Is your restaurant brand showing signs of fatigue? In this episode of the Restaurant Success Podcast, veteran restaurant advisor Matthew Mabel tackles what he calls "Sleepy Restaurant Syndrome" — the slow decline that happens when independent restaurant groups defer updates to their branding, marketing, menu design, culture, and physical spaces. Matthew walks through the warning signs that your restaurant business may be falling behind the competition, from outdated logos and stale menu formats to marketing strategies that target yesterday's guests instead of today's. Drawing on real-world examples from his entrepreneurship and consulting work with multi-unit restaurant owners, Matthew shares a practical roadmap for waking up your brand, increasing guest count, and optimizing revenue and profit in 2026. Whether you operate in casual dining or any other restaurant segment, this episode delivers actionable business strategy to help you stop coasting and start growing.

Key Topics Covered

• What "Sleepy Restaurant Syndrome" looks like in independent restaurant groups
• Warning signs that your restaurant brand needs a refresh
• Why insiders often miss what an outside advisor can see
• How deferred maintenance of your brand hurts revenue and guest count
• Practical steps to update your offerings, marketing, branding, messaging, technology, and culture
• Why 2026 is the right time to take action on restaurant innovation and growth

Links Mentioned

• To Stay Relevant, You Must Update Your Restaurants Now
• Restaurateurs Make Sure Marketing Leads to Exceeding Forecast Revenue

Resources Mentioned

• Website: www.surrender.biz
• Free initial consultation available

Connect with Matthew Mabel

Matthew works with owners of successful, independent, multi-unit restaurants to improve:

• Profit growth
• Sales optimization
• Guest count increase
• Unit expansion
• Employee engagement
• Brand loyalty

How to Support the Show

• Subscribe to the Restaurant Success Podcast and Newsletter
• Rate and review the show
• Visit www.surrender.biz for additional resources