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Coming to grips with over 100,000 restaurants shuttered...It's time to fix what's broken. Created in partnership with Yelp for Restaurants, FULL COMP is a weekly show exploring the past & future of the hospitality industry. Provocative & actionable, the show aims to ask the tough questions, supplying listeners with the tools & resources needed to thrive post-pandemic. The host, Michelin-rated restaurateur Josh Kopel, challenges conventional wisdom by hosting both hospitality professionals & ...
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After cooking in 5 Michelin-starred restaurants, you might be surprised to find Chef Myles Moody in a butcher shop but there is a method to his madness. At Kinship, Myles has managed to find lightning in the bottle. This cafe, coffee shop, butcher shop hybrid has done so well locally that they’ve received national attention and the calls to expand …
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Learning how to tell a great story will make you popular at the next cocktail party you attend but there are some other unexpected benefits. Meet Shannon Smith, an accidental chef that has built a massive private dining business and launched a successful cookbook off the back of what can only be described as world-class storytelling. Today Shannon …
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Can lightning strike twice? After interviewing Chad Coulter, I’d say so. After building and successfully selling his restaurant brand Louvino, Chad is at it again with his latest creation Biscuit Belly. Today we sit down to discuss the essential elements of a scalable brand and what needs to be considered when determining the best way to grow that …
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Restaurateur and consultant Elizabeth Blau wasn’t just present for the culinary renaissance in Las Vegas over the last 20 years, she helped usher it in. After working with the best restaurateurs and chefs in the world and becoming a successful consultant globally, Elizabeth did the unthinkable…she launched her own restaurant group. Spanning multipl…
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As many of you know, I came up in this industry through nightlife. In the early 2000’s, nightlife was defined by prolific nightclubs that burned red-hot, only to close six months later. But that wasn’t the story for Jamie Mulholland. For more than two decades, Jamie has built brands that last, like Cain and Goldbar. Today we sit down to discuss his…
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We’ve all heard the phrase, your network determines your net worth but how many times have you seen it exemplified in our industry? Meet Dara Mirjahangiry, founder of Sei Less. This star-studded restaurant is defined by elegance, artful dining, and its celebrity clientele. Today we sit down with Dara to discuss how he built such an influential netw…
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If someone asked me for only one piece of advice when it comes to entrepreneurship, I would say “build for yourself.” What I mean by that is that it’s impossible to know the minds and the desires of others but we can know ourselves. Serving yourself mercilessly means you’re serving everyone that feels just like you. Jeremy Cohn and Jared Rouben did…
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When you think of an old 1950’s diner, a lot comes to mind but probably not massive growth and a prolific delivery business. Kurt Metzger sits at the helm of Norma’s Cafe, a 70 year old Texas diner, which is having a moment right now. Kurt was charged with bringing this heritage brand to an entirely new generation and, in doing so, has redefined wh…
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Growth in our industry can take many forms. For some, the privately owned route is the only way to go, for others, franchising is the path of least resistance. Today we sit down with franchising expert Greg Mohr to discuss the pros and cons of franchising as well as the pitfalls to avoid when taking the leap into franchising. Whether you’re interes…
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It seems like some folks just have the Midas touch, everything they touch turns to gold. For me, Michael Zislis is one of those guys. A restaurateur and hotelier, Michael has taken Southern California and then the world by storm. Today we sit down to discuss how one man can build a few blockbuster single unit restaurants and then turn around and cr…
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It’s my pleasure to interview the industry leaders of today and ask the questions we’re all thinking of. But it’s my privilege to present to you the industry thought leaders of tomorrow. Today we sit down with David Zhao, co-founder of the Chubby Group, to discuss how they’re rapidly scaling their restaurant concepts globally through innovative joi…
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Artificial intelligence feels a lot like the food trends. It looks amazing and everyone is talking about it but it’s hard to figure out exactly how it should fit into our restaurants. That’s where Avi Goren comes in. Since founding Marqii in 2017, Avi and his team have relentlessly looked for ways to optimize the restaurant industry using technolog…
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You’re about to hear the word intention dropped close to one thousand times over the next 40 minutes. If there’s only one common thread amongst the most successful restaurateurs I interview, it’s the power of intention. Today we sit down with coffee roaster turned restaurateur, Angel Medina, to talk about how his unlikely path wasn’t accidental at …
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Imagine a world where you sign up to work with a company that promises to help you drive revenue and you never pay them a dollar–rather, they pay you. This was the dream of Max Shauff when he created LineLeap, an app that helps bars, nightclubs, and venues capitalize on the existing demand from their patrons. Today we sit down with Max and his coll…
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What if I told you I knew a guy that could convince his guests to come back twice a month? What if I told you that same guy could actually convince his guests to come back twice a day? Today we sit down with Kris Schoenberger, the founder of the BBQ’d Productions restaurant group. Kris didn’t invent the red envelope campaign but he has certainly ma…
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Next year marks 40 years since the first California Pizza Kitchen opened. CPK predates the casual restaurant movement, social media, online delivery and even the internet. To stay relevant over the years you’ve got to find the perfect balance between consistency and innovation. Today we sit down with the head of innovation for CPK, Paul Pszybylski,…
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So many of us look to successful restaurateurs and wonder how they did it. How were they able to climb to such great heights? Today we sit down with Robby Berg, operating partner of Genghis Grill to find out exactly how. In our conversation, we learn the linear path to self determination and financial success. For more information on Genghis Grill,…
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If we’re paying rent 24 hours a day, we must generate revenue 24 hours a day. But, with food costs and the cost of labor skyrocketing, our revenue models are evolving. Enter Mike Sebazco of Famous Toastery. With over two dozen locations and counting, this one shift business is shifting the way we look at operations and profitability. We sat down to…
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Aging gracefully is not always the easiest thing to do. Our world has changed so much in the last 10 years and our values have as well. That has led some brands to thrive while others have withered. Hooters, a divisive brand to many, intends to maintain its position in the cultural zeitgeist and today we chat with Larry Linen, their COO, to discuss…
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The Cornerstone Restaurant Group is like the Michael Jordan of restaurant groups–and not just because they partnered with Michael Jordan on MJ23 and the Michaell Jordan Steakhouse. Today we sit down with two of the three leaders of the organization, Josh and Danny to discuss how they’ve managed to scale blockbuster brands across multiple tiers of d…
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Prepare yourself for one of the most interesting guests I’ve ever hosted on the show. Today we sit down with Josh Copeland of the Camino Alto restaurant in the Bay Area. Josh is a zealot in the way we think of Blue Hill Restaurant or Chef Charlie Trotter–the best ingredients served in an uncompromising fashion. Josh Copeland is a model of focus, sh…
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I can’t imagine any of us entered the fine dining category without hoping for a Michelin or a James Beard or Wine Spectator accolade. They say success leaves clues and today I sit down with Chef Juan Jose Cuevas to discuss what he’s learned over the years, running world-class restaurants and collecting awards along the way. There is a blueprint for…
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Before taking the restaurant world by storm, Andy Wiederhorn was a finance guy and used his deep understanding of business to grow in the quick service, fast casual, and casual dining markets. Today we sit down to discuss how one man franchises so many household brands from Round Table Pizza to Fatburger and from Johnny Rockets to Marble Slab Cream…
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How many hours have we spent worrying about what the future holds for our industry? How could that time be better spent? Enter Matt Newberg. Matt is a student of our industry, diving deep into every vertical of the food service space, analyzing its strengths and weaknesses. This exploration has evolved into a vibrant community which, next month, go…
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What happens when a restaurateur partners with a professional marketer? Well, the short answer is: magic. Today we sit down with the marketing geniuses behind For the Table Hospitality, a company blazing trails and setting sales records across Tallahassee, Florida. What’s working for them would work for you too and in our conversation we work to un…
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How lucky am I that one of my restaurant heroes is actually my friend. Ari Weinzweig built the $80 million dollar Zingerman's restaurant empire but what’s most interesting is how he built it. In an industry known for being cutthroat and cynical, Ari has chosen to lead with empathy and dignity. Today we sit down together to discuss the role that dig…
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You’ve heard the story before…local guy leaves home, works for the best of the best, and then returns home victorious. But that’s only half of the story. When Chef Jeremy Blutstein returned home after working with some of the most prolific chefs in the industry, he saw the opportunity to influence the culinary future of the place he grew up. Today …
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Believe it or not, one of the most powerful marketing tools in your business is customer feedback. The closer we are to our guests, the better able we are to serve them. Today we sit down with Zack Oates, the founder and chief evangelist of Ovation, a powerful platform that transforms customer feedback into actionable information. We cover everythi…
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I walked into today’s conversation with a little career envy. Few in our industry have had the good fortune to work for and with so many amazing companies. Today we sit down with Olivier Rassinoux to discuss how working with prolific brands like the Ritz Carlton, Daniel Boulud, and the Ace Hotel group paved the way for his current role as the VP of…
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Jesse Cole is not an restaurateur, but, like so many of us, he is an entertainer at heart. I’ve brought him on the show today to discuss his baseball team, the Savannah Bananas, and how they’ve redefined what it means to attend a professional baseball game. This is a masterclass on exceeding customer expectations, building an unforgettable experien…
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Everyone wants the blueprint to scale their restaurant business but knowledge isn’t enough. It’s not just about what you need to know, it’s about who you need to become. Today I sit down with one of the strongest leaders in our industry. John Haggai has spent his life in the restaurant industry and the lessons he’s learned on his way to the top can…
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No one would argue that QR codes are popping up more and more but the physical menus still reigns supreme. That being the case it made sense to bring in the master of the menu Kyle Ewing. Kyle and his company TerraSlate have crafted millions of the most durable menus on the planet and that gives him a unique perspective. Today we sit down to discus…
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On paper it seems like a no brainer…simply take one of the most famous restaurant brands in Italy and open it in the United States. What could go wrong? Just months into Francesco Zimone opening L’antica Pizzeria Da Michele in Hollywood the global pandemic hit. Leveraged to the hilt, Francesco set about creating a comeback so epic it could have bee…
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While so many of us spent the pandemic scrambling, Cody Pruitt spend that time planning. Cody is literally the only first time restaurateur I know that opened a restaurant in a major city and managed to adhere to the plan. Today we sit down to discuss how to build and stick to a restaurant business plan and how he managed to blow his revenue target…
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You walk into a restaurant and it just makes sense. It all feels right…the decor, the menus, the music and you know that they’re selling more than a meal, it’s a lifestyle. Today we sit down with Scott Lawton, the co-founder of bartaco, to discuss the foundational elements of the bartaco brand and how those elements come together to make the guest …
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Do you feel like you should be further along in your career–that you should be more successful than you are today? Had you met Bob Spivak at 39 years old, you probably wouldn’t have thought much of him but, in his 40’s, he would go on to create one of the most prolific restaurant brands in Hollywood and then scale it nationally. Today, we sit down …
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San Pedro Fish Market is one of the highest-grossing independent restaurants in the US. Once we’ve taken a moment for that to sink in, we need to talk about how it became one of the highest-grossing independent restaurants in America. To have that conversation, we’re sitting down with Michael Ungaro, San Pedro’s CEO to discuss how narrowing focus a…
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I have yet to come across an independent restaurant owner that didn’t open their restaurant to better serve their community. But things get tricky when we try to get granular. We all aspire to serve our communities but with tight margins and low profits, most of us struggle to fulfill our lofty goals around community impact. Enter Andrew Glantz of …
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Chef Luke Reyes is a master of mastery. I’ve worked with Luke in the past and I’ve followed his career as he’s worked to reinvent himself and contemporary cuisines over the last almost two decades. We’re both a bit older and wiser and today we sit down to discuss what’s worked and what hasn’t over the course of our careers. This is a masterclass in…
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Today is a great day because today I got to sit down with my friend, Hamed. There are so many things that I love about this guys but–above all others–Hamed is relentless. In another life, I’m sure he was a prolific restaurateur. In this life, he’s a technologist and an entrepreneur working to solve the foundational issues within our industry. Today…
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Most days we’re talking about food and beverage. Today we’re talking about baseball. Enter Jack Sanders, an entrepreneur who answers the question “What if the movie Field of Dreams was a person?” We’re discussing what it took to build community and a baseball field in his own backyard and the lessons we can learn as restaurateurs about creating rav…
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Today you’re going to hear about how a first time restaurateur not only built a profitable business but also set it up so that she could move across the country for three years and have it operate seamlessly without her. It wasn’t all roses but Weesie Newton sits down today to share the path that led her to the restaurant industry, her departure fr…
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It’s hard enough to open our own restaurant concepts. It takes a creative mind to reimagine someone else’s concept and breathe new life into a tired old restaurant. Today we sit down with Chef and restaurateur Brandon Boudet to discuss how on more than one occasion, he’s taken ownership of a money pit and transformed it into a cash cow. As it turns…
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Sign up for this next week's 5-Day Restaurant Profitability Challenge by visiting www.joshkopel.com Here's a Preview of the Amazing Stuff You’ll Learn: Day 1: You’ll learn the 3 Keys to Profitability that scale your restaurant’s cash flow without increasing your expenses so that you can stop worrying about money. Day 2: You’ll learn how to Master…
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The band is back together. Today, we sit down with my old partners in crime from my restaurant group, Executive Chef Sammy Monsour and Beverage Director Kassady Wiggins. We’re discussing how to score a lucrative cookbook deal, what we would do differently if we could start all over again, and how to create a company culture so amazing, employees fl…
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What does it take to win a Michelin star in the midst of a global pandemic? It’s easy to look at Chef Sujan Sakar’s success today and see a charmed life but this is a man who has paid his dues. Sujan spent decades traveling the globe to hone his craft. Today we sit down to discuss how a broad education led him right back to the cuisine that he grew…
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It feels like it would be glamorous to be a pioneer of a new cuisine in a new city but rarely does that translate into success. It’s hard enough to sell something someone has heard of before. Today we sit down with the exception to the rule. Chef Anthony Mangieri is almost singularly responsible for the introduction of neapolitan pizza to New York.…
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Before he was repping underwear for Shinesty on social media, Duke Harten was repping wine at a local Los Angeles restaurant. Today, with millions of views under his belt, Duke seems to have cracked the code for viral marketing online. Today we sit down to discuss the formula he’s developed for Shinesty’s social media success and how we can leverag…
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I can’t tell you how many folks reach out to me with struggling businesses. Interestingly enough, they’re not interested in learning how to run a better business, they’re interested in learning how to win awards. Something as significant as a Michelin star or as simple as a James Beard Nomination can mean the difference between a busy dining room a…
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Building a restaurant is hard. Building a high performance team to work in that restaurant is harder. Today we sit down with chef/owner Zach Engel to talk about how the culture he grew up in informed the culture of his company. We discuss the merits of mutual investment, how to hire correctly, and how to create a company culture so pervasive that y…
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