Blog Posts
Office Hours: Doing Less To Earn More
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
Invisible Work, Unshakable Standards: Wesley Sohn on Engineering Scalable Hospitality
What if the best hospitality isn’t taught – it’s demonstrated, brick by brick? Wesley Sohn didn’t just walk away from a promising finance career, he
When Staying Small Wins: Fred Piehl on Profit, Joy, and Running Restaurants That Don’t Own You
What if staying small was actually the boldest move you could make in restaurants? Fred Piehl didn’t come to San Diego chasing an empire; he
The Case for Bold Action: Johno Morisano on What It Took to Build the Country’s Best Restaurant
What if the best restaurant stories aren’t about food—they’re about identity, risk, and reinvention? Johno Morisano didn’t set out to open a restaurant—he set out
The Power of Not Knowing: Alex Pincus on Risk, Identity, and Reinvention
What if knowing nothing was your greatest strategic advantage? Alex Pincus didn’t grow up in restaurants—he grew up on boats. And when he stumbled into
Invent Less, Execute More: Chris Gannon’s Hard Truth About Scaling BOLAY
What if the biggest threat to your restaurant’s success isn’t a lack of ideas—but too many of them? Chris Gannon built BOLAY with the DNA
Divide and Conquer: Michael Mina and Patric Yumul of the Mina Group
Michael Mina is the best in the biz. He’s mastered excellence at scale. What’s equally impressive is that he’s done it alongside his partner Patric
She Thought She Wasn’t Ready—Then She Won It All: Emily Brubaker on Leading with Heart and Rewriting the Rules
What if imposter syndrome wasn’t a weakness, but a compass? Emily Brubaker didn’t think she was ready to run a resort kitchen. She didn’t think
Leading with Borrowed Tradition: Sarah Thompson on Culture, Craft, and Owning the Room
What if your biggest opportunity wasn’t the one you planned for, but the one that forced you to prove you belonged? For Sarah Thompson, leading
It’s Not About the Food: John Terzian & Brian Toll on Why the Most Powerful Hospitality Brands Are Built on Social Engineering
What if your entire career started with being told you were too nice to succeed? For John Terzian and Brian Toll, that’s exactly how it
Build the People, Then the Brand: Scott Redler on Culture, Accountability, and Scalable Success
What if the real reward in restaurants isn’t the exit, but the impact? Scott Redler didn’t just co-found Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, he scaled
Office Hours: How Guests Decide Where to Eat
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
Resilience Is Unnecessary: Catarina Bill on Building Real Support for Hospitality Workers
What if resilience is just a code word for neglect? Catarina Bill of Southern Smoke is calling BS, and doing something about it. Born into