In this episode of North State Rocks, listeners will discover how Bruce Dean and his partner transformed a $40,000 investment into Black Bear Diner's 166-location restaurant empire spanning 14 states. Dean shares the unvarnished truth about entrepreneurship, including the company's near-collapse in 1998 when rapid expansion nearly led to bankruptcy, his hard-learned lessons about cutting losses despite sunk costs, and why 75% of restaurants fail within five years. The conversation explores Dean's contrarian investment strategy during the 2008 recession, his philosophy of promoting managers from within rather than hiring externally, and how private equity partnership enabled explosive growth from 75 to 166 locations. Dean reveals why investing in employee culture and training drives customer satisfaction, how North State values translate nationally, and provides candid insights into cash flow management, franchise operations, and the brutal realities of scaling a restaurant business in today's economy.