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 the importance of...

Dean Neff didn’t set out to build the biggest seafood restaurant—he set out to build the most meaningful.

At Seabird in Wilmington, North Carolina, Dean’s created a model where purpose isn’t a marketing angle—it’s the operating system. From sourcing to storytelling to team education, his restaurant is a case study in how to scale impact without sacrificing profitability.

In this episode, Dean breaks down the systems that sup...

What if the most powerful list in restaurants isn’t about food—it’s about influence?

William Drew runs the World’s 50 Best Restaurants, the ranking that can transform a chef’s life overnight. But behind the glitz is a story of politics, pressure, and purpose. In this episode, we go deep on how the list really works, who gets included, and what it reveals about the evolving values of the global dining scene. We explore t...

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 talked about why we need to ...

Derrick Hayes didn’t open a restaurant—he made a promise.

Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks started in a gas station as a tribute to his father. Today, it’s one of the fastest-growing restaurant brands in the country. But the road wasn’t easy. Derrick had the demand, the brand, the lines out the door—but not the systems. And without systems, profitability nearly broke him. In this episode, Derrick gets real about what it took to ...

John Paterson had every reason to chase growth. The hype was real. The demand was there. But instead of opening more restaurants, he doubled down on one—and built a brand that runs deep instead of wide. Raised inside family-run restaurants in Alabama, John’s path to ownership wasn’t fast—but it was intentional. And at Frankie’s in Nashville, that intention is baked into every decision: from the way they hire and train, to ...

What does it take to introduce an entire country to a cuisine they’ve never heard of—and scale it into a multi-million-dollar empire? Ivan Iricanin pulled it off with AMBAR, turning an obscure idea into one of the most successful and unique restaurant groups in the country.
In today’s episode, Ivan breaks down how he created product-market fit where none existed, scaled a culturally unfamiliar concept into a household n...

Most chefs build restaurants. Gavin Kaysen built a legacy. With his Synergy Series book, Gavin captures years of mentorship, collaboration, and lessons from 25 of the country’s top chefs—all while scaling his own hospitality empire. In this episode, we explore how he turned six years of curated dinners into a blueprint for future generations, the power of mentorship in shaping the industry, and why chasing comfort kills cr...

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 tackle the current state of ...

Most chefs wear burnout as a badge of honor. Scott Crawford wears balance and transparency. After years of struggling with addiction, Scott made a radical shift—not just in his own life, but in how he runs his restaurants. From zero-tolerance harassment policies to no-shift-drinks rules, Scott’s approach flips the industry’s toxic culture on its head. In this episode, we dig into how owning his story helped him attract the...

Forget the loyalty programs and outdated marketing tricks. Chris Smith, CEO of Zunzibar, has a different approach—one that turns customers into fans, simplifies operations, and scales with soul. From flipping burgers in college to building a franchise model with a clear mission, Chris shares how focusing on simplicity, relationships, and purpose has helped him create a brand that resonates with customers, team members, and...

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 dig into something I wish I’...

Most restaurants throw new hires into the fire and hope they stick. Cassie Miller, VP of Training at Craveworthy Brands, has built a system that keeps them thriving. In this episode, she reveals why generic training is a recipe for churn, how to build real accountability into your culture, and the simple systems that scaled Craveworthy to 19 brands—and counting. If you’re ready to turn your team from chaos into consistency...

Most restaurant operators treat tips like a liability—or worse, an afterthought. But Kirk Grogan sees them for what they really are: one of the most powerful tools in your business. As co-founder of TipHaus, Kirk has helped thousands of restaurants transform tip management from a source of stress and legal risk into a lever for culture, retention, and operational clarity. In this episode, we break down why tip strategy is ...

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 importance of ...

Jack McGarry has achieved the accolades most of us dream about. He’s been awarded the best bartender in the world and his NY bar, The Dead Rabbit, was awarded the distinction of Best Bar in the World, a few years after that. But that’s not the end of Jack’s story. Since hitting the top, Jack has redefined excellence through the lens of bar ownership and has spent the last several years working to become the best owner he c...

Miguel Hernandez is a genius. You have never heard me begin a show this way before, but I was absolutely blown away by the fresh perspective Miguel is bringing to restaurant ownership and operations. This is a guy who’s scaled to 4 locations in just a couple of years and has financed his growth exclusively through the profits from his active restaurants. Today we discuss how to pick a winner, double revenues, and scale pro...

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 tackle a really com...

Our guests, even our most loyal guests, can cook at home. They don’t come to us for nourishment, they come to us for entertainment. Food and beverage done well is performance art and few have done it better than Eleven Madison Park. Today we chat with Natasha McIrvin, former head of the dreamweaver program at EMP. Her job was to build a system that ensured surprise and delight were baked into every guest experience. In our...