The Restaurant Coach Podcast

What happens when a James Beard Award–winning chef looks around the modern food industry and realizes the system was never built to serve craft, soul, or truth? This episode is a WAKE-UP CALL. In Chef Neo vs. The Matrix, I sit down with legendary Chef Craig Shelton for a raw, unfiltered conversation about what mass production, scale-at-all-costs, and corporate commercialization have done to the heart of the culinary world. This isn’t nostalgia.This isn’t complaining.This is a line in the sand. Craig takes us deep into the moment many chefs silently experience—when the love of food collides with the pressure to standardize, cut corners, chase volume, and surrender creativity for efficiency and margins. If you’ve ever felt like: You’re producing food but losing your identity Your restaurant runs, but your soul is suffocating You didn’t become a chef to serve a system that feels hollow and transactional The industry promised freedom… and delivered a golden cage This episode is for you. We talk about: The Matrix of mass production and how chefs get trapped inside it Why commercialization quietly erodes creativity and purpose The difference between scaling food and scaling meaning What it really means to take the red pill as a chef How to reclaim craftsmanship, leadership, and freedom without selling your soul This conversation isn’t comfortable—and it’s not supposed to be. If you’ve felt that quiet inner voice whispering, “There has to be another way,” consider this your signal. It’s time for chefs to stop playing a role in someone else’s system.It’s time to wake up.It’s time to be free of the Matrix. Press play. Take the red pill. And decide who you’re really cooking for. If you want to see what the TRC Method can do for your and your restaurant, book a TRC Method Strategy Call (for FREE) with me personally at www.GrowMyRestaurantNOW.com About DB Donald Burns is a best-selling author, high-performance restaurant strategist, and founder of The TRC Method, the framework behind some of the most profitable and disciplined independent restaurants in the industry. Known globally as The Restaurant Coach®, Donald has spent more than four decades in the trenches of hospitality—first as a chef trained by his father, a member of the elite United States Air Force Pararescue Teams, a restaurant owner, and ultimately as the strategist restaurant leaders call when burnout, chaos, and shrinking margins are no longer acceptable. Donald is the author of multiple influential books, including the Your Restaurant Sucks trilogy, Savage Restaurant Success, and Ingredients, with his forthcoming work Restaurantology redefining how leaders think about profit, people, and performance in a low-margin industry. His work challenges the hustle mythology that keeps owners trapped and replaces it with a disciplined, systems-driven approach built on mindset, culture, and execution. Through his coaching programs, workshops, and live events, Donald has helped thousands of independent restaurant owners reclaim profitability, leadership confidence, and personal freedom—without sacrificing their health, families, or values. His coaching ecosystem spans group masterminds, private advisory, consultant certification, and enterprise-level frameworks used by top operators and industry consultants. Donald is a strategist trusted by driven founders, high-achievers, and restaurant leaders who are done playing small. Drawing from decades of operational experience, special operations discipline, behavioral psychology, and faith-centered leadership, he is known for delivering uncomfortable truths with clarity, conviction, and results. Beyond business, Donald is deeply committed to leadership development, spiritual growth, and breaking generational cycles of burnout in hospitality. His mission is simple but uncompromising: to liberate independent restaurant owners from self-made prisons and help them build restaurants—and lives—that actually work. Welcome to The Restaurant Coach Podcast—where performance meets purpose, and average is no longer an option.

In this episode of The Restaurant Coach Podcast, I sit down with Megan Coignard, owner of Nicolo’s Pizza in Lakewood, Colorado—an independent restaurant operator who was once drowning in chaos, burnout, and the never-ending cycle every owner knows too well: firefighter mode. Two years ago, Megan picked up the phone because she had hit a wall. No more ideas. No more bandwidth. No more margin for error. Her restaurant was slipping away, and she knew doing more of the same wasn’t going to save it. What happened next is why this episode matters. Megan made a decision most restaurant owners never make:She stopped trying to survive… and committed to learning how to win. By diving into The TRC Method, Megan rebuilt her restaurant from the inside out. She fixed her systems. She tightened her standards. She reclaimed her culture. She took control of her numbers. She transformed from an exhausted operator into a focused, confident, high-performance restaurateur. Today, Nicolo’s isn’t just stable—it’s thriving.Bigger sales. Better team. Stronger brand. Clear direction.And Megan is no longer the firefighter running into burning rooms. She’s the leader building a restaurant that lasts. In this episode, you’ll hear: • What pushed Megan to finally ask for help• The exact TRC Methodtools she used to create fast, measurable change• How she broke the cycle of panic, overwhelm, and reactivity• What every independent restaurant owner must understand about culture, leadership, and standards• Why waiting for “the right time” is the most expensive decision you can make If you’ve ever felt like your restaurant owns you, Megan’s story will show you what’s possible when you stop fighting fires… and start building a future. Listen now—and discover how one courageous owner turned a struggling pizzeria into a powerful, profitable brand using a proven system that works every single time it’s applied. If you want to see these kinds of results in your own restaurant, book a TRC Method Strategy Call (for FREE) with me personally at www.GrowMyRestaurantNOW.com

In this episode of The Restaurant Coach® Podcast, I sit down with Matt & Stephanie Dunken, the powerhouse duo behind Slam Dunk Pizza. Their story is one every independent restaurant owner needs to hear. When they started working with the TRC Method, they were drowning with a prime cost of 94%. Profit was non-existent, stress was constant, and vacations were nothing more than wishful thinking. Fast forward to today, and they’ve slashed their prime cost down to 53%—a complete game changer for their business. Even better, they’ve gone from seven years without a single vacation to enjoying 4–5 vacations every year. This episode is proof that you don’t need to be stuck in the grind forever. With the right frameworks, discipline, and focus, you can take control of your numbers, reclaim your freedom, and finally build the restaurant and life you deserve. If you want to see these kinds of results in your own restaurant, book a Profit Recovery Session with me personally at www.TheRestaurantCoach.com

Restaurants are rarely just about food. The ones that rise above the noise—the ones that dominate their markets—understand that culture drives everything. That’s the story behind The Plough @ Myrniong in Australia, led by Mark and Ruth Mills. In this episode of The Restaurant Coach Podcast, we uncover what happens when passion is channeled into purpose, when culture becomes the compass, and when the right coaching framework turns chaos into clarity. Why Culture Changes Everything Mark and Ruth didn’t just want to run a restaurant; they wanted to create an experience that guests would never forget. But passion alone isn’t enough. Like so many owners, they found themselves caught in the grind—working harder and harder but not necessarily moving forward. The turning point came when they realized culture wasn’t a side project—it was the foundation. From the way their team showed up each day to how guests were treated at every table, culture became the driver of consistency, energy, and connection. As they’ll tell you, when culture shifts, everything else follows. The Power of Getting a Coach One of the biggest lessons from Mark and Ruth’s journey is the decision to invest in coaching. Too many owners think they can figure it all out themselves, but the truth is, nobody wins alone. Getting a coach wasn’t about having someone tell them what to do—it was about having someone challenge their thinking, hold them accountable, and provide the proven tools that cut years of trial and error. That decision didn’t just improve their restaurant…it transformed it. From Competing to Dominating Before adopting the TRC Method, The Plough was like many independent restaurants: working hard to stay afloat, constantly looking over their shoulder at the competition. After implementing the systems, strategies, and mindset shifts of The TRC Method, they no longer saw themselves in competition. They created clarity, built a culture that people wanted to be part of, and crafted a guest experience that was undeniable. Today, The Plough doesn’t compete. They dominate. Lessons for Every Restaurant Owner What Mark and Ruth’s story shows is simple but profound: Passion is fuel, but culture is the engine. Without coaching, you’ll waste years trying to reinvent the wheel. When you stop copying others and start building systems unique to your vision, you move from survival to market domination. This isn’t just about one restaurant in Australia—it’s about what’s possible for every independent owner who refuses to settle for mediocrity. Final Thoughts Episode 175 is more than a conversation—it’s a wake-up call. If you’re still stuck competing on price, chasing trends, or living in reaction mode, you’re playing the wrong game. The Plough shows us that with passion, culture, and the right coaching system, you can build a restaurant that doesn’t just survive the market…it OWNS it. BOOK A 1:1 STRATEGY SESSION WITH ME HERE!

Most restaurant owners think they’re doing “marketing.”But what they’re actually doing is noise. In this raw and real conversation with Bruce Irving—founder of Smart Pizza Marketing and one of the most respected voices in restaurant marketing—we pull back the curtain on what’s really holding restaurant owners back. We talk about the outdated tactics that make you look desperate, the cringe-worthy content that’s pushing guests away, and the simple moves that actually create momentum and drive growth. This isn’t another fluffy conversation about social media trends or the next shiny tool.This is a masterclass in clarity. You’ll learn: What Bruce would do if dropped into a failing pizzeria with only $1,000 and one week to save it The most common marketing mistakes that make restaurants look like amateurs How to create a brand story people actually care about—and want to follow The difference between visibility and relevance (and why most restaurant owners get this wrong) The mindset shifts required to play the long game in an industry addicted to shortcuts And just to keep it interesting—we also dive into some fun curveballs:What’s Bruce’s spirit animal?What’s the weirdest DM he’s ever received from a restaurant owner?What advice would he give his younger self starting Smart Pizza Marketing? This episode is full of real talk, bold insights, and practical wisdom from someone who’s not theorizing from the sidelines—he’s been in the game for decades, helping restaurants build brands that last. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, frustrated, or just stuck trying to figure out what actually works…This is your wake-up call. Listen to Episode 174 now.And start moving from cringe posts to killer growth. Want to see if coaching is right for you and your restaurant? Apply for a 1:1 Profit Recovery Call with my team.

Lisa Gasparian’s Café Cremerie Comeback She got hit.HARD. 2020 didn’t just rattle Lisa Gasparian.It tried to wipe her off the map. When COVID strangled foot traffic in downtown Chicago, and looters ravaged her café during the riots, her small café was left gutted—physically and emotionally. Most would have folded. But Lisa? Lisa got F*CKING RELENTLESS. She joined the TRC Method when the world was burning—and we got to work rebuilding her mindset, her brand, and her future from the ground up. Fast forward to today, and Café Cremerie isn’t just back. She’s DOMINATING the Chicago café scene.She’s building a brand that people line up for.And now?She’s not just ready for Chicago—she’s ready for the WORLD. In this episode of The Restaurant Coach Podcast, I sit down with Lisa to talk about: How to rebuild from NOTHING but belief and grit Why branding saved her business—and how you can use the same process The realities of being a female restaurant owner in a male-dominated space The power of choosing COMMITMENT over COMFORT Her story isn’t just inspiring—it’s your wake-up call. Because if Lisa can rise from literal rubble to restaurant royalty—what’s your excuse for staying stuck? Hit play now and learn what real resilience sounds like. Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you tune in. And if you’re finally ready to take control of your restaurant like Lisa did? Head over to www.TheRestaurantCoach.com and book a complimentary 1:1 Strategy Session with me personally to get a plan together.

Welcome to The Restaurant Coach Podcast, it is the cure for the common restaurant. In this powerful episode, I’m joined once again by TRC Method Lead Coach, Michael Kontras, for a no-BS conversation about the harsh truth most independent restaurant owners ignore: Running your restaurant without a coach is a guaranteed way to stay stuck. Michael opens up about his own journey—what it really looked like when he was drowning in the chaos of running his restaurant. Overworked. Underpaid. And dangerously close to burning it all to the ground. Until he made one decision that changed everything. We talk about: The real costs of trying to figure it all out on your own Why information isn’t enough—you need transformation The emotional weight of leadership and how a coach helps carry the load What happened when Michael finally reached out…and the results that followed If you’re still telling yourself “I can do this alone,” this episode is a wake-up call. No coach. No plan. No chance. But with the right coach? You unlock clarity, strategy, accountability, and momentum. Listen in, take notes, and if you’re ready to stop surviving and start thriving—head over to www.TheRestaurantCoach.com and book a complimentary 1:1 Strategy Session with me personally to get a plan together. Let’s go. Your future guests are waiting.

Welcome to The Restaurant Coach Podcast. It is the cure for the common restaurant. I’m Donald Burns, The Restaurant Coach®, author of the Your Restaurant Sucks trilogy and Ingredients:Creating TOTAL Restaurant Success in 90-Days, creator of the TRC Method, and founder of TRC Nation. In this high-impact episode, I sit down with Bo Bryant—known across the industry as The Restaurant Giant. Together, we unpack the undeniable truth: your restaurant’s profits are a direct reflection of your leadership. Period. Bo and I dive deep into the real reasons restaurant owners get stuck in survival mode, why systems won’t save you if your leadership sucks, and how to lead with clarity, conviction, and culture. We talk about the difference between managing chaos and leading transformation. If your team isn’t thriving, if your margins are bleeding, if you feel like you’re doing everything right but still losing—this episode is your wake-up call. Because leadership isn’t a soft skill.It’s a bottom-line skill. Tune in and discover why sharpening your leadership is the fastest way to boost profitability, build a culture of excellence, and finally take back control of your restaurant—and your life. Want to find out where your leadership gaps are stealing your profits?Head over to www.TheRestaurantCoach.com and book a complimentary 1:1 Strategy Session with me personally.

In this heartfelt and wisdom-packed episode of The Restaurant Coach Podcast, I sit down with the legendary restaurateur, author, and Southern hospitality icon Robert St. John to uncover the secret sauce behind his enduring success—not just in business, but in life. Robert breaks down his personal philosophy he calls The 5 F’s:Faith, Family, Friends, Food, and Fun. This episode isn’t just about building great restaurants—it’s about building a great life through aligned values, intentional leadership, and never forgetting what truly matters. You’ll hear stories of early struggle, resilience, reinvention, and the powerful moment when Robert re-centered his entire life and business around these five principles. From creating community around the table to building teams that thrive on culture and connection, Robert’s message is a masterclass in perspective, passion, and purpose. Whether you’re deep in the trenches of restaurant ownership or searching for renewed clarity in your career and calling—this episode will remind you of why you started and what really matters most. Key Takeaways: Why Faith grounds leadership and anchors resilience. How Family is the compass that guides hard decisions. The power of authentic Friendships in an industry that often isolates. The role of Food as the universal language of love and service. Why Fun is the fuel that sustains long-term success. Quote of the Episode:“If you’re not having fun, you’re doing it wrong.” – Robert St. John Don’t Miss:The part where Robert reveals the one thing he’d do differently if he could go back to the beginning—and why it’s a lesson every restaurant owner needs to hear right now. Ready to put the fun (and the faith) back into your restaurant journey?Head over to www.TheRestaurantCoach.com and book your complimentary Profit Recovery Call to get a plan that aligns your restaurant AND your life.

Most restaurant owners think they can figure it out on their own… until they hit a wall. HARD. Michael Kontras from Bailey’s Seafood was grinding day and night, drowning in the chaos, and stuck in the same endless cycle. Then he made a game-changing move—he got a coach. And everything shifted. In this episode, Michael gets real about what it took to break free from the struggle, the brutal truths he had to face, and how having a coach gave him the clarity, systems, and strategy to scale his restaurant like never before. If you’re tired of spinning your wheels and want a REAL plan to turn your restaurant into a powerhouse, head over to www.TheRestaurantCoach.com and book a complimentary 1:1 strategy session with me personally. Let’s get your restaurant (and life) where it’s meant to be. SHOW LINKS APPLY TO TALK WITH DONALD JOIN TRC VAULT

Ready to 4X your restaurant’s revenue? ► https://www.therestaurantcoach.com/ From combat zones to restaurant battlefields. As a former Air Force Pararescueman, I will teach you how to improve your restaurant’s survival strategy. Warrior-level restaurant leadership strategies that cut through the chaos. No fluff, just hardcore tactics to stop spinning your wheels and start dominating your market. … Continue reading Episode 168 – From Special Ops To Restaurant Coach →

Ready to 4X your restaurant’s revenue? ► https://www.therestaurantcoach.com/ Think pressure is just pain? Let’s break that mindset. Pressure is a privilege – it’s the fire that forges greatness. Embrace the grind, push through the doubt, and let pressure transform you into an unstoppable force. In this episode, I will reveal how the top players in … Continue reading Episode 167 – Stop Running From The Pressure →

Ready to 4X your restaurant’s revenue? ► https://www.therestaurantcoach.com Is your restaurant running you instead of you running it? Your life is like a car with four crucial tires: body, being, balance, and business. When even one tire is underinflated, everything falls apart. I will break down why most restaurant owners are heading for a crash … Continue reading Episode 166 – Broken Bonds Broken Life →

Ready to 4X your restaurant’s revenue? ► https://www.therestaurantcoach.com Is your restaurant taking a toll on your family? Discover the true cost of being “married to your restaurant” – and how to finally create the balance and success you deserve. This powerful coaching session lays it all on the line, pulling no punches about the sacrifices … Continue reading Episode 165 – Being Married to The Restaurant Is Killing You →

Ready to 4X your restaurant’s revenue? ► https://www.therestaurantcoach.com/ Evolve or die. It’s not just a catchy phrase—it’s God’s law for restaurant success. The world has changed, and if you’re clinging to outdated strategies, you’re on a fast track to extinction. In this episode, I will explain why adaptability is crucial in today’s fierce restaurant industry. … Continue reading Episode 164 – This Is WHY Your Restaurant Is Stuck →

Ready to 4X your restaurant’s revenue? ► https://www.therestaurantcoach.com/ The version of you that got you this far? It’s not enough to take you further. In this episode, I explain why your current habits and mindset might be holding you back from reaching new levels of success in the restaurant industry. I’ll share my insights on … Continue reading Episode 163 – Reinvent or Get STUCK →

Ready to 4X your restaurant’s revenue? ► https://www.therestaurantcoach.com Break free from the cycle of hype and disappointment in your restaurant business. In this episode, I will share the reasons why temporary motivation fades and how to create lasting change. Get actionable strategies to overcome fear, commit to daily progress, and build a fail-safe system for … Continue reading Episode 162 – The Shift and Drift →

Ready to 4X your restaurant’s revenue? ► https://www.therestaurantcoach.com Running a successful restaurant is about more than just menus and marketing. It’s about defeating the four demons holding you back: ego, pride, denial, and mediocrity. In this episode, I will expose these sneaky obstacles and give you the weapons to conquer them. Embrace failure as a … Continue reading Episode 161 – The 4 Demons Destroying Your Restaurant →

►Want to learn more about Warrior Restaurants CONQUEST Path? Watch the short film! Want to Beat Burnout? It’s All About The FUEL YOU GIVE YOUR BODY! I just launched the first supplement line for the restaurant lifestyle…Welcome to Limitless Fuel! Need help with your restaurant? I’ve got the 5 principles to turn it around. I … Continue reading Episode 160 – From Restaurant Hell To Prosperity →

►Want to learn more about Warrior Restaurants CONQUEST Path? Watch the short film! Want to Beat Burnout? It’s All About The FUEL YOU GIVE YOUR BODY! I just launched the first supplement line for the restaurant lifestyle…Welcome to Limitless Fuel! You might think you know what it takes to build a successful brand, but you’re … Continue reading Episode 159 – You’re Probably Doing It All Wrong! →