Blog Posts
The Takeaway: Why Nobody Wants to Work for You
What if your staffing problem is a leadership problem? Every week I hear owners blame the labor market. The restaurants that keep great people run
Jim Tselikis: You’re Never Out of the Trenches
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
The Takeaway: This Is Killing Your Restaurant’s Growth
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.
Adrianne Calvo: Shrink the Group, Grow the Brand
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
The Takeaway: The Myth Keeping Busy Restaurants Broke
What if putting your guests first is the reason your packed restaurant still can’t pay its bills? Plenty of operators run full dining rooms all
Johanna Hellrigl: The Expensive Way Is Cheaper
What if the ingredients you’re afraid to buy are actually the cheaper option? Johanna Hellrigl opened Ama in Washington DC in June 2024 and built
The Takeaway: The $72,000 Hiding in Your Restaurant
What if your next $72,000 is already sitting on your guest list? Chasing new faces feels like growth. The faster money is in the people
Justin Devillier: Stop Fixing What’s Already Broken
What if the standard you are most proud of is the thing holding your restaurant back? Justin Devillier has run La Petite Grocery in New
The Takeaway: How Guests Decide Where to Eat
What if your website is costing you first-time guests before they ever walk in? The people on your homepage are shoppers. Most of them have
Ed Harris: Great Food Won’t Save Your Business
What if the reason nobody is walking through your door has nothing to do with what’s on the plate? Ed Harris won Chopped, spent five
The Takeaway: Build a Club, Not a Loyalty Program
What if your loyalty program is the reason your guests feel nothing? Punch cards and points reward a transaction. Guests want to belong to something,
Brianna Keefe: Stay In The Weeds Longer Than You Want
What if you have to go deeper into the day to day before you can ever get out of it? Brianna Keefe spent her entire
How to Raise Menu Prices Without Losing Customers
What if the guest you’re pricing around doesn’t exist? Across tens of thousands of guest reviews, nobody has ever complained about paying too little. What
