Behind the Numbers

Prakash Karamchandani -- PK -- co-founded Balance Pan-Asian Grille in 2008 with nothing but credit cards and a college roommate. Today Balance runs four corporate locations in Ohio, generates roughly $3 million AUV per store, and carries zero debt. On this episode, PK breaks down the operational and financial systems behind those numbers.

The conversation covers the badge-based pay structure that has driven a 4.6-year average hourly tenure (vs. an industry standard below 12 months), with a maximum pay rate of $24.50 per hour and a current average just over $21. PK explains how 70% of revenue flows through a proprietary mobile app with no per-order fees, how the bubble tea bar alone accounts for 20-22% of gross revenue, and how the company tracks $2,000-per-hour peak throughput and keeps labor below 24% using daily badge density data.

He also talks through the indoor vertical farm in Detroit that supplies the restaurants as a separate LLC, what rising build-out costs (from under $500K pre-COVID to $800K today) mean for their expansion plans, and how usage data in Restaurant365 gave them the leverage to negotiate floor stocking agreements with packaging suppliers during the 2021-2022 supply chain crunch.

Balance has maintained positive same-store sales every year since COVID. 2026 is shaping up to be the company's biggest transformation year yet, with a new app, new POS stack, new operations director, and corporate store growth back on the table.

Rebecca Stewart, VP of Technology at HuHot Mongolian Grill, sits down with Marc Cohen and Rich Sweeney to discuss how a 55-unit family-owned brand uses data and automated reporting to increase sales and reduce theft.

HuHot has been operating for 26 years, starting from a single location in Missoula, Montana. Today the brand serves 1.7 million pounds of noodles annually across three core varieties and tracks that figure through the Actual vs. Theoretical report in Restaurant365.

Rebecca walks through how HuHot built a benchmarking system that publishes performance rankings down to the store level each week, how the Flash Report with roughly 40 data columns functions as their daily fraud checkpoint, how a cloud-based camera system tracks grill-line throughput in addition to serving as a security tool, and how AI-assisted communication tools help store-level managers, including those for whom English is a second language, respond to guest feedback.

She also covers what's driving HuHot's 2026 agenda: deeper bench development, an online training overhaul that replaced binders with tracked videos and certifications, and a new LTO calendar built from a guest marketing survey.

Restaurant workers live and work without paid leave, health benefits, or corporate safety nets. When a crisis hits, whether it is a health emergency, natural disaster, or sudden loss, the financial fall is fast. CORE, the national nonprofit that provides direct financial grants to food and beverage service families, exists to close that gap.

This week on Behind the Numbers, Marc Cohen and Rich Sweeney are joined by Jill Chapman, CORE's Corporate Partnership Director, and Kristine Mills, who leads marketing for the organization after 30 years in restaurant and hospitality marketing. Together, they cover exactly how CORE operates, the numbers behind the mission, and what the organization is building in 2026.

What you'll hear in this episode:

• CORE granted over $600,000 to more than 1,000 individuals last year, with funds reaching recipients within two weeks of application
• 74% of CORE grantees list housing as their primary concern at the time of application
• Single parents make up 56% to 72% of recipients, depending on the year's disaster volume
• The Restaurant365 silver partnership has helped 35 families and delivered 10,000+ meals over two years
• CORE MSO: how restaurant companies can now run branded internal employee assistance programs administered entirely by CORE
• Two new programs for 2026: Caring for the Classroom (school supplies) and Groceries with Gratitude (holiday meals)
• The business case: 75% of consumers prefer brands that support their communities; 90% of brands that do report it has been beneficial
• A first-person grant story from a restaurant worker who went from full-time employment to a hospital bed, unable to walk, in under 72 hours

Resources mentioned:

• CORE website: coregives.org
• CORE social media: @coregives on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook
• Restaurant365: restaurant365.com

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In this episode of Behind the Numbers, presented by R365, Marc Cohen and Rich Sweeney sit down with Troy Hooper, CEO of Hot Palette America and Pepper Lunch.

Pepper Lunch operates 560 restaurants across 17 countries and serves more than 40 million plates annually. With a goal of surpassing 1,100 stores by 2030, Troy breaks down how the brand is building a scalable global franchise system rooted in operational precision, supply chain visibility and disciplined KPI management.

The conversation explores what Troy calls avoiding becoming “data drunk” and instead focusing on the numbers that truly matter. He explains how Pepper Lunch drives profitability through tight portion control, zero in-store prep labor, and a proprietary induction plate system that reaches 500 degrees in 74 seconds and enables ticket times under five minutes.

Troy also shares insights on:

• Launching kiosks and increasing average check by $5.50
• Mandating the right tech stack to support franchisee profitability
• Opening in Hawaii and seeing near double check averages
• Introducing value promotions with 20 percent more product at 20 percent lower price
• Building a 1-to-1 loyalty strategy driven by data and personalization
• Investing in robotics, AI and VR training for the next phase of restaurant operations

This episode is a deep dive into what it takes to scale a global fast casual brand while protecting margins, strengthening franchise relationships and maintaining consistency at every level.

Villa Restaurant Group operates more than 85 locations across 28 concepts. Many of which are inside high-volume airports and destination venues. Managing that level of complexity requires more than strong leadership; it demands disciplined systems and reliable data.

Michael Lehmann, Controller at Villa Restaurant Group, joins Behind the Numbers to explain how consolidating technology created operational clarity, improved purchasing oversight, and positioned the company for scalable growth.

Key topics include guest-focused strategy, the financial benefits of centralized data, contract compliance, AI-driven insights, labor optimization, and expansion plans for the coming year.

This episode offers a practical look at how forward-thinking operators are simplifying workflows, increasing efficiency, and preparing their organizations for the next phase of restaurant innovation.

What is the secret sauce behind a brand that successfully manages over 500 locations while maintaining genuine hospitality? Today, we’re joined by Bill Valentas, CFO of Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers.

Bill walks us through the complexities of managing a rapidly growing franchise, from implementing Actual vs. Theoretical (AvT) reporting to future-proofing your business through scalable software like Restaurant 365. We also dive into the current challenges facing the QSR industry, including record-high beef prices and the evolving "share of wallet" as consumer habits shift toward beverage and snack-based occasions.

Whether you’re a single-unit operator or a multi-concept group, Bill’s insights on "failing fast," taking constructive criticism, and focusing on the "why" behind every change are essential for any restaurant leader.

How do you turn a street food concept into a global brand with nearly 400 locations? On this episode of Behind the Numbers, hosts Rich Sweeney and Marc Cohen interview the financial architects behind Dave’s Hot Chicken: CFO James McGehee and SVP of Finance Scott Putman.

They discuss the brand's explosion from a parking lot to an international sensation, utilizing a lean team and powerful tech stack to support hundreds of franchisees. James and Scott break down the numbers, revealing how they process 25 million pounds of chicken annually and why "extra large birds" are critical to their craveable product. Plus, hear about their new partnership with the largest restaurant owner in the world and what’s coming next with "Dave's After Dark".

In this episode:

• Operational Excellence: Moving from 3.8 to 4.7 stars on Yelp/Google.
• Franchise Economics: AUVs of $3M and strong ROIC.
• Menu Innovation: The success of "Cauliflower" and secret menu hacks.

Subscribe for more insights into what makes a successful restaurant tick.

Black Rock Coffee Bar has doubled its footprint since 2020 and now ships over 26,000 pounds of beans per week to fuel more than 162 locations. But according to VP of Learning and Operations Services Heather Kulzak, the secret isn’t the coffee—it’s the people.

In this episode of Behind the Numbers, Heather joins Marc Cohen and Rich Sweeney to discuss how Black Rock trains 2,500+ employees, maintains drink consistency across states, manages rapid expansion, and leverages Restaurant365 for accurate inventory, smarter ordering, and profit-driving business acumen.

A conversation about culture, scalability, and the numbers behind a fast-growing national coffee brand.

Connect with the Heather & Black Rock Coffee

Connect with Heather Kluzak on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-beutel/

Visit Black Rock Coffee Website: https://www.br.coffee/

Follow Black Rock Coffee on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackrockcoffeebar/

Follow Black Rock Coffee on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blackrockcoffeebar

Follow Black Rock Coffee on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@blackrockcoffeeofficial

Taziki’s Mediterranean Café has grown to 108 locations by holding tightly to one belief: hospitality still matters. But scaling that belief required clarity.

In this episode, we sit down with Dan Simpson, CEO of Taziki’s, and Jean Silva from Square to explore how the partnership between Taziki’s, Square, and Restaurant365 reshaped the company’s entire operational approach.

They break down how unified data unlocked visibility they never had before, why guest frequency at 3.5 visits became a breakthrough insight, how actual vs theoretical food cost exposed hidden waste, and why the future of restaurant tech depends on both simplicity and partnership.

• Visit Taziki's Website: https://www.tazikis.com/
• Visit Square: https://squareup.com
• Visit Restaurant365: https://www.restaurant365.com/

Brand Operations Manager David Selby of Square One Concepts joins Marc Cohen and Rich Sweeney to share how he manages one of Arizona’s largest and most sophisticated beverage programs. David breaks down how his team counts 6,000 bottles, controls 2,100 SKUs, pours nearly 5,000 whiskeys a month, and reduced inventory count time by eight hours.

He explains how Restaurant365 helped cut inventory carrying costs by 24 percent, enabled quick purchase comparisons that used to take weeks, identified price discrepancies across stores, and created a scalable playbook for launching new locations. With growth underway in Scottsdale and beyond, David shares why precision, consistency, and leveraging technology are now essential for every operator.

• Cutting inventory count time by 8 hours saved significant labor across teams of 8 people
• Bourbon & Bones manages more than 2,100 SKUs and counts 6,000 bottles every two weeks
• The bar pours roughly 4,936 two-ounce whiskey pours each month
• Rationalized storage and par levels reduced inventory carrying costs by 24 percent in a year
• Restaurant365 allowed David to run a six-month produce comparison in under 3 hours instead of two weeks
• Consistency across locations is essential when selling bottles ranging from $50 to $7,200