Restaurant Rockstars Podcast

Are your kids menus helping drive family revenue…or just checking a box?

In this episode of Restaurant Rockstars, Roger sits down with Mick Carr, founder of GrubLab, to explore a new approach to family dining that turns the traditional kids menu into an interactive experience. Using augmented reality, licensed sports and entertainment brands, and rotating collectible content, GrubLab helps restaurants engage kids, improve the guest experience, and create stronger loyalty with families.

Roger and Mick discuss why kids often influence where families dine, how experience impacts repeat business and online reviews, and why restaurants that create memorable family moments have a competitive advantage. They also tackle hospitality, service culture, and the balance between table turns and guest experience.

If you operate a family-friendly restaurant and want fresh ideas to increase revenue, loyalty and word-of-mouth marketing, this episode is packed with practical insight and inspiration.

Our audience Now gets 1st Month Free membership and 100 Free Kids Menus.

https://www.grublab.co/rockstars

⭐️ Run a Smarter, More Profitable Restaurant. Discover the proven systems & solutions that drive sales, train staff, and maximize your margins.

Join The Restaurant Academy now: https://restaurantrockstars.com/joinacademy

Thank you to our sponsors:

🔥 Grub Lab: Grub Lab completely reinvented the kids' menu. Imagine NBA, NFL, and Hollywood brands in augmented reality that brings characters to life right at the table, and collectible menus with your look and logo that rotate every couple of months, so there's always something new. Our audience Now gets 1st Month Free membership and 100 Free Kids Menus. Turn your kids' menu into a real loyalty driver at https://www.grublab.co/rockstars

to get started.

🔥 Smithfield Culinary: serves up perfect proteins for every dish and every daypart like Smithfield’s new ready to eat select bacon, Its premium, ready to cook bacon that will elevate your menu and your bottom line. Smithfield Select saves you time, labor and back of house costs all while satisfying your guests. When you partner with Smithfield, you serve what you love and your guests will love what you serve. To order or more information go to: https://www.smithfieldselect.com

🔥 Owner.com: Owner.com runs automated marketing campaigns for your restaurant that send personalized offers, order reminders, promotions, and new menu announcements automatically to your guests. So your marketing works for you every single day.And here’s the real power move: Owner.com gives your restaurant your own branded app. Go to https://www.owner.com/rockstars

🔥 ZivZo Marketing, Advertising & Video Production: ZivZo is not only a full service marketing agency, but restaurant industry pros specializing in animation and video production that brings your restaurant to life. Go to https://www.zivzo.com

Roger sits down with Omar from Talkin' Tacos to unpack the systems, leadership, and operational discipline that fueled their growth. This is not a story about luck. It's about building repeatable systems, protecting culture, developing teams, and creating an operation that can scale without sacrificing quality or guest experience.

Show Notes: https://restaurantrockstars.com/audio/488-restaurant-operations/

Do the 5-Day Menu Margin Makeover Challenge and turn one item into a repeatable profit driver. 👉 https://restaurantrockstars.com/the-5-day-menu-margin-makeover-challenge/

The Profitable Operator Academy: Run a Smarter, More Profitable Restaurant. Discover the proven systems & solutions that drive sales, train staff, and maximize your margins. 1:1 Coaching Option Now Available. Join The Restaurant Academy now: https://restaurantrockstars.com/joinacademy

Thank you to our sponsors:

Owner.com

Owner.com runs automated marketing campaigns for your restaurant that send personalized offers, order reminders, promotions and new menu announcements automatically to your guests. So your marketing works for you every single day. And here's the real power move: Owner.com gives your restaurant your own branded app. Go to https://www.owner.com/rockstars

Grub Lab

Grub Lab completely reinvented the kids' menu. Imagine NBA, NFL and Hollywood brands in augmented reality that bring characters to life right at the table, plus collectible menus with your look and logo that rotate every couple of months so there's always something new. Families stay longer, spend more and come back more often. Turn your kids' menu into a real loyalty driver at https://www.grublab.co

Smithfield Culinary

Smithfield Culinary serves up perfect proteins for every dish and every daypart like Smithfield's new ready-to-eat select bacon. It's premium, ready-to-cook bacon that saves time, labor and back-of-house costs while helping elevate your menu and bottom line. When you partner with Smithfield, you serve what you love and your guests will love what you serve. Learn more at https://www.smithfieldselect.com

ZivZo Marketing, Advertising & Video Production

ZivZo is not only a full-service marketing agency but restaurant industry pros specializing in animation and video production that brings your restaurant to life. Learn more at https://www.zivzo.com

Restaurant veteran Ben Fischer joins Roger to share 45+ years of hard-earned restaurant operations lessons on leadership, staffing, labor management, pricing, systems, marketing and what actually makes restaurants successful long term.

From opening and selling restaurants to building a restaurant-focused marketing agency, Ben has seen every side of the business. This episode is packed with practical advice independent restaurant operators can apply immediately.

In this episode:

• Restaurant operations systems

• Leadership & staffing strategies

• Labor cost control

• Restaurant marketing insights

• Pricing & guest perception

• Loyalty programs & discounts

• Building operational freedom

Connect with Ben Fischer:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bensonfischer/

https://www.facebook.com/ZivZoVideos/

https://www.instagram.com/zivzovideos/

https://zivzo.com/

https://bensonfischerrestaurantmarketing.com/

Thank you to our sponsors:

Grub Lab

Grub Lab reinvented the kids’ menu with licensed NBA, NFL and Hollywood brands in augmented reality that bring characters to life right at the table. Families stay longer, spend more and come back more often. https://www.grublab.co

Smithfield Culinary

Smithfield Culinary serves up premium ready-to-cook bacon that saves labor, improves consistency and elevates guest experience. https://www.smithfieldselect.com

ZivZo Marketing

ZivZo is a full-service marketing, advertising and video production agency specializing in restaurants and hospitality brands. https://www.zivzo.com

Rally Catering

Simplify catering orders, reduce chaos and grow your catering profit center with Rally Catering. https://rallycatering.com/rockstars

Independent restaurant operators are facing rising labor costs, shrinking margins, inconsistent team performance, and growing pressure to deliver value while maintaining hospitality.

In this episode, Roger sits down with Chad Offerdahl, CEO of Big Biscuit, to break down the operational systems helping their rapidly growing restaurant brand scale successfully across 30+ locations.

Chad shares practical strategies around:

• Restaurant leadership and accountability

• Team training and onboarding systems

• Labor management and retention

• KPIs and operational transparency

• Building strong restaurant culture

• Menu simplicity and operational efficiency

• Community-driven marketing

• Increasing guest loyalty and repeat business

• Using AI to improve restaurant operations without losing hospitality

This episode is packed with actionable ideas independent restaurant owners and small restaurant groups can apply immediately to improve team performance, consistency, and profitability.

Thank you to our sponsors:

Grub Lab

Grub Lab completely reinvented the kids’ menu with licensed NBA, NFL, and Hollywood brands in augmented reality that bring characters to life right at the table. Their collectible menus rotate regularly, helping families stay longer, spend more, and come back more often.

http://grublab.co

Rally Catering

Rally Catering helps restaurants streamline catering orders with online ordering, kitchen-ready production sheets, packing forms, and organized workflows that eliminate chaos and help grow catering sales.

https://rallycatering.com/rockstars

The Operator Inner Circle Mastermind

Join a curated group of restaurant operators focused on labor, leadership, marketing, margins, accountability, and operational excellence. Meet twice monthly to share best practices and solve real restaurant challenges together.

https://restaurantrockstars.com/mastermind

Running 35 restaurants takes more than systems. It takes real restaurant operations.

In this episode of the Restaurant Rockstars Podcast, I sit down with Alex Sadowsky, Vice President of Training, Culinary, and Beverage at Ojos Locos Sports Cantina, a growing 35-unit brand.

We go inside how a multi-unit restaurant actually operates, from hiring and training to culture, accountability, and managing margins in today’s environment.

Alex shares how they hire for attitude over experience, build long-term teams, and create real paths for growth from server to leadership. We also get into the realities of running a scratch kitchen at scale, keeping menus tight for efficiency, and maintaining consistency across multiple locations.

We break down the numbers that matter, including prime cost, labor, and food cost, and how their team is working toward more real-time visibility to make better decisions faster.

This is not theory or a list of systems. It’s a real look at restaurant operations inside a multi-unit brand that’s growing while staying true to its culture.

Listen to the full episode:

https://restaurantrockstars.com/audio/restaurant-operations-35-unit-brand/

Connect with our Guest:

@ojoslocossportscantina

https://ojoslocos.com

Thank you to our sponsors:

🔘 The Operator Inner Circle Mastermind: Join a select group of restaurateurs seeking solutions to labor, increasing margins, leadership, proven marketing, staying ahead of the competition and today’s most pressing operating challenges. We get together brainstorm and share best practices 2 X/ month. Uplevel your restaurant with like-minded peers and industry experts.

https://restaurantrockstars.com/mastermind

🔘 Rally Catering:

Catering is an excellent added profit center for your restaurant, but it’s all in the details.

With Rally Catering, customers browse your packages and pricing to order instantly. Orders arrive complete and ready to approve, with kitchen-ready production sheets and packing forms. Grow your catering business without missing a beat and without the chaos! https://rallycatering.com/rockstars

Busy doesn’t equal profitable. More sales won’t fix weak margins; smarter menu decisions will. Do the 5-Day Menu Margin Makeover Challenge and turn one item into a repeatable profit driver.👉 https://restaurantrockstars.com/the-5-day-menu-margin-makeover-challenge/

Connect with Restaurant Rockstars on Social Media:

LinkedIn Roger: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roger-beaudoin-21590016

LinkedIn Restaurant Rockstars: https://www.linkedin.com/company/restaurant-rockstars

LinkedIn Roger Beaudoin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roger-beaudoin/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/restaurantrockstars/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/restaurantrockstars

X: https://x.com/RestaurantRock1

Turn catering into a profit machine.

In this episode, Roger sits down with Elias from Rally Catering to talk about how the right restaurant catering system can help operators simplify the ordering process, reduce chaos, and turn catering into a repeatable revenue stream. They break down the biggest mistakes restaurants make with catering, the systems needed to streamline operations, and how easy online ordering can lead to more orders and more repeat business.

If your catering process is still being managed through calls, emails, and manual follow-up, this episode will show you how to make it easier for your team and your customers, while building a stronger profit center for your business.

Want to simplify your catering and stop missing revenue opportunities? Get a free demo at rallycatering.com/rockstars

Want more restaurant profit strategies? Join the 5-Day Menu Margin Makeover Challenge at restaurantrockstars.com/the-5-day-menu-margin-makeover-challenge/

Most restaurant owners are stuck chasing food costs. The real opportunity is building systems that scale profit.

In this episode, Roger sits down with Jessica Zouaoui, Co-Founder of Oakwell Beer Spa, a fully booked, multi-location concept built without investors. She shares how systems, team culture, and experience-driven strategy created a business that runs without burnout.

You’ll learn how to scale, improve margins, and build a business that works without you.

Join the Menu Margin Makeover Challenge:

https://restaurantrockstars.com/the-5-day-menu-margin-makeover-challenge/

Sponsored by Restaurant Rockstars Coaching.

Get expert guidance to increase profits and build systems:

https://restaurantrockstars.com

Sponsored by TouchBistro, the all-in-one restaurant POS:

https://touchbistro.com

Connect with Jessica Zouaoui and Oakwell Beer Spa:

Website: https://oakwell.com/

Franchise: https://oakwellfranchise.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/oakwell-beer-spa

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OakwellBeerSpa

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oakwellbeerspa/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OakwellBeerSpa

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@oakwellbeerspa

If your restaurant is busy but not making money, your systems, not your effort, are the problem.

In this episode, Roger breaks down exactly what he would do if he took over your restaurant today. From menu costing and prime cost to labor control, leadership, and marketing, this is a complete restaurant systems playbook designed to increase profit and give you back control of your business.

These are the same strategies used to uncover tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars in hidden profit across independent restaurants and multi-location operators.

If you want stronger margins, a more accountable team, and a restaurant that runs without you being there 24/7…start here.

🎧 Learn more and get resources:

https://restaurantrockstars.com

🤝 This episode is brought to you by TouchBistro, the all-in-one restaurant POS and management system that helps you track sales, control costs, and run a more profitable operation.

Learn more: https://www.touchbistro.com/

If you think great food and service are enough to grow your restaurant… think again.

In this episode, marketing powerhouse Shawn Walchef breaks down the restaurant marketing strategies that actually work today—and why “if you build it, they won’t come” is one of the biggest myths in this business.

We dive into:

• Why your digital front door matters more than ever

• How storytelling drives real traffic and loyalty

• The shift from ads to “Be the Show, Not the Commercial”

• How AI is changing how guests discover restaurants

• Why consistency—not perfection—is the key to winning

If you want more guests, stronger brand loyalty, and marketing that actually delivers results, this episode is your playbook.

🔥 Ready to Increase Your Margins?

👉 Join the 5-Day Menu Margin Makeover Challenge

One Menu Item. Five Days. Stronger Margins.

https://restaurantrockstars.com/the-5-day-menu-margin-makeover-challenge/

🚀 Work with Roger 1:1

👉 Restaurant Rockstars Coaching

Increase your profit, build a dream team staff, and execute marketing strategies that work.

https://restaurantrockstars.com/consulting/

🙌 Thanks to Our Sponsors

👉 Ajinomoto Foods

Save time, cut labor, and protect profits with incredible, easy-to-prepare Asian menu items backed by 100+ years of expertise.

https://ajinomotofoodservice.com

👉 TouchBistro POS

An all-in-one restaurant management system built specifically for operators.

Get started with savings for a limited time (U.S. & Canada):

https://www.touchbistro.com/restaurantrockstars

If you’re serious about running a more profitable, efficient restaurant…

you’re in the right place.

👉 Subscribe, share, and keep tuning in to Restaurant Rockstars.

Rising costs are squeezing profits across the industry, but the smartest operators are adapting fast...and winning. In this episode, Roger sits down with Samir Zabaneh to break down the real strategies restaurants are using right now to protect and grow their restaurant margins.

From operational efficiencies to smarter marketing and menu optimization, Samir shares practical insights and real-world experience that operators can apply immediately to improve profitability and performance.

If you're feeling the pressure of labor, food costs, or inconsistent profits, this episode delivers clear, actionable strategies you can put to work right away.

Ready to take action? Join the 5-Day Menu Margin Makeover Challenge and fix the profit leaks in your operation:

https://restaurantrockstars.com/the-5-day-menu-margin-makeover-challenge/

Thank you to our sponsors:

Smithfield Culinary serves up perfect proteins for every dish, every daypart—from Smithfield’s new ready-to-eat select bacon to new ground chorizo and the broadest portfolio of pork. When you partner with Smithfield, you serve what you love and your guests will love what you serve.

Learn more: https://smithfieldculinary.com/smithfield

Restaurant Rockstars Coaching helps you increase profit, build a dream team staff, and execute trackable marketing strategies that work. If you’re ready to up-level your operation, Roger can help you dial it in, maximize opportunities, and get your peace of mind back.

Learn more: https://restaurantrockstars.com/consulting/

TouchBistro is an all-in-one, cloud-based POS and restaurant management system designed exclusively for restaurants. It connects front of house, back of house, and guest engagement into one easy-to-use platform. For operators in the U.S. or Canada, TouchBistro is offering savings on upfront costs for a limited time. Terms and conditions apply.

Learn more: https://www.touchbistro.com/restaurantrockstars

Ajinomoto Foods delivers fast, easy-to-prep frozen Asian products that look homemade and taste incredible. With over 100 years of culinary expertise, Ajinomoto helps you save time, reduce labor, and protect profits without compromising quality.

Learn more: https://ajinomotofoodservice.com