Behind the Numbers

In this episode of Behind the Numbers, hosts Marc Cohen and Rich Sweeney sit down with Gregg Majewski, CEO and founder of Craveworthy Brands, to unpack how a 28-month-old company grew to 18 brands, 4,300 employees, and over $300 million in systemwide sales.

Gregg shares why culture must come before numbers, how he empowers franchisees to succeed, and why hospitality—not automation—remains the heart of the restaurant business. From Big Chicken with Shaquille O’Neal to Taffer’s Tavern, Gregg reveals the mindset and metrics that drive modern restaurant growth.

Connect with Craveworthy

Connect with Gregg Majewski on LinkedIn

In this episode of Behind the Numbers, hosts Marc Cohen and Rich Sweeney sit down with Joshua Lacer Watkins, CFO of Ice Age Management Inc., a McDonald’s franchisee group operating more than 50 restaurants across North Carolina.

Joshua shares how focusing on margins, cash flow, and operational KPIs drives sustainable growth and how tools like Restaurant365 empower both finance and operations teams to make smarter, faster decisions.

Key insights include:

• Why cash flow is king in restaurant operations

• How technology improves financial transparency and decision-making

• The growing role of fractional CFOs in the restaurant industry

• How connecting financial data with real operations drives better results

• The importance of empathy and communication between accounting and operations teams

World Pizza Champion Melissa Rickman pulls back the curtain on how Wholly Stromboli runs with the discipline of a national chain on just one (soon to be two) locations. Discover how her team drives food costs down to 18.5%, right-sizes staff from 48 to 38 employees, and has tracked more than 866,000 dough balls since 2010. From portion control with engraved scoops to AI-driven menu pricing, Melissa shows why treating a restaurant like a real business is the key to profitability and peace of mind. If you want your restaurant to scale—or simply survive—this is the playbook.

Connect with Melissa

• Visit Wholly Stromboli website
• Connect with Melissa Rickman on LinkedIn
• Wholly Stromboli on Facebook
• Wholly Stromboli on Instagram

Connect with the Show

• Connect with Rich Sweeney on LinkedIn
• Connect with Marc Cohen on LinkedIn
• R365 on Facebook
• R365 on X
• R365 on LinkedIn
• R365 on Instagram

California’s 2024 PAGA reform finally gives operators leverage if they do the work. Employment attorney Anthony Zaller explains how proactive audits, supervisor training, updated policies, and documented corrective actions can cap certain penalties at 15%. We dig into why PAGA filings still exceed 10,000 a year, the $200 per-paycheck pay-stub risk, when to add HR support (25 employees) and bring it in-house (50), and how top operators use 15-minute labor matrices with schedule guardrails to manage rising wages. Practical steps, real numbers, and a clear playbook to turn legal risk into operational discipline.

Connect with Anthony Zaller

• Connect with Anthony on LinkedIn
• Visit Zaller Law's Website
• Follow Zaller Law on LinkedIn
• Connect with Zaller Law on Facebook
• Follow Anthony Zaller on X
• Watch The Legal Lineup on YouTube
• Follow Anthony Zaller on Instagram

Connect with the Show

• Connect with Rich Sweeney on LinkedIn
• Connect with Marc Cohen on LinkedIn
• R365 on Facebook
• R365 on X
• R365 on LinkedIn
• R365 on Instagram

CFO and author Bruce Nelson breaks down how AI is changing the finance side of restaurants. From when to bring in a fractional CFO (hint: around $10M in revenue) to why one source of truth for numbers is essential, Bruce shares lessons from his career and vision for the future.

Connect with Bruce Nelson

• Connect with Bruce on LinkedIn
• Visit Bruce's Website

Connect with the Show

• Connect with Rich Sweeney on LinkedIn
• Connect with Marc Cohen on LinkedIn
• R365 on Facebook
• R365 on X
• R365 on LinkedIn
• R365 on Instagram

What happens when you’re evicted from a 3,000-seat restaurant? If you’re Michael Ungaro of San Pedro Fish Market, you innovate, adapt, and scale…from a parking lot. In this episode of Behind the Numbers, Michael shares how knowing his numbers, leaning into tech like Restaurant365, and telling the right story helped turn disruption into growth.

Connect with Michael Ungaro & San Pedro Fish Market

• Connect with Michael Ungaro on LinkedIn
• Connect with San Pedro Fish Market on LinkedIn
• Follow San Pedro Fish Market on Instagram
• Check out Kings of Fish on Amazon Prime

Connect with the Show

• Connect with Rich Sweeney on LinkedIn
• Connect with Marc Cohen on LinkedIn
• R365 on Facebook
• R365 on X
• R365 on LinkedIn
• R365 on Instagram

Rick Miller and Max Prifogle from RLM Hospitality join Behind the Numbers to share the systems they use to create financially fluent operators. Learn how weekly soft closes, actual vs. theoretical reporting, and custom dashboards align managers with the business—and why the right bonus plan can unlock your team’s full potential.

Connect with the Guests

• Connect with Max Prifogle on LinkedIn
• Connect with Rick Miller on LinkedIn
• Visit RLM Hospitality website

Connect with the Show

• Connect with Rich Sweeney on LinkedIn
• Connect with Marc Cohen on LinkedIn
• R365 on Facebook
• R365 on X
• R365 on LinkedIn
• R365 on Instagram

Hospitality finance veteran Philip Gay joins Marc Cohen and Rich Sweeney to break down what truly drives restaurant success. From building EYAS Capital’s QSR portfolio to investing in employee training at Paperchase, Philip shares how happy teams, operational scorecards, and AI-powered engagement fuel profitability. Plus, hear his timeless rule: people, product, and place drive profit.

Connect with the Guest

• Connect with Philip Gay on LinkedIn
• Connect with Paperchase on Instagram
• Connect with Paperchase on Linkedin
• Connect with Eyas Capital on Linkedin

Connect with the Show

• Connect with Rich Sweeney on LinkedIn
• Connect with Marc Cohen on LinkedIn
• R365 on Facebook
• R365 on X
• R365 on LinkedIn
• R365 on Instagram

Jung Lee, VP of Supply Chain for Kura Sushi USA, sat down with Marc and Rich to share his expertise in inventory management and restaurant operations. He brings a unique background as a sushi chef and delves into Kura Sushi's expansion from Japan to the United States.

This episode dives into innovative new technologies like robots in food delivery and what it takes to keep customers coming back.

Be sure to subscribe to Behind the Numbers here on YouTube and everywhere you listen to podcasts!

Connect with the Guest

• Connect with Jung Lee on LinkedIn
• Connect with Kura Sushi on LinkedIn
• Follow Kura Sushi on Instagram
• Visit Kura Sushi website

Connect with the Show

• Connect with Rich Sweeney on LinkedIn
• Connect with Marc Cohen on LinkedIn
• R365 on Facebook
• R365 on X
• R365 on LinkedIn
• R365 on Instagram

In this episode of Behind the Numbers, Andrei Stern, co-founder of Suviche, shares the inside story of how he transformed a tiny, 10-seat Miami eatery into a thriving multi-location hospitality brand. Discover how rapid, daily communication, strategic use of data to overcome supply chain challenges, a transparent commission-based pay structure, and a sharp focus on menu specialization became key ingredients in Suviche’s success. Tune in to uncover the operational insights and strategic decisions behind this remarkable growth story.

Connect with Andrei

• Connect with Andrei Stern on LinkedIn
• Visit Suviche Website
• Follow Suviche on Instagram
• Follow Suviche on Facebook
• Follow Suviche on X

Connect with the Show

• Connect with Rich Sweeney on LinkedIn
• Connect with Marc Cohen on LinkedIn
• R365 on Facebook
• R365 on X
• R365 on LinkedIn
• R365 on Instagram