What if a restaurant wasn’t a business—but a way to rebuild a broken city?

That’s how Robért LeBlanc saw it after Hurricane Katrina. He didn’t just open a venue—he created a space to reconnect a fractured community. In this episode, we go deep on how Robért has used hospitality to heal, unite, and inspire. 

From the ethos behind his post-Katrina nightclub to the values driving his now 350-person company, Robért shares how storytelling, humility, and a culture of ownership have become his ultimate competitive edge. We talk about failure, course correction, and what it really takes to build a team that gives a damn.

This isn’t just about restaurants. It’s about using our work to serve something bigger and why that’s never been more urgent.

To learn more about his work, visit leblancandsmith.com.

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Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.

We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:

Yelp for Restaurants Podcasts

Restaurant expert videos & webinars

I’m Josh Kopel, a Michelin-awarded restaurateur and the creator of the Restaurant Scaling System. I’ve spent decades in the industry, building, scaling, and coaching restaurants to become more profitable and sustainable. On this show, I cut through the noise to give you real, actionable strategies that help independent restaurant owners run smarter, more successful businesses.

In this episode, I discuss the common pitfalls in restaurant marketing and the importance of having solid systems in place for growth. I emphasize that successful scaling requires a business that can operate independently of the owner and a clear plan for replication. I also share how to test readiness for expansion and highlight the significance of understanding financial metrics before making growth decisions.

Takeaways:

• Most restaurant marketing fails because it's built on guesswork.
• Growth isn't earned through vision, it's earned through replication.
• If you can't replicate your profit, you're just cloning chaos.
• The business must be leader-proof before it can be location-proof.
• Scaling isn't about momentum. It's about predictability.
• Walk away from the restaurant for three days and see what breaks.
• You're building a machine so that you can build your dream.
• If you don't know your math, then you're scaling fiction.
• Assign ownership, create documentation, and build your replacement strategy.
• Tell a friend who's thinking about opening another location.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Restaurant Marketing Challenges
02:44 The Importance of Systems for Growth
05:38 Testing Readiness for Expansion

If you’ve got a marketing or profitability related question for me, email me directly at [email protected] and include Office Hours in the subject line. If you'd like to scale the profitability of your restaurant in only 5 days, sign up for our FREE 5 Day Restaurant Profitability Challenge by visiting https://joshkopel.com.

What if you could take the precision of fine dining and scale it to millions of people—without diluting the magic?

That’s the challenge John Karangis has spent a lifetime solving. From the kitchens of Paris and Gramercy Tavern to leading culinary innovation at Shake Shack, John has mastered the art of translating high-end experience into high-volume impact. 

In this episode, he reveals the playbook behind Shake Shack’s wildly successful LTOs, why most “innovation” fails, and how he balances creativity with consistency in a system built for scale. We also explore the emotional drive behind his work—how fatherhood reshaped his leadership, and why humility may be the sharpest tool in his kitchen.

For any operator looking to elevate their food without losing their soul, this one hits deep.

To learn more about Shake Shack and their culinary innovation, visit shakeshack.com.

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Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.

We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:

Yelp for Restaurants Podcasts

Restaurant expert videos & webinars

What if the best restaurant marketing isn’t digital—it’s emotional?

Giancarlo Pagani has built some of the most talked-about restaurants in LA, not with ads or gimmicks, but with atmosphere.

In this episode, we get into the blueprint behind Mother Wolf’s success, why frequency—not first-timers—is the real metric to chase, and how to design concepts where guests don’t just eat—they escape.

This episode is a wake-up call for every operator chasing virality over loyalty.

For more on his projects, visit https://motherwolfla.com.
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Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.

We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:

Yelp for Restaurants Podcasts

Restaurant expert videos & webinars

What if the goal wasn’t retirement—it was alignment?

Derek Coburn spent decades helping high-net-worth clients chase the dream of early retirement. Today, Derek argues for a radical new philosophy: build a life so meaningful, you wouldn’t want to retire from it.

In this conversation, we dig into the emotional and financial toll of deferring joy, how rethinking retirement can restore time, money, and purpose, and why investing in your relationships, health, and energy yield the greatest ROI. Derek’s not pitching escapism—he’s showing us how to design a life with nothing to run from.

To learn more about his book Let’s Retire Retirement, visit https://www.derekcoburn.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.

We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:

Yelp for Restaurants Podcasts

Restaurant expert videos & webinars

What if the hardest part of change isn’t strategy—it’s psychology?

Mark Politzer walked away from fine dining to lead Norms, a 76-year-old family-style chain deeply rooted in Southern California. Now he’s balancing evolution with preservation, trying to modernize a beloved brand without breaking what makes it work. In this episode, we talk about how to lead legacy teams through change, why internal marketing might be your most important job, and how culture becomes competitive advantage when accountability and pride collide.

This is for anyone navigating the tightrope of tradition and transformation.

To learn more about Norms and their evolving story, visit https://www.norms.com.
____________________________________________________________

Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.

We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:

Yelp for Restaurants Podcasts

Restaurant expert videos & webinars

I’m Josh Kopel, a Michelin-awarded restaurateur and the creator of the Restaurant Scaling System. I’ve spent decades in the industry, building, scaling, and coaching restaurants to become more profitable and sustainable. On this show, I cut through the noise to give you real, actionable strategies that help independent restaurant owners run smarter, more successful businesses.

In this episode, I dive into the critical aspects of profitability in the restaurant industry. I emphasize the importance of effective sales training that prioritizes emotional engagement over just product knowledge. I also share actionable strategies to help restaurant teams connect with guests and sell more effectively by using storytelling and developing a genuine belief in the food they serve.

Takeaways:

• Most restaurant owners think they need more guests.
• Profit isn't random, it's engineered.
• Sales doesn't come from knowledge. It comes from conviction.
• Guests don't buy facts. They buy feelings.
• Selling isn't about pressure, it's about believing.
• The best servers are matchmakers.
• Curiosity builds connection. Emotion builds belief.
• Empower storytelling over scripting.
• If your team isn't trained to feel it, they'll never be able to sell it.
• Make what's working a daily conversation.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Hospitality Insights
01:20 The Importance of Profitability Systems
02:45 Transforming Team Sales Training
05:42 Empowering Teams for Effective Selling

If you’ve got a marketing or profitability related question for me, email me directly at [email protected] and include Office Hours in the subject line. If you'd like to scale the profitability of your restaurant in only 5 days, sign up for our FREE 5 Day Restaurant Profitability Challenge by visiting https://joshkopel.com.

Cooper Vaughan didn’t plan on being a caterer—he was trying not to be.

But what started as a side gig in Lexington, Kentucky, turned into Apiary: one of the most creative and complex hospitality companies in the South. And the key to its success? Reinvention. From fine dining drop-offs during the pandemic to immersive, ticketed culinary experiences that fund a wildly profitable event business, Cooper has found the sweet spot between margin and magic.

In this episode, we break down how he scaled a brand that’s both financially stable and creatively fulfilling, why most caterers are sitting on unrealized gold, and how personal transformation—spiritual and strategic—became the fuel for business evolution.

This isn’t just about making money off weddings. It’s about turning a redheaded stepchild of the industry into a platform for deep connection, artistry, and long-term impact.

To learn more about Apiary and explore their work, visit https://www.the-apiary.com/.
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Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.

We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:

Yelp for Restaurants Podcasts

Restaurant expert videos & webinars

Most people don’t make it out of nightlife. Jamey Shirah didn’t just make it out—he turned the lessons from late nights and crowded bars into a powerhouse hospitality group that’s redefining what Southern restaurants can be.

As the founder of Revival Restaurant Group, Jamey shares how he navigated the leap from nightlife to high-end dining, what he got wrong in the early days, and the mindset shifts that allowed him to scale with intention. We get into the brand architecture behind concepts like Luella and Little Betty, the systems he uses to replicate culture across locations, and how he built a leadership team that makes bold moves possible.

This one’s for every operator ready to evolve without losing the edge that made them great.

To learn more about Revival Restaurant Group and their growing collection of concepts, visit https://revivalrestaurantgroup.com.

____________________________________________________________

Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.

We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content:

Yelp for Restaurants Podcasts

Restaurant expert videos & webinars

I’m Josh Kopel, a Michelin-awarded restaurateur and the creator of the Restaurant Scaling System. I’ve spent decades in the industry, building, scaling, and coaching restaurants to become more profitable and sustainable. On this show, I cut through the noise to give you real, actionable strategies that help independent restaurant owners run smarter, more successful businesses.

In this episode, I talk about the importance of internal reflection in the hospitality industry. I believe restaurant owners should build their businesses around their own desires and experiences, instead of constantly trying to guess what customers want. I share some actionable strategies for creating authentic marketing campaigns that truly resonate—by marketing like a fan and designing offers that we, as owners, would genuinely be excited about. For me, alignment and truth in marketing are key to deeper customer engagement and long-term profitability.

Takeaways:

• Most restaurant owners think they need more guests.
• Profit isn't random, it's engineered.
• Stop guessing what guests want and start solving your own problems.
• You are your target customer.
• Design your next event or menu through your own desires.
• The most profitable thing you can do is build for you.
• Marketing like a fan creates genuine engagement.
• Audit your last three campaigns honestly.
• The right people show up when you build from truth.
• Create offers that you would buy.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Hospitality Insights
01:50 The Importance of Internal Reflection in Marketing
03:44 Building for Yourself: The Key to Success
07:33 Creating Magnetic Marketing Through Authenticity

If you’ve got a marketing or profitability related question for me, email me directly at [email protected] and include Office Hours in the subject line. If you'd like to scale the profitability of your restaurant in only 5 days, sign up for our FREE 5 Day Restaurant Profitability Challenge by visiting https://joshkopel.com.