What if the best restaurant stories aren’t about food—they’re about identity, risk, and reinvention?

Johno Morisano didn’t set out to open a restaurant—he set out to escape. But a chance encounter with a Greyhound bus station, and later, chef Mashama Bailey, sparked something deeper: a creative and cultural reckoning that became The Grey.

In this conversation, we unpack how Johno turned personal uncertainty into professional clarity, why the partnership with Mashama worked when others would have failed, and how building a restaurant from scratch became an act of redemption. We get into what it really takes to thrive in a small market, how to build a business that feels like it belongs, and why chasing growth without meaning almost cost him everything.

This isn’t about real estate or restaurants. It’s about what happens when you finally stop running—and start building.

For more on The Grey and his work with Mashama Bailey, visit thegreyrestaurant.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

What if knowing nothing was your greatest strategic advantage?

Alex Pincus didn’t grow up in restaurants—he grew up on boats. And when he stumbled into hospitality, it wasn’t with a plan. It was with a floating bar, a donated ship, and zero experience. 

In this conversation, we unpack how that ignorance created freedom, why top-line success almost hid the real problems, and how grief rewired his entire relationship with risk. We explore the tension between magic and margin, the beauty of seasonal business models, and the mindset behind building concepts that break every rule.

This episode is for anyone who feels called to go off-script—and needs a reason to trust that instinct.

To learn more about Crew and their waterfront concepts, visit crew.fun.

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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

What if the biggest threat to your restaurant’s success isn’t a lack of ideas—but too many of them?

Chris Gannon built BOLAY with the DNA of a legacy brand—his father helped launch Outback Steakhouse. But unlike the bloomin’ days of casual dining, fast-casual success demands ruthless focus.

In this episode, Chris shares how over-innovation almost broke his business, why the need to be creative can kill consistency, and the real lesson behind scaling a scratch-made concept. We get into why most founders outgrow their own systems, how a background in marketing helped him build culture from day one, and the power of saying no to the next shiny object.

If you’re trying to grow without losing your soul—or your sanity—this one’s for you.

To learn more about BOLAY and their mission to make bold, fresh food fast, visit bolay.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

Michael Mina is the best in the biz. He's mastered excellence at scale. What's equally impressive is that he's done it alongside his partner Patric Yumul for the last 20 years.

Think about how much our industry has changed in the last 20 years. Today, the three of us reflect back on their decades long partnership together and look forward to the next chapter of their partnership.

For more on the Mina Group go to https://www.michaelmina.net
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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 imposter syndrome wasn’t a weakness, but a compass?

Emily Brubaker didn’t think she was ready to run a resort kitchen. She didn’t think she’d win a national TV competition. But she did both—by betting on her values, not her ego.
In this episode, we get into the real story behind her journey from Vegas fine dining to Omni La Costa. She opens up about leaving the kitchen to raise kids, coming back through heartbreak and grit, and the radical changes she’s making to leadership culture in resorts.

We talk about redefining balance, leading with empathy, and what it looks like to finally believe in yourself—without losing your edge.

This one’s for every operator who’s ever felt like they didn’t belong. Emily shows us that growth doesn’t always start with confidence. Sometimes it starts with a question: “What if I’m wrong about myself?”

To follow her work, check her Instagram @chefbrubs. 

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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

Lauren Fernandez went from working in restaurants, to working on restaurants, to influencing the industry at scale. After cutting her teeth as a corporate executive turned franchisee, she’s taken the lessons she’s learned and crafted not only an educational platform, but an investment engine for those that come after her.

Today, we discuss what she's built and how it works to ease the burden of independent restaurateurs.

For more information on Lauren and Full Course, visit https://www.fullcourse.com/
_________________________________________________________

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 most powerful thing you bring to your restaurant isn’t a recipe—but your story?

Alon Shaya built Pomegranate Hospitality not on a model, but on a mission: to lead with identity, not conformity. In this episode, he shares how embracing his immigrant past changed everything—from how he cooks, to how he hires, to the way he gives back. We get into the power of cultural storytelling in a commodity industry, the systems that let passion scale, and why he built an entire nonprofit around the teacher who saved his life.

This is for every operator who’s tired of chasing trends, and ready to build something real.

To learn more about Pomegranate Hospitality, visit pomegranatehospitality.com.

_________________________________________________________

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

The pandemic taught many of us many different lessons but it taught Chef Fabio Vivani how to fight back. The chef spent the years rebounding from the pandemic curating a concept that he believes is not only recession proof, it’s pandemic proof. 

Today we sit down to discuss the formula he’s crafted for guaranteed success so that we too can protect our businesses from what’s lurking around the corner. 

For more information on the chef, visit https://www.fabioviviani.com/
_________________________________________________________

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.

Today I dig into what customer loyalty really means and why so many programs miss the mark. Loyalty is not about discounts. It is about access, recognition, and the feeling of being valued. I break down how small moments of surprise and genuine connection can drive more repeat visits than any points system. If you want your guests to come back more often and spend more when they do, these strategies will help you build relationships that last.
 
Takeaways

• Loyalty should be about access, not just perks.
• Recognition is key to building emotional equity.
• Surprise elements in loyalty programs enhance customer engagement.
• Creating thresholds in loyalty fosters a sense of belonging.
• Handwritten notes can significantly improve customer relationships.
• Loyalty programs should focus on privilege rather than discounts.
• Emotional economics can drive customer loyalty effectively.
• Regulars should feel special through personalized experiences.
• Surprise and delight can differentiate your restaurant from competitors.
• Tracking changes in loyalty strategies can reveal valuable insights.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Hospitality Insights

01:26 Rethinking Customer Loyalty

05:48 Creating Emotional Connections with Guests

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 staying quiet is the riskiest move you can make?

Katherine Miller built her career where politics and policy collide—and she’s not afraid to bring chefs into the fight. From her early days in democratic campaigns to working with global nonprofits and the UN, Katherine’s mission has been clear: empower the most trusted voices in food to influence the systems that shape it.

In this episode, we dig into why chefs are uniquely positioned to drive real change, how restaurant owners can speak up without alienating guests, and the surprising cost of silence in today’s political climate. She shares a clear, actionable framework for advocacy and explains why being apolitical doesn’t protect you—it sidelines you.

For any operator wondering how to take a stand without losing their seat at the table, this is the conversation you’ve been waiting for.

To learn more about her work and pick up a copy of At the Table, visit table81.com.

_________________________________________________________

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