We’re celebrating the 25th episode of Tipped Off with one of our amazing customers, Shireen Imani, owner of Chulita in Los Angeles.

On this episode, host Kirk Grogan sits down with Shireen for an honest conversation about what it really takes to build a restaurant around community. Shireen shares how Chulita evolved from an unexpected concept change into the restaurant it is today, what she’s learned from growing from her original Venice Beach location to a second location in Mid-City LA, and the realities of running a restaurant in an increasingly challenging industry.

She also gets into the challenges of managing tips manually, why transparency is so important to her team, how technology can help operators adapt, and the restaurant trends she’s embracing (and skipping). Plus, Shireen talks about rising costs, building a strong team, handling criticism, and why staying true to your vision can matter more than following the crowd.

Want to learn more about Chulita? Visit chulita.com.

On this episode of Tipped Off, Kirk Grogan sits down with Quinci Land, General Manager, and Rodolphe Beuve, Chef of Le Great Outdoor, for a conversation about building a restaurant differently.

They share the story of how Le Great Outdoor started during the pandemic with a barbecue, a friend’s unused coffee shop space, and just $2,000, and how they grew it into a thriving restaurant without investors. They also discuss why taking care of their team is at the center of their business, how employees helped shape their tip structure, and why they intentionally keep their technology and operations simple.

From choosing independence over outside funding to staying true to their identity instead of following industry trends, Quinci and Rodolphe offer a unique perspective on what it takes to build a restaurant around great food, genuine hospitality, and the people who make it all happen.

They also talk about the future of hospitality, the rising challenges of rent and costs, and why keeping humans at the center of the restaurant experience may be the industry’s biggest opportunity.

Learn more about Le Great Outdoors: https://www.legreatoutdoor.com/

In this episode of Tipped Off, host Kirk Grogan sits down with Justine Jobe, Partnership Development Leader for Restaurants & Hospitality at Point B, to discuss what’s really happening behind the scenes of restaurant technology transformation.

From AI hype and tech fatigue to POS migrations and the importance of making a GM’s life easier, Justine shares her perspective on how operators can separate meaningful innovation from distractions. Together, they explore why successful brands focus on execution, aligning stakeholders, and choosing technology that creates real business impact.

Learn more about Point B: https://www.pointb.com/ 

In this episode of Tipped Off, Kirk Grogan sits down with Shawn Walchef, owner of Cali BBQ in San Diego and founder of Cali BBQ Media, to discuss how storytelling, hospitality, and authenticity can help restaurants build stronger brands.

Shawn shares his journey from opening Cali BBQ during the 2008 recession to building a media company around the belief that businesses need to “be the show, not the commercial.” He explains why operators need to control their own narrative, how being “weirdly available” has helped him build meaningful relationships, and why the best stories often come from the challenges along the way.

From employee recognition and transparency to technology, content creation, and even the Thanksgiving disaster that taught him a valuable lesson as an operator, Shawn brings an honest look at what it takes to grow a hospitality brand.

Learn more about Cali BBQ: https://calibbq.media/ 

In this episode of Tipped Off, Kirk Grogan sits down with Ty Smith, owner and president of District Pour Haus, a full-service restaurant and bar with 48 self-pour taps two blocks from Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Ty shares how he spent five years vetting the concept before opening in January 2025, what the guest experience actually looks like in a self-pour environment, and how running leaner on staff doesn't mean running short on hospitality.

They also get into the tip side of the business: how Ty structured tip pooling for a cashless, self-pour operation, why next-day payouts through TipHaus matter to his team, and how a transparent, team-first approach to tip distribution helps support both staff morale and the overall guest experience.

Learn more about District Pour Haus: https://www.districtpourhaus.com/

What does it take to tip out a staff of 30 servers and bartenders when 2,400 people show up for a car show? Kirk Grogan sits down with Larry Shaffer, Director of IT and Senior Accountant at Country Boy Brewing, to find out.

Larry shares how Country Boy Brewing runs four distinctly different locations across Kentucky, each with its own tip structure, and how they use TipHaus to keep it all clean, fair, and fast. From flexible event pools to the day staff stopped waiting on cash envelopes, this episode covers the full operational picture.

Plus: the beer trends that came and went (RIP brute IPAs), why human connection will always beat a robot server, and a horror story from a Founders taproom that ends with someone running out the door at a full sprint.

If you're a multi-location operator figuring out how to make your systems work as hard as your staff, this one's for you.

Learn more about Country Boy Brewing: https://countryboybrewing.com/ 

On this episode of Tipped Off, Kirk Grogan sits down with Josh Goodman, Founder & CEO of PourMyBev, to discuss the evolution of self-pour technology and the future of hospitality operations.

Josh shares how a frustrating experience waiting in line for a drink inspired him to build PourMyBev, a company now powering more than 600 locations across the country. The conversation dives into how self-pour technology is helping operators reduce labor inefficiencies, improve guest experiences, and rethink the role of hospitality staff without sacrificing service.

Kirk and Josh also explore the growing role of AI in hospitality, from beverage recommendations and guest personalization to uncovering operational blind spots through data. Along the way, Josh opens up about the lessons learned scaling a hospitality tech company, the mindset sports instilled in him as a founder, and why the future of hospitality will belong to operators willing to embrace innovation while enhancing the guest experience.

Learn more about PourMyBev: https://pourmybev.com

In this episode of Tipped Off, host Kirk Grogan sits down with Jonathan Klitgaard from Torro Restaurant Group to discuss how modern restaurant operators can improve both guest experience and internal operations.

Jonathan shares his journey from starting as a busboy to leading operations across five restaurant concepts, including the well-known Barbacoa. We dive into why Torro Restaurant Group adopted QR code tipping, how it reduces friction for guests, increases transparency for employees, and saves valuable management time.

We also explore why hospitality should drive every business decision, how AI is creating real operational value for restaurant leaders, and why authentic guest experiences still outperform traditional marketing tactics.

This episode is packed with insights for restaurant operators, hospitality professionals, and anyone looking to build a stronger customer experience.

In this insightful episode of Tipped Off, host Kirk Grogan sits down with Chason Hecht, Founder and CEO of Retensa, to tackle one of the restaurant industry’s most persistent challenges: staffing and retention. Drawing on data from organizations across 59 countries, Chason challenges the idea of a labor shortage, instead reframing turnover as a symptom of deeper issues like trust, morale, scheduling instability, and manager communication. He also highlights the importance of understanding “microcultures” within each location, where employee experiences and reasons for leaving can vary dramatically.

From breaking down the true cost of turnover (both direct and hidden) to sharing practical ways operators can start gathering real employee insights, this episode is packed with actionable strategies to improve retention and build stronger teams.

If you’re in hospitality or workforce management, this conversation will reshape how you think about turnover and what to do about it.

👉 Learn more about Retensa https://retensa.com/

In this episode of Tipped Off, Kirk Grogan sits down with Andi Ott, co-owner of four Dog Haus locations in Arizona.

Andi shares what it takes to grow from one restaurant to multiple locations and how leadership changes as you scale. The conversation covers building systems that work for future growth, developing leaders who can run operations independently, creating accountability without burning out your team, balancing technology with the human side of hospitality, and one unforgettable hospitality horror story from early in her career.

If you’re in Arizona, stop by one of Andi’s Dog Haus locations in Phoenix, Tempe, Chandler, or Gilbert.

Learn more and find a location near you: https://doghaus.com