularly the high, unregulated commissions (up to 60%) paid to franchise brokers. This lack of transparency and incentive misalignment inspired him to create Franzy. Franzy's three pillars are Educate, Discovery, and Support, aiming to democratize the process with transparency, data, and a flat-fee model (around 40% of the fee) that removes the incentive to push higher-paying brands.10 Key Takeaways Entrepreneurial Inspiration: Alex's father's advice to "work for yourself or have people working for you"heavily influenced his career path. College Business Success: His college laundry business, WakeWash, grew from $25k to $250k in annual revenue after securing a booth at orientation week and leveraging a subscription/gym-membership model with 70% margins due to breakage. Consulting Burnout & Motivation: Alex found corporate consulting at Ernst & Young unfulfilling, realizing he was optimizing for working less rather than doing fulfilling work, reinforcing the need to work for himself. 2U Laundry & Vertical Integration: The "Uber for laundry" concept, 2U Laundry, raised $33 million in VC, eventually requiring vertical integration by building expensive physical laundromats ($1 million each). Laundrelab Franchising: The solution to scaling the expensive laundromat model was franchising the brick-and-mortar business, Laundrelab, and layering the delivery service on top. Franchise Brokerage Pain Point: Experiencing the high (up to 60%), unregulated commissions and lack of disclosure in franchise brokerage was the direct inspiration for Franzy. Franzy's Transparency Model: Franzy addresses broker conflicts of interest by implementing a flat-fee structure(around 40% of the franchise fee), making the fee consistent across all brands, removing the incentive to push the highest-paying brands. Franzy's Three Pillars: The platform focuses on Educate (blogs, podcasts), Discovery (AI-driven matching from 4,000+ brands), and Support (lending, legal, real estate intros). Franchisor Value Proposition: Larger brands like Driven Brands use Franzy because it offers a high ROI—finding good operators for a fraction of their lifetime value (estimated at $500k to $1 million+). Advisory Approach: Franzy’s role is to advise and guide prospective buyers, providing data and disclosing risks (like those associated with emerging brands), but ultimately leaving the decision to the individual.

Wil talks with Donny Bradley, founder and CEO of Lola Beans, a drive-through “fun beverage” coffee brand based in Chattanooga that’s now franchising. Donny traces his hospitality instincts to moving often as an Air Force kid and appreciating people who made him feel welcome, plus big family gatherings rooted in New Orleans/Biloxi culture. A six-month stint in Soldotna, Alaska during his medical-device sales career sparked the business idea: a small coffee shack where barista Jenna built genuine relationships, not transactional service. Donny returned home, scraped a house on a C-minus property, opened the first Lola Beans in September 2020, then a second location in 2022 with two drive-through lanes and fast, face-to-face iPad ordering. He candidly describes early operational lessons (41% food cost, too many SKUs) and how mentors helped streamline supply chain and economics. Inspired by Nick Saban and Truett Cathy, Donny emphasizes culture, coaching, and hiring for hospitality as the real scalability engine. Lola Beans officially began franchising in February, landed a major Texas development deal (starting with Dallas-Fort Worth), and aims to stay an operator-led, people-first brand that creates “good energy” for guests and meaningful growth for team members.10 takeaways Hospitality is universal. Donny’s earliest lessons came from classmates welcoming him at new schools, proof that hospitality is about making people feel safe and seen, not a specific industry. The spark moment matters. True Blue in Soldotna, AK showed how one authentic barista-customer connection can inspire an entire business model. Drive-through doesn’t have to be robotic. Lola Beans uses dual lanes and iPad ordering face-to-face to keep speed high and humanity higher. Speed is a tool, not the goal. Their “14 cars in line, out in 7 minutes” target exists to buy time for relationshipswith regulars. Early operators learn by doing (and fixing). Donny opened in 2020 thinking he’d drop a shack on a lot; zoning, codes, and real build costs rewired the plan quickly. Food cost discipline can be learned fast with the right help. Cutting SKUs from 196 to 126 and consolidating vendors dropped costs from 41% to ~28%. Two-product customers extend dayparts. Coffee ritual + afternoon energy/teas/“Lola Colas” keeps sales strong beyond morning rush. Culture scales what founders can’t. Donny frames culture → behavior → results; the goal is guest experience even when he’s not there. Franchise growth should be “best first, biggest later.” Truett Cathy’s philosophy guides selective franchising and saying no to misaligned partners. People are the real competitive moat. Like Chick-fil-A and Publix, Lola Beans wants employees so well-trained and cared for that customers stop shopping around.

Wil provides  a special update on the evolution of "Restaurant Owners Uncorked" from a podcast, started in 2010, into a comprehensive community featuring articles, books, films, and eventually a subscription-based forum for restaurant owners to share advice and solve problems. Brawley emphasizes the community’s commitment to celebrating successful operators and carefully vetting partners, specifically highlighting Restaurant Systems Pro, led by CEO Fred Langley, as a trusted resource for improving restaurant margins and efficiency. He differentiates this recommended company from others that lack adequate customer service, underscoring the importance of reliable service and transparent contracts within the industry.

Meet Kimberly Fleer, an industry veteran and mental wellness advocate. Kimberly shares her personal story of entering the hospitality world at age 15 to find financial support and a sense of family that was absent at home, rapidly excelling in roles from server to sommelier. While the industry provided valuable skills and camaraderie, it also became a means to mask and ignore childhood trauma, eventually leading to severe substance abuse. After achieving sobriety in 2020and losing a close friend to overdose, Kimberly recognized a critical gap in the industry's system of care: a lack of resources, education, and open conversation about mental health and recovery. She now works to address this through her company, Last Call, by helping employers embed preventative measures, normalize vulnerable conversations, and create recovery-friendly workplaces to save lives, improve culture, and dramatically reduce high turnover rates.10 Takeaways Hospitality as a Double-Edged Sword: The industry offers family and community, but its high-pressure, hard-working, and "play hard" culture can easily enable substance abuse as a coping mechanism for underlying trauma. The System of Care Failure: Historically, the industry lacks onboarding or continuous resources for mental health, making it difficult for staff to seek or even know about recovery pathways (detox, inpatient, etc.). Vulnerability is Leadership Strength: Leaders who are authentic and vulnerable about their own challenges (e.g., stress, personal issues) build trust and create a safe culture, countering the pressure for staff to appear flawless. The Stigma Barrier: Normalization of excessive use makes staff fear speaking up about their struggles, as it's often incorrectly perceived as a sign of weakness or a risk to their job security. Post-Shift Decompression: Service staff are often in "fight or flight" mode after an intense shift. Employers need to provide healthy, non-alcoholic ways (e.g., group de-briefs, self-care education) to regulate the nervous systeminstead of immediately turning to alcohol/drugs. Prevention Over Reaction: Proactive measures—starting with mental health education in the onboarding processand daily pre/post-shift check-ins—are vital to prevent burnout and crisis situations. Run Towards the Storm: A core theme is the need for leaders to face difficult conversations and systemic issues head-on, rather than ignoring or running away from them. Recovery Boosts Retention: Actively hiring and supporting people in recovery leads to exceptionally high staff retention (e.g., 94% retention in one case study) and creates a more reliable, motivated workforce. Transferable Skills: The industry attracts and develops highly talented individuals with immense transferable skills, making it an excellent place to build a career, especially for those seeking a fresh start. Bring the Human Back: The ultimate goal is to "bring the human back to hospitality" by prioritizing the wellness of the people who serve, recognizing that personal health is essential to professional performance.

Keith Benjamin, co-founder of Uptown Hospitality Group in Charleston, tells the story of how throwing massive Penn State tailgates set him on a 20-year path from NYC bartender to operator of six concepts—while raising three kids under five. After buying small equity stakes in New York bars and becoming an operating partner at 29, he felt pulled to Charleston and went all-in on a $5M buildout of Uptown Social, a 10,000 sq. ft. sports bar and nightlife hub inside a 1915 building. He recalls surviving COVID—shutting down 48 hours after his wedding—then creating Bodega, a New York-style breakfast sandwich brand that grew from a parking-lot pop-up to multiple locations. Uptown Hospitality later added Share House, the upscale tavern By the Way (with partners from Southern Charm), and The Waverly, a wedding venue. Through rapid growth, thin margins, seasonality, and crushing liquor liability laws, Keith stays centered on preparation, service, and his belief that restaurants and bars are the emotional backbone of a community—and that operators carry that responsibility on their shoulders.10 Takeaways Hospitality people “run into the fire.”You’re either wired for the chaos and unpredictability of restaurant ownership or it will spit you out. Preparation beats the playbook.Every shift changes at minute one; the only constant is how ready your team is for the unexpected. Tailgates were the training ground.Running $40K-per-season Penn State tailgates taught Keith energy management, leadership, and crowd control. From golden handcuffs to ownership.High-earning NYC bartending could have trapped him, but he insisted on a path to management and equity. Charleston was the “chips all in” leap.With no collateral, Keith borrowed from friends and family to take on a 25-year lease and rebuild a 1915 building. COVID nearly crushed the dream—but sparked Bodega.Forced shutdowns led to launching a breakfast-sandwich concept that quickly exploded in popularity. Growth exposed growing pains.Opening multiple concepts while having three young kids humbled him and revealed how thin the margins can be. Food-heavy concepts are a different math.Booze-driven venues thrive; a full-service breakfast-and-lunch model did not, leading to a fast pivot to QSR. Liquor liability laws threaten the industry.South Carolina’s rules once assigned 100% blame to anyone who served one drink to someone later in a wreck, pushing insurance premiums into the stratosphere. Service and community are the lasting moats.With heavy competition and rising closures, the only real differentiator is how you make people feel—because restaurants are the heart of every community.

Keith Santangelo joins Wil in-studio to trace his journey from growing up in a Cajun-Italian butcher/grocery family in Baton Rouge to owning New York City restaurants, leading major restaurant groups, and now serving independents through AccessWave. They reminisce about Keith being one of Schedulefly’s earliest customers, talk about the magic of independent restaurants as “third places” (with Seinfeld’s diner as a touchstone), and unpack how the industry’s resilience showed up during COVID. Keith walks through selling his Hell’s Kitchen spots before the pandemic, stewarding scratch-kitchen concept Jose Tejas/Border Café through the shutdowns, then running operations and finance for Serafina’s global group and navigating licensing vs franchising abroad. From there, he explains why he pivoted from opening more restaurants to building an insurance and benefits solution specifically for hospitality, bringing a “unreasonable hospitality” mindset to a traditionally cold, transactional world. Throughout, they dig into tech overload, the adoption gap between shiny features and what teams actually use, the power of real implementation support, and why everyone should work in a restaurant at least once. The episode lands on family, balance, and why serving independent restaurants still sits at the center of Keith’s life and work.10 Takeaways Hospitality in the DNA – Keith’s love for small, family businesses started in his grandfather’s meat market and grocery stores, where he quickly gravitated to the front-of-house and guests. Independent restaurants as “home base” – From Seinfeld’s diner to neighborhood spots like Pie’s Eye, they’re the community living rooms where people gather, talk, and feel known. Early Schedulefly believer – Keith adopted Schedulefly around 2008 at Planet Hollywood, brought it to his own restaurants, and has stayed connected to Wil and the brand ever since. Owning and selling in NYC – He co-owned Bourbon Street Bar & Grill and Brazen Tavern in Hell’s Kitchen, later selling—partly to be more present with family—and, unknowingly, just ahead of COVID. How deals actually get done – Restaurant valuations often center on a multiple of EBITDA plus lease/liquor-license realities, but in practice many sales hinge on relationships and trusted partners. COVID as a resilience test – At Jose Tejas/Border Café, a 100% dine-in scratch concept with zero to-go, the team reimagined operations from the ground up and came out stronger. Scaling with Serafina – Running ops and finance for a 22-unit, $100M+ Italian group taught Keith the complexity of global growth, including why international licensing can beat franchising. The tech adoption gap – Many operators pay for enterprise tools but use a fraction of the features; if you’re only using 20% of the value, you shouldn’t be paying 100% of the bill. Hospitality belongs in “boring” sectors – With AccessWave, Keith is importing restaurant-style hospitality into insurance and benefits, aiming to be a true partner, not just a broker. Family as the why – Behind all the big roles and decisions is Keith’s desire to provide for and be present with his wife and four kids—while still serving an industry that “saved” so many lives.

In this heartfelt episode of Restaurant Owners Uncorked, Wil sits down with Asheville-based caterer and soon-to-be café owner Svitlana Eadie, whose journey from a small Ukrainian village to launching Slava, her café bakery on Wall Street in downtown Asheville, is nothing short of inspiring. She shares how growing up on a self-sustaining farm shaped her love for food and community, how immigrating to the U.S. with no English and no money forced her to adapt and work tirelessly, and how years in kitchens, bakeries, and hospitality strengthened her passion for sharing culture through food. Through setbacks, delays, construction challenges, and the chaos of COVID wiping out her catering business, she kept pushing, relying on grit, planning, and what she calls “experience assets.” Supported by her family, including her mother and sister, who will help run the bakery, Svitlana is building not just a café but a gathering place meant to reconnect people, share stories, and restore the kind of close-knit community she remembers from her childhood.10 Takeaways  Svitlana immigrated from a tiny Ukrainian village where community, shared food, and hospitality were woven into everyday life. She arrived in the U.S. at age 20 with no English and no money, adapting quickly by working any job she could find in hospitality. Her culinary foundation is deep, with studies in restaurant/hotel management and food science before leaving Ukraine. Her career path is broad—dishwasher, prep cook, server, banquet captain, baker, and more, including roles at Crowne Plaza, Grove Park Inn, a French bakery, and Whole Foods. She launched her catering company in 2017, which grew steadily until COVID abruptly canceled every event on her calendar. Finding the right café space took nearly four years, and once she found it, unexpected plumbing issues and contractor changes significantly delayed opening. She financed the café through disciplined saving, a HELOC, and finally a seed loan, emphasizing that nothing happened quickly or easily. Her menu will showcase traditional Ukrainian foods and recipes from her grandmother, along with breads, cakes, and familiar options for newcomers. Community is the heart of her mission—she wants the café to be a place where people talk, connect, and step away from screens. Her mindset is her superpower—optimism, resilience, gratitude, and what she calls building “experience assets” have carried her through every challenge.