With the continuing labor crisis, chances are you’re still struggling to staff your place, serve guests and keep the lights on! Costs are rising, the supply chain has limited your products and competition is heating up.

With all this going on you’ve probably had to pivot more than once. Well, here’s a new idea. What if you could expand your restaurant’s marketing reach, reduce staff and lower overhead?

In this episode of the Restaurant Rockstars Podcast, I’m speaking with Ghost Kitchen veteran, Michael Liu of Just Kitchen. Listen as Michael tell us:

- What the new restaurant landscape looks like now and into the future

- Why we can no longer rely on the traditional “Dine-In” model

- How you can simplify your operation by offering just delivery

- The myths and truths of 3rd party delivery services

- Why adding multiple “Brands” to your existing menu makes sense

And why this idea just might be your next pivot and ticket to greater success.

Don’t miss this episode, then Rock YOUR Restaurant!

Roger

The Restaurant Rockstars Academy – The Ultimate Start-up & Management Resource - Everything you need to know to crush it in the restaurant business: https://restaurantrockstars.com/pricing/

Thank you to our sponsors:

7shifts – Get 3 Months of Industry Leading Labor Management for FREE: https://www.7shifts.com/restaurantrockstars

Popmenu - For a limited time only, popmenu is offering our listeners $100 off your first month plus an unchanging lifetime rate. FREE Demo: www.popmenu.com/rockstars

Smithfield Culinary – Inspiring head-turning menu creativity. Visit us for culinary trends and chef-created recipes: https://smithfieldculinary.com/

I am constantly amazed at what I learn from my guests, and the insights and knowledge they share with our audience. As a veteran operator myself, I believe it’s critical to keep your eye out for hooks that catch the public’s attention, as well as competitive advantages to set your place apart from the rest.

In this episode of the Restaurant Rockstars Podcast, I’m speaking with Trial Attorney and Restaurateur Kevin Kelley of Kitchen + Kocktails. He is making a big splash in Dallas and Chicago - two incredibly competitive restaurant towns.

What’s his magic formula?

First, Kevin created a concept that’s inclusive, welcome’s all, and serves all. The ambiance is sleek and sophisticated, the food a dynamic twist on classic comfort food and craft cocktails. One visit to the website and you’ll want to visit and experience Kitchen + Kocktails.

Listen as Kevin tells us:

- Why Character, Hard Work, and Compassion are his guiding principles

- The importance of Company Culture to guest impressions

- Menu appeal, quality, and delivering value for the guest

- His leadership style and staff training philosophies

- A winning approach to the Labor Crisis, Pay and Incentives

- How to cross-market Lunch, Brunch & Dinner

And so much more.

Now’s the time to step outside your restaurant, take a closer look at your guest experience and continue to set yourself apart from the competition. It’s the way forward.

Now go out there and ROCK your Restaurant!

Roger

The Restaurant Rockstars Academy – The Ultimate Start-up & Management Courses. Everything you need to know to crush it in the restaurant business: https://restaurantrockstars.com/pricing/

Thank you to our sponsors:

7shifts – Get 3 Months of Industry Leading Labor Management for FREE: https://www.7shifts.com/restaurantrockstars

Bear Robotics – Elevate customer experiences and combat staffing shortages with Servi, our low-cost food running and bussing solution! https://www.bearrobotics.ai/restaurantrockstars

I meet a lot of Rockstars on this podcast, but it’s rare to meet someone who rose from dishwasher to the founder of a fast-growing franchise.

In this week’s episode of The Restaurant Rockstars Podcast my guest is Shawn Lalehzarian of The Red Chickz. He arrived in the US not speaking a word of English and rose through the ranks from dishwasher to server to cook to manager. He then hopped on a plane, immersed himself in Nashville culture, and came up with the magic formula for his chicken franchise.

It’s amazing what is possible in our industry if you have the fire, the passion, and the drive to succeed!

Watch or listen to this episode of the Restaurant Rockstars Podcast as Shawn shares with us:

- How Tony Robbins inspired him to keep reaching for his goals

- Key-learnings in his restaurant growth journey

- What it takes to create a unique hot concept that captures the public’s attention

- How The Red Chickz maintains an 80% staff retention rate

- The key to building a huge social media following (90,000+ Instagram followers and over 1 MM on TikTok

- The key is leading by example and treating customers, staff and franchisees like family.

Shawn is moving his business beyond California to open franchises in Nevada, Arizona, and Texas too!

Don’t miss this one, then go out and Rock YOUR Restaurant!

Roger

The Restaurant Rockstars Academy – The Ultimate Start-up & Management Courses. Everything you need to know to crush it in the restaurant business: https://restaurantrockstars.com/pricing/

Thank you to our sponsors:

7shifts – Get 3 Months of Industry Leading Labor Management for FREE: https://www.7shifts.com/restaurantrockstars

Popmenu - For a limited time only, popmenu is offering our listeners $100 off your first month plus an unchanging lifetime rate. FREE Demo: www.popmenu.com/rockstars

Bear Robotics – Elevate customer experiences and combat staffing shortages with Servi, our low-cost food running and bussing solution! https://www.bearrobotics.ai/restaurantrockstars

The last two years have been a roller coaster ride and pushed us all to our limit but – better days are ahead and fear not, 2022 may be your best year yet!

During this most challenging labor crisis, now is more important than ever that you watch or listen to this episode of the Restaurant Rockstars Podcast. Some of our industry’s leading experts and operators give their best advice and practices on how to overcome this dilemma we all face.

It’s all about simplifying your menu, a new source of funds to pay for increased labor costs, keeping your good staff happy, recruiting (not hiring), and ways to create a welcoming and fulfilling workplace.

Listen to some of the key nuggets you’ll hear:

- “The challenge I find is that so many people hire somebody and then dis-connect from them. Instead, here’s what great Managers do”! Chef Joshua Karther

- “Embracing new forms of technology in general is how restaurants should be future proofing their business”! Warner Siebert, Cut + Dry

- “How restaurants can open into existing spaces without the Millions of Dollars that otherwise would be needed”! Johann Moonesinghe, InKind

- “Chefs are now buying more pre-cut product than ever before. Things we have to do to balance out with less staff”! Chef Joshua Karther

This episode is just a taste of some of the best advice. You can catch the entire labor crisis show (done in collaboration with Jaime Oikle of Running Restaurants) at your convenience here: www.restaurantlaborcrunch.com.

Now go out there and ROCK Your Restaurant!

Roger

Thank you to our sponsors:

The Restaurant Rockstars Academy – The Ultimate Start-up & Management Courses. Everything you need to know to crush it in the restaurant business: https://restaurantrockstars.com/pricing/

7shifts – Get 3 Months of Industry Leading Labor Management for FREE: https://www.7shifts.com/restaurantrockstars

Bear Robotics – Elevate customer experiences and combat staffing shortages with Servi, our low-cost food running and bussing solution! https://www.bearrobotics.ai/restaurantrockstars

We’re all suffering from the Labor Shortage. Now that business is booming, your staff is exhausted and getting burnt out from picking up the slack. What’s the answer?

Well, you might consider hiring a restaurant robot!

In this episode of the Restaurant Rockstars Podcast I’m speaking with Juan Higueros Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Bear Robotics, the creator of “Servi”, the restaurant robot. I recently came across this invention at the Performance Food Service Food Show in San Antonio and I just had to show you.

Listen and learn how Servi:

- Was tested to map, navigate and operate in real restaurant situations even with multiple robots running

- Delivers 3 Models that Serve Food, Drinks and Bus Tables

- Is NSF Certified for the safety of your guests

- Can be a new marketing “Hook” in your place

- Is proven to increase Gratuities by up to 30%

- Can be hired for as little as $3 Per Hour

In this most competitive business, this is something that really stands out!

Watch or Listen and then go out There and Rock YOUR Restaurant!

Roger

The Restaurant Rockstars Academy – The Ultimate Start-up & Management Courses. Everything you need to know to crush it in the restaurant business: https://restaurantrockstars.com/pricing/

Thank you to our sponsors:

Sysco - https://www.sysco.com/

7shifts – Get 3 Months of Industry Leading Labor Management for FREE: https://www.7shifts.com/restaurantrockstars

Popmenu - For a limited time only, popmenu is offering our listeners $100 off your first month plus an unchanging lifetime rate. FREE Demo: www.popmenu.com/rockstars

Bear Robotics – Elevate customer experiences and combat staffing shortages with Servi,

our low-cost food running and bussing solution! https://www.bearrobotics.ai/restaurantrockstars

The last two years have pushed us all to our limit, but know this – better days are ahead and fear not, 2022 may be your best year yet!

Our biggest challenge as operators remains the labor crisis. Operating with restrictions, operating short-staffed, and keeping our operations OPEN has proven trying for even the best out there.

Now it is more important than ever that you watch or listen to this episode of the Restaurant Rockstars Podcast. Some of our industry’s leading experts and operators give their best advice and practices on how to overcome the labor crisis we are all facing. It’s all about keeping your good staff happy, recruiting (not hiring) great new people, and finding ways to create a welcoming and fulfilling workplace.

Listen to some of the key nuggets you’ll hear about employees and staffing during the labor shortage:

• “What do employees want?... Financial Security and knowing what meaning this job will bring to their life”! – Joshua Kopel, Million Dollar Restaurant

• “Realistically, existing staff are just physically exhausted, plus the high stress that’s also coming from customers. We think we have a Solution”! – Juan Higueros, Bear Robotics

• “We’re giving our existing team members a stipend if they refer somebody that lasts 90 days. We like stipends, so you’re not burdened long-term with higher wages. We’re also giving our customers gift cards for referring new hires”! – Mike Colonna, Norm’s Restaurants

• “Folks don’t understand if their menus are even profitable. Restaurant margins are worse than they’ve ever been. A lot of operators don’t look at their margins the way that they should”! – Jordan Boesch, 7shifts

This episode is just a taste of the many interviews we conducted. We’ll be releasing more interviews about the labor crisis in the coming weeks. In the meantime, you can always watch the entire show at your convenience: www.restaurantlaborcrunch.com.

Now go out there and ROCK Your Restaurant!

Roger

The Restaurant Rockstars Academy – The Ultimate Start-up & Management Courses. Everything you need to know to crush it in the restaurant business: https://restaurantrockstars.com/pricing/

Thank you to our sponsor:

7shifts – Get 3 Months of Industry-Leading Labor Management for FREE: https://www.7shifts.com/restaurantrockstars

Any restaurant that increased sales 40% when the pandemic first hit, and then broke their all-time sales record for year-end 2020, deserves our attention!

What are they doing? What can WE learn from them to be more successful in our own place?

Give a listen to this week’s Restaurant Rockstar’s Podcast. I’m speaking with Mark Finnegan of WaBa Grill, a 200 unit fast casual restaurant in California and Nevada.

This concept’s tagline is “Eat Smart, Be Healthy” and their salad and rice bowl menu (where guests pick their protein, grain, veggies, and sauce) is striking a chord with the dining public.

Learn as Mark shares with us:

- Why WaBa grill was named of the “Top 500” Performing Chains by Nation’s Restaurant News

- The must have technology now and for the post-pandemic future

- How Company Culture is one “key” to your Restaurant’s True Success

- Labor Crisis Best Practices

- Powerful Marketing through the “WaBa Rewards” digital APP

- How to maintain consistency of quality and guest experience in 2 locations or 200

And much more, so don’t miss this episode.

ROCK Your Restaurant!

Roger

The Restaurant Rockstars Academy – The Ultimate Start-up & Management Courses. Everything you need to know to crush it in the restaurant business: https://restaurantrockstars.com/pricing/

Thank you to our sponsors:

Sysco - https://www.sysco.com/

7shifts – Get 3 Months of Industry Leading Labor Management for FREE: https://www.7shifts.com/restaurantrockstars

Supply chain shortages and rising costs are on everyone’s mind, and its critical to find solutions to maintain already slim margins.

One of the biggest cost increases is for fryer oil, something most restaurants can’t operate without. Over the past few months, we’ve seen oil prices double and even triple!

What to do?

Well in this week’s episode of the Restaurant Rockstars Podcast, I’m speaking with Jeremiah Chapman, a chemical engineer by trade who invented a product that can save your restaurant up to 25% on your Frying Costs. It’s an environmentally friendly plant-based “pod” that you simply put in your fryer baskets overnight.

Listen as we learn:

- How the Pod extends the life and clarity of your oil by up to 4 days

- The greater efficiency, cleanliness and simplicity of pods vs. fryer filtration systems

- Improved taste and flavor of your fried foods

- Labor hours saved

- Why pods are also sustainable and environmentally friendly

There’s also a Savings Calculator feature at www.freshfry.me Simply enter the price you’re currently paying for fryer oil, the number of fryers you are using and the frequency you change your oil. The calculator will show you how much your operation can save.

Now go out there, save some money and ROCK your Restaurant!

Roger

The Restaurant Rockstars Academy – The Ultimate Start-up & Management Courses. Everything you need to know to crush it in the restaurant business: https://restaurantrockstars.com/pricing/

Thank you to our sponsors:

Sysco - https://www.sysco.com/

7shifts – Get 3 Months of Industry Leading Labor Management for FREE: https://www.7shifts.com/restaurantrockstars

The pandemic has permanently changed the restaurant landscape and the way we must do business in the future.

As restaurateurs, we must stay relevant to our consumer and consistently deliver convenience, value, quality and service.

Countless businesses and successful companies that once dominated their industries and didn’t evolve, no longer exist. Don’t let this happen to your operation.

In this episode of the Restaurant Rockstars Podcast, I’m speaking with Meredith Sandland and Carl Orsbourn, industry veterans and co-authors of the new book “Delivering the Digital Restaurant, the Roadmap to the Future of Food” and cofounders of Learn.Delivery.

Listen on as we talk about:

• The massive disruption that continues to shape our industry and what this means for you the operator

• What restaurant guests are looking for in the restaurants they patronize and their new expectations

• Necessary technology and customer conveniences that you must offer

• The steps you must take to not just survive, but to thrive now and in the years ahead

• How the labor crisis will be resolved and what your restaurant can do now

And how to increase efficiency, decrease costs and lower the need for labor by pivoting to a ghost kitchen or virtual restaurant.

Survival of the Fittest has never been more relevant.

To move forward as restaurateurs, we must stay ahead of trends, technology, and most of all the competition.

Watch or listen to this episode and then go out there and ROCK your Restaurant!

Roger

Thank you to our sponsors:

The Restaurant Rockstars Academy – The Ultimate Start-up & Management Courses. Everything you need to know to crush it in the restaurant business: https://restaurantrockstars.com/pricing/

Sysco - https://www.sysco.com/

7shifts – Get 3 Months of Industry Leading Labor Management for FREE: https://www.7shifts.com/restaurantrockstars

There are many legendary restaurateurs in our business, and we can learn from each and every one of their stories.

Rarely do I find a man still working his restaurants 50 years on with the same energy, passion and creativity that led to 26 different locations.

Imagine building these brands, developing the concepts, leading the teams and fostering the customer relationships. He’s even written a book about his journey titled “Been There, Done That”! This is the stuff of legend.

I could only be speaking to the legend himself, Mr. Frank Guido of Guido Hospitality Group. Now in his ‘70’s, Frank still works his four restaurants 7 days a week because as he puts it: “Your best customer is the one in the building”!

Clearly, Frank takes a personal interest in each of his guests, regulars or not.

Watch or listen to this episode of the Restaurant Rockstars Podcast as Frank tells us:

• “You have to make it right for the guest and not wait for them to complain”

• Why hiring for attitude over experience elevates your restaurant operation

• What it takes to build incredible customer loyalty in the restaurant business

• How gratifying it is to feed hundreds of veterans for Free and give back to the communities they serve

• What it’s like serving Frank Sinatra, Phil Rizzuto, Tony Bennett, Robert De Niro, the cast of the Sopranos and other luminaries

• The importance of offering affordable take-out options and do-it-yourself meal kits

• How to bounce back from adversity and even total devastation of your restaurants from weather events

We will also hear Frank’s “Magic Formula" for true restaurant success!

This one has it all, so don’t miss it!

Watch or Listen and then go ROCK your own Restaurant!

Roger

The Restaurant Rockstars Academy – The Ultimate Start-up & Management Courses. Everything you need to know to crush it in the restaurant business: https://restaurantrockstars.com/pricing/

Thank you to our sponsors:

Sysco - https://www.sysco.com/

7shifts – Get 3 Months of Industry Leading Labor Management for FREE: https://www.7shifts.com/restaurantrockstars