FULL COMP: The Voice of the Restaurant Industry Revolution

I’m Josh Kopel, a Michelin-awarded restaurateur and the creator of the Restaurant Scaling System. I’ve spent decades in the industry, building, scaling, and coaching restaurants to become more profitable and sustainable. On this show, I cut through the noise to give you real, actionable strategies that help independent restaurant owners run smarter, more successful businesses.

In this episode, I dive into how to market rest...

Eric Bost built something remarkable in LA. Then, like so many, he lost it to the pandemic. But what came next wasn’t a pivot. It was a complete reinvention.

Today, Eric runs four thriving restaurants in a market many still underestimate—North County, San Diego. In this episode, he breaks down how he rebuilt his career by doubling down on team culture, operational clarity, and a commitment to place over prestige. If you...

What if your next move isn’t another location—it’s owning a moment in your guest’s life?

Mark Rampolla built ZICO into a category and now backs founders with a $600M fund; his playbook is built for operators under pressure. We talk about the five-year reality of product-market fit, why velocity per store beats “more units,” and how owning a specific occasion (post-workout, post-shift, post-party) unlocks scale.

Mark ...

I’m Josh Kopel, a Michelin-awarded restaurateur and the creator of the Restaurant Scaling System. I’ve spent decades in the industry, building, scaling, and coaching restaurants to become more profitable and sustainable. On this show, I cut through the noise to give you real, actionable strategies that help independent restaurant owners run smarter, more successful businesses.

In this episode, I dive into strategies for boo...

What if your factory was idling, your shelves were empty, and your business had just lost $15 million—and you still chose not to lay off a single person?

That’s the line Pepper Baumer drew. As the third-generation CEO of Crystal Hot Sauce, he inherited a 100-year-old legacy—and nearly watched it collapse under the weight of supply chain failure, market loss, and generational transition. But instead of shrinking, he ...

If your guests remember the night but forget the meal, did you succeed?

Sara Fay Egan never planned to run restaurants—she built experiences. After a career in high-end event planning, she was thrust into leadership at Beale Street Blues Company after the sudden passing of her father. But instead of mimicking traditional models, she brought an outsider’s eye—and a showrunner’s instinct.

In this conversation, we break...

What if your restaurant’s biggest threat isn’t your competition—it’s your own irrelevance?

Jean-Pierre Lacroix has spent decades helping brands regain their footing after losing touch with what made them matter.

In today’s conversation, we unpack what’s killing restaurant loyalty—and it’s not what you think. Jean-Pierre argues that operators are over-indexing on price and efficiency, while starving their brand of emotion...

Most restaurant owners think better food or better service will win the game. But Allan Dib has a different take: your product is not your problem—your marketing is.

Allan is the best-selling author of The 1-Page Marketing Plan, and in this conversation, he dismantles the myths that keep restaurants stuck. We get into the high cost of bad positioning, why most marketing attracts the wrong customers, and the dangerous as...

I’m Josh Kopel, a Michelin-awarded restaurateur and the creator of the Restaurant Scaling System. I’ve spent decades in the industry, building, scaling, and coaching restaurants to become more profitable and sustainable. On this show, I cut through the noise to give you real, actionable strategies that help independent restaurant owners run smarter, more successful businesses.

In this episode, I share effective strategies f...

Ahu Hettema didn’t hedge her bets—she burned the boats. No Plan B. No safety net. Just a belief that betting everything on one restaurant could rewrite her life. And it did. But not through stubbornness. Through adaptation.

In this episode, Ahu breaks down how listening—really listening—to her guests saved her concept, why comfort matters more than cuisine, and how leadership based on likability, not fear, created a team th...

Chris Adams does. He’s built a business on showing some of the biggest brands in the world how to make guests feel something—without faking it.

In this episode, we dig into what defines modern luxury and why it has less to do with money and more to do with culture, people, and emotional precision. Chris shares how AI and tech can enhance—not replace—hospitality, why perceived value is the new battlefield, and what most oper...

I’m Josh Kopel, a Michelin-awarded restaurateur and the creator of the Restaurant Scaling System. I’ve spent decades in the industry, building, scaling, and coaching restaurants to become more profitable and sustainable. On this show, I cut through the noise to give you real, actionable strategies that help independent restaurant owners run smarter, more successful businesses.

 In this episode, I dive into the critical aspe...

Most people buy a restaurant and inherit someone else’s problems. John Gelastopoulos bought a closed breakfast spot, maxed out his credit cards to keep it alive—and turned it into a 41-location powerhouse. The secret? Relentless persistence and an obsession with people.

In this conversation, John shares how he went from washing dishes to franchising nationwide, why filling the dining room once can create a lasting rippl...

After 30 years with restaurant conglomerate Lettuce Entertain You, Geoff Alexander could teach a masterclass on building and scaling a restaurant brand. And that’s exactly what he’s done for us today.

In this far reaching conversation we discuss the essential elements of leadership, how to build a brand from the ground up, turnaround strategies for struggling brands, and how to outsmart the competition.

For more informatio...

I’m Josh Kopel, a Michelin-awarded restaurateur and the creator of the Restaurant Scaling System. I’ve spent decades in the industry, building, scaling, and coaching restaurants to become more profitable and sustainable. On this show, I cut through the noise to give you real, actionable strategies that help independent restaurant owners run smarter, more successful businesses.

In this episode, I explore the critical role of...

Sometimes the only difference between those who succeed and those who fail is the decision to not give up. 

Today’s guest, Chef Brad Wise, is a testament to the grit required to build something prolific in our industry. In our conversation we discuss how to overcome a slow start and how he turned a failed bar into the hottest steakhouse concept on the West Coast. 

For more on his restaurant concepts, visit https://www.trustr...

Chef Bruce Bromberg is not the typical restaurant magnate that comes to mind when you think of a national restaurant group. More than anything, he’s a chef, leveraging the universal truths he’s learned over the years in innovative ways. His ability to translate the fundamentals of cooking to the fundamentals of business has led to his meteoric success. 

Today we sit down to discuss the essential elements involved in buildin...

I’m Josh Kopel, a Michelin-awarded restaurateur and the creator of the Restaurant Scaling System. I’ve spent decades in the industry, building, scaling, and coaching restaurants to become more profitable and sustainable. On this show, I cut through the noise to give you real, actionable strategies that help independent restaurant owners run smarter, more successful businesses.

In this episode, I dive into the biggest mistak...

I always looked at the big restaurant groups out there with envy. 

How amazing must it be to own 6, 8, or more locations? At what point do you get rich? At what point do you go from backup dishwasher to brand evangelist. Chef Lisa Dahl has grasped the brass ring. 

Over the last two decades, she’s built a restaurant empire. In today’s conversation, we look back on what got her to where she is today and where she’s headed next...