Since opening Cali BBQ 12 years ago, his family-run restaurant and media business in San Diego has generated more than $30 million in sales. As a restaurateur who opened during the Great Recession, Shawn Walchef learned to use digital tools and big ideas to stay in business. During the Pandemic, Shawn and his Cali BBQ Media team have developed a scalable plan that is three times more profitable than the traditional full-service restaurant model. Cali BBQ is working on a plan to repurpose 60 percent of their dining room into a commissary kitchen to service the additional “friendly” ghost kitchens they plan to add over the next three years.

Shawn Walchef also hosts two video and audio podcasts Digital Hospitality & Restaurant Influencers, which are just one facet of his burgeoning media empire that also includes content creation, consulting, and more services to assist others in their digital evolution. He strives to help fellow entrepreneurs learn the right tools and strategies to unlock endless opportunities for new businesses.

Follow Shawn :

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/shawnpwalchef/

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@shawnpwalchef

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnpwalchef/

Special thanks to the team over at DAVO for the gifting the tickets to The National Restaurant Association Show.

DM for your chance to win!

Register at ⁠⁠⁠⁠nationalrestaurantshow.com/mmr⁠⁠⁠⁠ with MrRsdiscount to save $25 off the onsite rate. 

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Discover the future of dining in this episode as we explore how AI-driven customer service revolutionizes the restaurant industry. Learn about the various applications of AI, from reservation management and personalized recommendations to real-time feedback and data-driven insights. Find out how implementing AI solutions can improve customer satisfaction, boost retention, and give your restaurant a competitive edge. Tune in for entertaining and informative discussions, real-life examples, and actionable tips to elevate your restaurant's dining experience through the power of AI.

Register at ⁠⁠⁠nationalrestaurantshow.com/mmr⁠⁠⁠ with MrRsdiscount to save $25 off the onsite rate. 

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The 2023 Food and Beverage (FABI) Awards® has selected 42 recipients of industry-altering products that shape what’s new and next for the future of food and beverage. New this year, the judges selected eight FABI Awardees as FABI Favorites as the most groundbreaking and influential of the year. The new designation provides special recognition for the judges’ top FABI Award recipients, which stood out among an already exceptional lineup of items exemplifying creativity, ingenuity and the ability to expand menu options industry-wide. Attendees will be able to taste FABI Favorites and FABI Awardees at the new Connections space (located in The Culinary Experience) throughout the Show. 

New this year, join the FABI Judges at The Culinary Experience session “F&B Products You Need To Know: Judge-Selected FABI Favorites” where members of the expert-led panel will share their top picks of the year and how they are changing the industry.

My guests today:

Pat Cobe

Pat Cobe is a senior editor at Restaurant Business, a B2B publication for the restaurant industry. She covers the menu beat, writing about food and beverage trends, the research and development behind menus and profiles of chefs and restaurateurs. Pat also hosts Menu Feed, a biweekly podcast that covers a wide range of menu topics through interviews with chefs and operators. Previously, Pat worked at Hearst Magazines as an executive editor for special publications. She is the co-author of the Mompreneurs series of books as well as two cookbooks. She graduated from Cornell University and earned a Masters in Journalism from Boston University. Pat has served on the Les Dames d’Escoffier board for both the New York and Chicago chapters and has chaired the scholarship committee. She also serves as a longtime judge for the James Beard Media Awards.

Katie Belflower

Katie Belflower is an Associate Editor at Technomic, a Winsight Company. She tracks and analyzes current and predictive menu and concept trends and data for both the U.S. and Canada. In addition to contributing to reports and newsletters, Katie also presents various webinars and at conferences for the U.S. and Canada markets

Register at ⁠⁠nationalrestaurantshow.com/mmr⁠⁠ with MrRsdiscount to save $25 off the onsite rate. 

Click ⁠⁠⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠ to join The Closed Monday Community!

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Looking for restaurant tech? Check out exclusive offers from our partners:

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Harold is first and foremost a husband of one wife and father of 3 children. Featured in QSR Magazine as one of 35 Young Leaders to watch for, Harold has cast a vision for Shootz to grow into a top nationwide fast-casual brand. Before co-founding Shootz, Harold founded and operated multiple 6 and 7-figure e-commerce brands, a direct response marketing agency, and a short-term rental business. His previous experience as a software developer combined with his business experience makes him a diverse individual who can scale his efforts into the quickly growing, technology-backed fast-casual restaurant industry.

Click ⁠⁠⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠ to join The Closed Monday Community!

Exclusive Sponsor - Four Turns - Restaurant Growth Experts

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Looking for restaurant tech? Check out exclusive offers from our partners:

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Dana Noorily and Julie Mountain met in Westport, CT in 2010 at a birthday party that both were attending with their daughters. They immediately struck up a conversation about how to get their kids to eat in a more balanced way, and a friendship was born. Upon meeting, Julie shared her idea with Dana to start a granola company — to make a beautiful, handmade, giftable granola. Dana was on board and O.A.T.S. Granola was born and sold at Whole Foods and many other stores along the east coast. Operations began in their home kitchens until they quickly grew to need a co-manufacturing facility in New Jersey.

Years into their granola business, a colleague recommended that they consider cooking O.A.T.S. in their hometown, which would give them an opportunity to create a cafe experience in the front. The always-hungry ladies got together and wrote a menu of their dreams. They knew that in addition to delicious, modern, beautiful food, they would want a space where their community in Westport could feel happy and comfortable and have an experience beyond the food. The Granola Bar flagship opened its doors in December 2013.

While Dana and Julie had no experience in the restaurant business, their love of food, combined with their backgrounds in finance and marketing respectively, helped to fuel their success. However, the most important ingredient is the friendship that has been born from working together. Their collaborative style trickles into everything they do from empowering their corporate staff to the customers feeling like a regular after their first visit.

As the business evolved and expanded, TGB Hospitality Group was formed and now includes 7 restaurants, a catering business, The Granola Bar food truck and a restaurant consultancy.

As Dana and Julie enter 10 years in the restaurant business, more expansion and additional restaurant concepts are on the horizon.

Click ⁠⁠⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠⁠⁠ to join The Closed Monday Community!

Exclusive Sponsor - Four Turns - Restaurant Growth Experts

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to schedule your FREE 15 min Consultation⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Looking for restaurant tech? Check out exclusive offers from our partners:

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Jim Thorpe is a seasoned professional in the Food Service Industry, with over 25 years of experience. As the head of ARAMARK Brand Standards and Innovation, he oversees all aspects of food service design, including equipment specifications, labor models, and operations. Jim's diverse background includes designing and constructing local restaurants, food halls, stadiums, college and healthcare facilities, as well as national and local chain restaurants. He is passionate about innovation in food service design and is dedicated to developing new solutions to optimize kitchen operations and labor. Jim has played a key role in the development of core ARAMARK brands, such as Autonomous Store and Ghost Kitchens, as well as enhancing the overall customer and employee experience. Additionally, he serves on the board of the National Restaurant Association's Innovative Kitchen Equipment Awards, where he reviews and provides feedback on new and innovative cooking equipment to modernize and advance the food service industry.

Dick Eisenbarth, FCSI, has dedicated 45 years of his career to Cini-Little, holding several senior positions throughout his tenure. While he has stepped back from day-to-day leadership, Dick continues to mentor staff and stay active in the foodservice industry through various programs. As a Professional Member of Foodservice Consultants Society International (FCSI), he serves on several industry and educational advisory boards and is a past Trustee for The Americas Division. Dick shares his industry knowledge by speaking at academic and industry conferences and serves as a Judge for the National Restaurant Association’s Kitchen Innovations Awards Program. He is heavily involved with his alma mater, Purdue University, serving as a President's Council Member and Strategic Alliance Committee Member for the Hospitality and Tourism Management Department. Dick has received several awards for his contributions to the industry, including the Bob Pacifico "Doing Well by Doing Good" Award from FCSI, the Hall of Fame Award from Foodservice Equipment & Supplies, and the Industry Service Award from Foodservice Equipment Report. Dick resides in Jacksonville, Florida, with his wife, Polly, and they have two adult children, a granddaughter, and a dachshund beagle mix.

Register at ⁠nationalrestaurantshow.com/mmr⁠ with MrRsdiscount to save $25 off the onsite rate. 

Click ⁠⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠⁠ to join The Closed Monday Community!

Exclusive Sponsor - Four Turns - Restaurant Growth Experts

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to schedule your FREE 15 min Consultation⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Looking for restaurant tech? Check out exclusive offers from our partners:

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✅ Website: http://kyleinserra.com

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Jason Berkowitz is currently the CEO and Founder of Arrow Up Training - restaurant safety, compliance & leadership in one easy toolkit. Their programs have become standard practice for independent restaurants, top companies, and large-scale corporations. Jason has opened over 50 restaurants, created training programs for some of the top global chefs, served as VP of Operations for Umami Burger, COO and Partner for Tocaya Organica and Toca Madera, and is a founding board member for The Independent Hospitality Coalition in Los Angeles. 

Jason's the author of 'Please Don't Sleep With The Host & 49 other tips for managing a profitable, functional restaurant.' 

Click below to save $25 off your ticket to The National Restaurant Association Show!

http://nationalrestaurantshow.com/mmr

Click ⁠⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠⁠ to join The Closed Monday Community!

Exclusive Sponsor - Four Turns - Restaurant Growth Experts

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to schedule your FREE 15 min Consultation⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Looking for restaurant tech? Check out exclusive offers from our partners:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Marquii⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Lisa Malikow is the Senior Vice President Event Operations & Programming for Winsight Exhibitions and has over 21 years in exhibitions management experience. In this role, she is responsible for the strategic and operational management of The National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show® is the largest annual gathering of restaurant, food service, and lodging professionals worldwide, from all 50 states and 100+ countries each May to Chicago, Illinois. Lisa joined the Show in October 2008 as Show Manager of the International Wine, Spirits and Beer Event focused on the adult beverage segment in food service. Currently, Lisa oversees various critical areas for the Show, including event operations, special events, education programming, year-round digital strategies and budget management. Prior to the Restaurant Show, Lisa spent over 7 years at SmithBucklin Corporation, primarily focused on tradeshows in the technology and business-trade sectors. Lisa is a former Chairperson of the Midwestern Chapter of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events and is currently vice-chair for the Major American Trade Show Organizers (MATSO) council. Lisa is a graduate of DePauw University with a B.A. in Communications Arts & Sciences.

Register at nationalrestaurantshow.com/mmr with MrRsdiscount to save $25 off the onsite rate. 

Click ⁠⁠HERE⁠⁠ to join The Closed Monday Community!

Exclusive Sponsor - Four Turns - Restaurant Growth Experts

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to schedule your FREE 15 min Consultation⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Looking for restaurant tech? Check out exclusive offers from our partners:

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Venturing into the world of restaurant ownership can be a thrilling yet complex journey, filled with countless decisions and potential pitfalls. Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting to explore the realm of culinary business, our podcast is here to help you navigate the process confidently and easily. Check it out as I review the knowledge, strategies, and expert advice that will empower you to make informed decisions and set your restaurant up for success.

Click ⁠HERE⁠ to join The Closed Monday Community!

Exclusive Sponsor - Four Turns - Restaurant Growth Experts

⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to schedule your FREE 15 min Consultation⁠⁠⁠⁠

Looking for restaurant tech? Check out exclusive offers from our partners:

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⁠⁠⁠⁠Toast⁠⁠⁠⁠

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✅ Website: http://kyleinserra.com

✅ Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/kyleinserra

✅ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyleinserra/

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In this episode, we dive into the story of Matt Watson, co-founder of Grigg Street Pizza, the incredible Greenwich pizzeria that has been making waves since the day it opened. Matt takes us through their journey, from a cautious opening in 2020 to selling out their delicious pies on a regular basis.

Follow the team at Grigg Street

🍕 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/griggstreetpizza

🍕Website : https://www.griggstreetpizza.com/

Click HERE to join The Closed Monday Community!

Exclusive Sponsor - Four Turns - Restaurant Growth Experts

⁠⁠⁠Click here to schedule your FREE 15 min Consultation⁠⁠⁠

Looking for restaurant tech? Check out exclusive offers from our partners:

⁠⁠⁠Marquii⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Toast⁠⁠⁠

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✅ Website: http://kyleinserra.com

✅ Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/kyleinserra

✅ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyleinserra/

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