Month: November 2026

What if the hardest part of building a brand starts after you’ve made it?

Jim Tselikis co-founded Cousins Maine Lobster in 2012 with his cousin Sabin Lomac and one food truck in Los Angeles. A Shark Tank deal with Barbara Corcoran later, the brand spans more than 75 trucks and restaurants. His new book, Life and Lobster, puts the near disasters on the record for the first time.

In this conversation, we get into how to protect margin when your core ingredient keeps climbing, why the franchisees you turn away matter as much as the ones you sign, and when to overrule a mentor you trust.

If you’re scaling and still waiting for the day it gets easy, this one is for you.

To learn more about Cousins Maine Lobster and his new book, Life and Lobster, visit cousinsmainelobster.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

This episode is brought to you by Guestologie. Guestologie helps multi-location restaurant groups recognize their highest-value guests the moment they walk in, so your team can deliver better hospitality and drive more visits. Built for groups running 10 or more locations. Full Comp listeners get a complimentary Invisible Guest Assessment at guestologie.com/fullcomp

What if your willingness to do whatever it takes is the thing holding your business back?

Most owners plan to set boundaries once they’re successful. In my experience, it runs the other way: the limits come first, and the growth follows them.

In this takeaway, I break down why saying yes to everything turns owners into employees of their own business, how I build my calendar around non-negotiables first, and why constraints create the conditions that scale needs.

If you’re running on empty and calling it ambition, this one is for you.

To build the marketing team that does the work so you can protect your time, visit restaurantbusinessschool.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

What if the next restaurant you open is the thing standing between you and the business you actually want?

Adrianne Calvo opened her Miami restaurant at 22, built a multi-concept group, then pulled back to the one place that started it all. Nearly two decades in, it seats 270 and powers a brand far bigger than its dining room.

In this conversation, we get into the lease terms she demands before considering any deal, why chasing trends guarantees you arrive late, and how stepping off the line gave her the time to build the brand.

If you’re winning on paper and quietly wondering whether more growth is worth it, this one gives you permission to choose differently.

To learn more about Chef Adrianne’s Vineyard Restaurant and Bar and her work, visit chefadriannes.com.

The Playbook Takeaways

1. Be careful what you open next. Adrianne opened at 22, built a multi-concept group, then pulled back to the original restaurant, which now seats 270 and powers a far bigger brand.
2. Set your lease terms before you consider a deal. She demands specific lease terms up front before entertaining any new location.
3. Chasing trends means arriving late. Stepping off the line gave her the time to build the brand instead of just running the floor.

Want the systems behind ideas like these? Josh runs a free 5-day restaurant marketing masterclass at restaurantbusinessschool.com.

Keep going: how independent restaurants build real margins, what a restaurant consultant actually does, and restaurant marketing that gets guests through the door.

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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

This episode is brought to you by Guestologie. Guestologie helps multi-location restaurant groups recognize their highest-value guests the moment they walk in, so your team can deliver better hospitality and drive more visits. Built for groups running 10 or more locations. Full Comp listeners get a complimentary Invisible Guest Assessment at guestologie.com/fullcomp

About the Author: Josh Kopel is a Michelin-awarded restaurateur, host of the Full Comp podcast, and creator of the Restaurant Scaling System, which helps independent owners grow profitable restaurants through AI-powered marketing. More about Josh · Learn with Josh