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 talk about why most restaura...

What if your guests aren’t buying what’s on the menu, they’re buying who you are?

That’s the philosophy guiding today’s guest, the CEO of Philz Coffee and the man behind some of the most successful turnarounds in hospitality. After scaling Wingstop and reviving Chuck E. Cheese, Mahesh didn’t come to Philz for the margins, he came for the mission.

In this conversation, Mahesh breaks down why culture is the only sustainabl...

What if your biggest marketing asset isn’t your food or your logo, but your team?

Mike Smith didn’t build his career by following trends. As the president of Moe’s Southwest Grill, he’s championing a radical shift in how we think about fast casual: less transaction, more transformation.

In this conversation, Mike shares why brand is culture, how real loyalty is built inside the four walls, and why treating people lik...

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 talk about the difference be...

What if running a restaurant is the best leadership training program in the world? Mayor Daniel Rickenmann believes it is.

Before becoming Mayor of Columbia, South Carolina, Daniel built his career in hospitality, managing teams, navigating high-pressure service environments, and learning how to lead when outcomes are public and unforgiving. Those lessons didn’t stay in the kitchen. They followed him into city leadership.

What if delivery isn’t a cost center, but your biggest growth engine?

Most restaurant operators still treat delivery like a necessary evil. Today’s guest knows better. What started as a delivery-only restaurant in India turned into a blueprint for Loop, a platform now powering $4 billion in digital restaurant ordering.

In our conversation, Anand shares how he turned operational obsession into competitive advantage, what ...

Most operators think they’re managing food costs. Ronald Cardwell thinks they’re just guessing.

As Commodity Director at Restaurant Technologies, Ronald has a unique vantage point: tens of thousands of kitchens and decades inside the oil and biofuel industries. And his message is blunt: if you’re not measuring it, you’re losing money.

In this episode, we get into why fryer oil might be your highest-margin opportunity, how to...

Most chefs want more creativity. David Utterback wanted more control.

After 13 years helping grow a sushi brand from one shop to a $175M empire, he walked away to build something of his own. What he learned? Great food is only part of the puzzle. In this episode, David shares how he’s applying big-brand systems to small-scale restaurants, with a relentless focus on profit, precision, and sustainability.

We get into why scali...

What if your biggest opportunity wasn’t the one you planned for, but the one that forced you to prove you belonged?

For Sarah Thompson, leading a fine dining Mexican restaurant as a non-Mexican chef wasn’t the goal, but it became the proving ground. At Casa Playa inside the Wynn Las Vegas, Sarah has built more than a menu: she’s built trust, earned belonging, and redefined what excellence looks like in a cuisine she wasn’t ...

What if your entire career started with being told you were too nice to succeed?

For John Terzian and Brian Toll, that’s exactly how it began. These are the minds behind The h.wood Group: an empire born from rejection, reinvention, and the refusal to follow the rules.

In this episode, they share how protecting guests instead of exploiting them became their superpower, why aesthetics matter more than you think, and how they t...

What if the real reward in restaurants isn’t the exit, but the impact?

Scott Redler didn’t just co-found Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, he scaled it to 400+ units without losing his soul.

In this episode, we get into the mindset shifts that made that possible: from hiring like your business depends on it (because it does), to giving GMs ownership in everything but name. Scott shares how he built a culture of tra...

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 explain why your website is ...

What if resilience is just a code word for neglect?

Catarina Bill of Southern Smoke is calling BS, and doing something about it. Born into the back-of-house world through her family’s meat business, Catarina’s not just preaching compassion, she’s building infrastructure. Her work exposes the cracks in our industry’s foundation: no healthcare, no mental health safety net, no margin for error.

In this conversation, we get into...

What if the best leadership training didn’t come from business school, but from the brutal discipline of an Ironman?

David Youngberg didn’t start triathlons until 50. But the mindset it required, focus, repetition, resilience, changed how he runs restaurants. After two decades at BJ’s and now CEO at Stonefire Grill, David brings that same intensity to team culture, systems thinking, and servant leadership. 

In this conversat...

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 talk about why the start of ...

What if the best hospitality isn’t taught – it’s demonstrated, brick by brick?

Wesley Sohn didn’t just walk away from a promising finance career, he ran toward something deeper. Something messier. Something real. He started as a food runner, not to climb the ladder faster, but to understand the foundation better. And it shows. Today, Wesley helps lead one of the most intentional hospitality groups in the country, where ...

What if staying small was actually the boldest move you could make in restaurants?

Fred Piehl didn’t come to San Diego chasing an empire; he came with Paris training, a place to sleep, and a 30–seat bistro he found on Craigslist that became The Smoking Goat.

In this conversation, we break down why he and his wife Tammy treat restaurants like “leaky buckets,” how he built a life where skiing trips, summers in New Hampshire, a...

What if the best restaurant stories aren’t about food—they’re about identity, risk, and reinvention?

Johno Morisano didn’t set out to open a restaurant—he set out to escape. But a chance encounter with a Greyhound bus station, and later, chef Mashama Bailey, sparked something deeper: a creative and cultural reckoning that became The Grey.

In this conversation, we unpack how Johno turned personal uncertainty into professional...

What if knowing nothing was your greatest strategic advantage?

Alex Pincus didn’t grow up in restaurants—he grew up on boats. And when he stumbled into hospitality, it wasn’t with a plan. It was with a floating bar, a donated ship, and zero experience. 

In this conversation, we unpack how that ignorance created freedom, why top-line success almost hid the real problems, and how grief rewired his entire relationship with ...