Month: October 2025

What if the true path to restaurant profitability is rethinking our business model entirely?Close to a decade ago, today’s guest changed the way I saw our industry forever and he’s here to do the same for you.

Today we sit down with Celebrity Chef Neal Fraser as he pulls back the curtain on how Redbird—a 50-seat dining room attached to a cathedral—became one of LA’s most dynamic and profitable hospitality businesses. 

He shares how focusing on events over covers gave him control, stability, and scale. We get into the systems he built, the mindset shift that made it possible, and why too many operators are white-knuckling restaurants that no longer serve them.

This is for operators tired of hoping for Wednesday walk-ins—and ready to take back control of their business.

To learn more about Redbird, visit https://redbird.la.

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Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you’ll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.

We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:

Yelp for Restaurants Podcasts

Restaurant expert videos & webinars

I’m Josh Kopel, a Michelin-awarded restaurateur and the creator of the Restaurant Scaling System. I’ve spent decades in the industry, building, scaling, and coaching restaurants to become more profitable and sustainable. On this show, I cut through the noise to give you real, actionable strategies that help independent restaurant owners run smarter, more successful businesses.

In this episode, I break down why discounting is one of the biggest traps in the restaurant industry and how it can actually hurt your brand long term. I explain how to build real value through storytelling and emotional connection instead of cutting prices. You’ll learn how to create scarcity, meaning, and loyalty that drive both profit and trust—without relying on discounts to fill your seats.
 
Takeaways

• Discounting attracts deal seekers, not true believers.
• Sell meaning, not math; value is a feeling.
• Scarcity builds desire, while discounting builds doubt.
• A full room doesn’t equate to a full bank account.
• Profit is the cure; busy is just a drug.
• Kill blanket discounts for a week to assess impact.
• Highlight the story behind high-margin items.
• Replace discounts with scarcity plays.
• Track margin instead of traffic for better insights.
• Rewrite marketing messages to focus on meaning.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Restaurant Marketing Strategies

01:50 The Dangers of Discounting

05:39 Building Value Through Meaning and Scarcity

If you’ve got a marketing or profitability related question for me, email me directly at josh@joshkopel.com and include Office Hours in the subject line. If you’d like to scale the profitability of your restaurant in only 5 days, sign up for our FREE 5 Day Restaurant Profitability Challenge by visiting https://joshkopel.com.

What if chasing prestige meant sacrificing everything else?

For Jeff Bell, managing partner at the iconic PDT in NYC, bartending has never just been about cocktails—it’s about culture, connection, and the quiet cost of longevity.

In this episode, he shares what 15 years inside one of the world’s most celebrated bars has taught him about endurance, humility, and the evolution of hospitality. We get into why bartending is both beautiful and brutal, how alcohol amplifies more than it numbs, and what makes a bar truly last. This isn’t about kitschy phone booths or speakeasy gimmicks—it’s about the discipline and heart behind enduring relevance.

If you’ve ever wondered what it really takes to build something timeless, this is that conversation.

To learn more about PDT and their award-winning cocktail program, visit pdtnyc.com.

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Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you’ll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.

We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:

Yelp for Restaurants Podcasts

Restaurant expert videos & webinars

What if trying to control everything is the very thing holding your business back? Most operators think control means being everywhere at once. Today’s guest thinks that mindset is killing your business.

After opening 100+ stores, managing $100M in revenue, and building teams across international brands, Won Jeong realized the real goal isn’t knowing everything—it’s building systems so you don’t have to.

In this episode, we unpack how training becomes a growth engine, not a time suck. Won shares how AI is transforming onboarding from guesswork to guided execution, why memorizing SOPs is a waste of leadership potential, and the real ROI of training that makes your team independent—not dependent.

If you’re ready to stop firefighting and start scaling, this episode is your blueprint.

To learn more about Smart Trainer and the future of restaurant training, visit SmartTrainerApp.com.

_________________________________________________________

Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you’ll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.

We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:

Yelp for Restaurants Podcasts

Restaurant expert videos & webinars

I’m Josh Kopel, a Michelin-awarded restaurateur and the creator of the Restaurant Scaling System. I’ve spent decades in the industry, building, scaling, and coaching restaurants to become more profitable and sustainable. On this show, I cut through the noise to give you real, actionable strategies that help independent restaurant owners run smarter, more successful businesses.

In this episode, I dive into what it really takes to scale a restaurant successfully—and why opening a second location isn’t always the right next step. I break down how to strengthen your systems, master your financials, and get your house in order before expanding. I share the key lessons I’ve learned about maximizing one restaurant’s potential first, so growth becomes sustainable, not stressful.
 
Takeaways

• Expansion isn’t a milestone; it’s a multiplier.
• A second location doubles your overhead, not your skill.
• Scaling inside one location is smarter, cheaper, and faster.
• Most operators have 30 to 40% more revenue potential in their existing location.
• If you can’t take a two-week vacation without issues, you’re not ready to multiply.
• Expansion is math, not momentum.
• You need a minimum of 18% net profit margin before expanding.
• Having a cash cushion of six months of operational costs is crucial.
• You should have a leadership team that can clone themselves.
• Focus on maximizing current revenue before considering a second location.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Restaurant Success

01:51 The Myths of Expansion

05:40 Preparing for Expansion

07:07 Actionable Steps for Growth

If you’ve got a marketing or profitability related question for me, email me directly at josh@joshkopel.com and include Office Hours in the subject line. If you’d like to scale the profitability of your restaurant in only 5 days, sign up for our FREE 5 Day Restaurant Profitability Challenge by visiting https://joshkopel.com.

What if AI could make your restaurant more human, not less?

That’s the bold idea Devana Bhargava is betting on. As a product leader at Yelp, she’s rethinking restaurant tech from the inside out—building tools that support staff instead of replacing them.

In this episode, we dig into the design philosophy behind Yelp Host, why your Yelp page converts better than your Instagram, and how Devana’s team builds with operators, not just for them. She shares the questions that unlock real insights, the AI features that are actually working, and why independents are outpacing the big guys with smarter tech.

This one’s for every operator who’s tired of tech that gets in the way—and ready for tools that finally get it right.

To learn more about how Yelp is supporting restaurants with human-first tools, visit restaurants.yelp.com.
_________________________________________________________

Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you’ll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.

We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:

Yelp for Restaurants Podcasts

Restaurant expert videos & webinars

Does the world really need another coffee shop?

That’s the question Darren Spicer had to answer before walking away from a six-figure career to start Clutch Coffee. The answer wasn’t coffee—it was connection.

In this episode, Darren breaks down why community, not caffeine, is his true product, what he learned from Dutch Bros, how he made it his own, and why being “Chick-fil-A for coffee” means never settling for average service.

For every operator asking what business they’re really in—this episode delivers clarity.

To learn more about Clutch Coffee Bar and their work in the community, visit clutchcoffeebar.com.
_________________________________________________________

Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you’ll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.

We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:

Yelp for Restaurants Podcasts

Restaurant expert videos & webinars

I’m Josh Kopel, a Michelin-awarded restaurateur and the creator of the Restaurant Scaling System. I’ve spent decades in the industry, building, scaling, and coaching restaurants to become more profitable and sustainable. On this show, I cut through the noise to give you real, actionable strategies that help independent restaurant owners run smarter, more successful businesses.

In this episode, I dive into how to turn restaurant events into true profit centers instead of simple marketing stunts. I explain why events should be treated as products with clear margins and measurable results, and how that mindset shift can transform your bottom line. I walk through the systems I use to plan, price, and evaluate events so they drive both revenue and brand loyalty.
 
Takeaways

• Events should make money twice: at the ticket sale and through repeat customers.
• A great event is a product with a defined cost and profit margin.
• Hope is not a strategy; measurement is essential for success.
• Predictability in events leads to increased profitability.
• Full rooms do not guarantee profit; focus on fat margins instead.
• Every event should have a clear conversion goal.
• Delete ‘awareness’ from marketing vocabulary; prioritize revenue.
• Audit past events to understand profitability.
• Create a 12-month event calendar with repeatable, profitable events.
• Reprice events for margin, not just fill rate.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Restaurant Marketing Strategies

01:50 Transforming Events into Profit Centers

05:44 Actionable Steps for Event Profitability

If you’ve got a marketing or profitability related question for me, email me directly at josh@joshkopel.com and include Office Hours in the subject line. If you’d like to scale the profitability of your restaurant in only 5 days, sign up for our FREE 5 Day Restaurant Profitability Challenge by visiting https://joshkopel.com.

How do you define luxury? What if it isn’t about white tablecloths—but about meeting every guest, every need, every time?

Aaron Bludorn didn’t just open a restaurant—he opened a new playbook for hospitality. After a business education under Daniel Boulud and Gavin Kaysen, Aaron took a massive bet: move to Houston, build a concept mid-pandemic, and serve a community he was still getting to know. And that gamble paid off.

In this episode, he shares how Bludorn became a “Swiss army knife” of occasion—able to host everything from business dinners to caviar-and-burgers at the bar. He also shares how flexibility became a growth engine and how promoting from within turned his group into a magnet for top-tier talent.

This is for operators who want to scale without losing soul—and win by design, not default.

To explore his restaurant, visit bludornrestaurant.com 
_________________________________________________________

Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you’ll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.

We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:

Yelp for Restaurants Podcasts

Restaurant expert videos & webinars

Everyone says restaurants are about food, service, or scale. But what if it’s really about emotional engineering?

Yann didn’t come from the kitchen. He came from the world of marketing and strategy. But when he opened Boqueria, he reimagined what a restaurant could be—vibe-forward, high-design, emotionally resonant, and built to scale.

In this episode, Yann breaks down why restaurants are “weak link systems,” how to distill a concept to its essence, and why tension—not harmony—is the secret to a space that sings.

If you’ve ever wanted to build something iconic without following industry dogma, this episode will challenge everything you’ve been told.

To learn more about Boqueria, visit boqueriarestaurant.com

____________________________________________________________

Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you’ll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.

We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:

Yelp for Restaurants Podcasts

Restaurant expert videos & webinars

I’m Josh Kopel, a Michelin-awarded restaurateur and the creator of the Restaurant Scaling System. I’ve spent decades in the industry, building, scaling, and coaching restaurants to become more profitable and sustainable. On this show, I cut through the noise to give you real, actionable strategies that help independent restaurant owners run smarter, more successful businesses.

In this episode, I dive into how to market restaurants more effectively by treating each service as its own unique offering. I explain why lunch, dinner, and brunch each need clear promises and tailored marketing, and how productizing those services can transform customer acquisition. I break down the phased approach I use to launch them and the strategies that actually move the needle on performance.
 
Takeaways

• Each service is a standalone product with a single obvious promise.
• Lunch is not just food earlier; it’s a promise of speed and certainty.
• Different services cater to different customer needs and experiences.
• Your website should route customers to the service they want.
• Marketing should focus on one service at a time for better results.
• Creating a clear offer and ritual for each service is essential.
• Measure the success of your marketing efforts consistently.
• Product market fit is crucial for customer acquisition.
• Awareness builds on the momentum of a strong service offering.
• Tailor your marketing message to fit into customers’ lives.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Restaurant Marketing Strategies

01:49 Understanding Different Service Times

05:39 Productizing Each Service for Success

08:51 Implementing and Measuring Marketing Strategies

If you’ve got a marketing or profitability related question for me, email me directly at josh@joshkopel.com and include Office Hours in the subject line. If you’d like to scale the profitability of your restaurant in only 5 days, sign up for our FREE 5 Day Restaurant Profitability Challenge by visiting https://joshkopel.com.

Eric Bost built something remarkable in LA. Then, like so many, he lost it to the pandemic. But what came next wasn’t a pivot. It was a complete reinvention.

Today, Eric runs four thriving restaurants in a market many still underestimate—North County, San Diego. In this episode, he breaks down how he rebuilt his career by doubling down on team culture, operational clarity, and a commitment to place over prestige. If you’ve ever felt defined by a loss—this episode is your reset.

To explore his work, visit restaurantlilo.com and thisiscampfire.com
____________________________________________________________

Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you’ll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.

We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:

Yelp for Restaurants Podcasts

Restaurant expert videos & webinars