RESTAURANT STRATEGY

#342 - The 10 Things I Know About Running Insanely Profitable Restaurants   ***** REGISTER NOW for the P3 PROFITABILITY SUMMIT (July 14-16, 2024 in St. Louis, MO): https://www.chipklose.com/events/ticket-p3-profitability-summit ***** After 25 years in the industry, helping hundreds of restaurant owners generate consistent, predictable 20% profits month after month... these are the 10 things I KNOW about running an insanely profitable restaurant. Listed below, with tactical advice on the podcast to help you take action on each and every one of these by the end of the week: 20% profits are absolutely possible. There are 3 moving targets in our business… which is what makes our job so hard. It’s crucial to keep prime cost below 60%. Every restaurant needs multiple revenue streams (3-4 minimum). Catering and PDR is absolutely key to success in this post-covid world. Top-heavy payroll will absolutely kill you. Understand the difference between macro and micro. Managers manage the profitability of the restaurant… they need clear goals and oversight. Education is key… you must constantly level up. Your network is key… you must surround yourself with ambitious people… people who believe what you believe.   ***** Join me at the P3 PROFITABILITY SUMMIT in St. Louis, MO (July 14-16, 2024). Attendance is being capped at 100 people. Use the link below to get your tickets!  REGISTER NOW: https://www.chipklose.com/events/ticket-p3-profitability-summit

#341 - INTERVIEW with Cook, Critic, and Author, Corey Mintz *****  This week's episode is brought to you by: MARGIN EDGE Take control of your costs with using MarginEdge. Best of all? No contract. No setup fee. Free and unlimited training and support.  VISIT: marginedge.com/chip ***** This week's episode is brought to you by: 7SHIFTS 7shifts is the team management platform for restaurants. From hiring, to scheduling, training and retaining, they’ve got the tools you need to help you run your business with ease. Better understand your restaurant, hit your labor targets, and keep your entire team connected. Plus, 7shifts integrates with POS and payroll systems you already use and trust! Join over 30,000 restaurants using 7shifts today. Restaurant Strategy listeners get 3 months free. VISIT: https://www.7shifts.com/restaurantstrategy/ ***** Corey Mintz has embedded himself so deeply into our industry that it makes reading his writing such a joy. It's sepcifically because he writes as an outsider... unlike so many pundits and critics, he gets us. He gets what we do. He gets how difficult it is to do what we do... and to do it well. Below I'm linking to a couple of his articles you should definitely read, but start with this interview. I hope you enjoy his perspective as much as I do.  IMPORTANT LINKS:  WEBSITE - https://coreymintz.ca/ "Dining out is about to look a lot different" - https://www.businessinsider.com/restaurants-america-eating-out-crisis-your-fault-labor-shortage-tipping-2024-2?curator=MediaREDEF Opinion Piece on CNN about DoorDash - https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/08/opinions/doordash-tipping-warning-consequences-mintz/index.html ***** Currently the P3 Mastermind has nearly 200 members enrolled, spread across 4 different groups. Our members are seeing huge transformations, often in the first 90 days. The system works, and yes it can work for you.  Click the link to schedule a FREE 30-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule 

#340 - Tech Stack "Must Haves" for Your Restaurant *****  I get asked all the time... "What are your tech stack must haves?" Today, I'm spilling the beans:    SpotOn - Email me directly and I'll connect you with the team over there - chip@chipklose.com MarginEdge - https://www.marginedge.com/lp/chip 7shifts - https://www.7shifts.com/restaurantstrategy/ Sevenrooms - https://sevenrooms.com/ Chowly - https://chowly.com/ Mailchimp - https://mailchimp.com/ Kickfin - https://www.kickfin.com/demo/ Marqii - https://marqii.com/ Popmenu - https://get.popmenu.com/lp/restaurant-strategy Squarespace - https://www.squarespace.com/   ***** Are you ready to generate consistent, predictable, 20% returns? Click the link to schedule a FREE 30-minute strategy session to learn about my P3 Mastermind:  https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule 

#339 - Restaurateur and Activist, Yannick Benjamin (ENCORE) *****  This week's episode is brought to you by: MARGIN EDGE Take control of your costs with using MarginEdge. Best of all? No contract. No setup fee. Free and unlimited training and support.  VISIT: marginedge.com/chip ***** This week's episode is brought to you by: 7SHIFTS 7shifts is the team management platform for restaurants. From hiring, to scheduling, training and retaining, they’ve got the tools you need to help you run your business with ease. Better understand your restaurant, hit your labor targets, and keep your entire team connected. Plus, 7shifts integrates with POS and payroll systems you already use and trust! Join over 30,000 restaurants using 7shifts today. Restaurant Strategy listeners get 3 months free. VISIT: https://www.7shifts.com/restaurantstrategy/ ***** Yannick Benjamin is the owner of Contento restaurant in NYC as well as Beaupierre Wine Shop. He is an accomplished industry veteran... and guess what? He does it in a wheelchair, after having been paralyzed from the waist down in a car accident over a decade ago. Because of that, he is a leading activist for the disabled community here in NYC. He even started his own non-profit to help those who need support to rebuild their lives after a spinal cord injury. His story is amazing. I hope you get a lot from this conversation.  IMPORTANT LINKS:  CONTENTO - https://www.contentonyc.com/ BEAUPIERRE - https://www.beaupierrewine.com/ WHEELING FORWARD - https://wheelingforward.org/ ***** Currently the P3 Mastermind has nearly 200 members enrolled, spread across 4 different groups. Our members are seeing huge transformations, often in the first 90 days. The system works, and yes it can work for you.  Click the link to schedule a FREE 30-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule 

#338 - The Difference Between Leadership and Management *****  This week's episode is brought to you by: MARQII  Marqii is your one-stop-shop for listings management and reputation management. Collect reviews in one place to make responding easy and effortless and win the SEO game to land at the top of more search results. Win back guests and put more butts in the seats with Marqii.  VISIT: https://marqii.com/ ***** This week's episode is brought to you by: 7SHIFTS 7shifts is the team management platform for restaurants. From hiring, to scheduling, training and retaining, they’ve got the tools you need to help you run your business with ease. Better understand your restaurant, hit your labor targets, and keep your entire team connected. Plus, 7shifts integrates with POS and payroll systems you already use and trust! Join over 30,000 restaurants using 7shifts today. Restaurant Strategy listeners get 3 months free. VISIT: https://www.7shifts.com/restaurantstrategy   ***** Leadership is the WHAT and the WHY.  Management is the HOW.  Proceed accrodingly...    ***** Are you ready to generate consistent, predictable, 20% returns? Click the link to schedule a FREE 30-minute strategy session to learn about my P3 Mastermind:  https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule 

#337 - The Power of Launching a Zero Proof Beverage Program with Heather Ransome ***** This week's episode is brought to you by: KICKFIN Thousands of restaurants across the country use Kickfin to send instant, cashless tip payouts, directly to their employees’ bank accounts, the second their shift ends. Get in touch today for a personalized demo and see how restaurants and bars across the country are tipping out with Kickfin. VISIT: https://kickfin.com/demo/ ***** This week's episode is brought to you by: POPMENU If you’re a restaurant owner you need a great website that not only looks beautiful, but helps drive more traffic and sales. Use POPMENU to take your business to the next level. Best of all, listeners of this show can lock in one, set monthly rate… and get $100 off their first month.  VISIT: https://popmenu.com/restaurantstrategy ***** Heather Ransome is an operator, lobbysist, consultant, and now founder of the company, Zero Proof Go. Over the course of this conversation we track her own path up through the industry, and most importantly we stop to consider: "What's next?"  The "zero proof" movement is really picking up steam, and so we dissect what that means for restaurants and bars all across the country.  We know this might be a challenge for some, so Heather has generously offered up a free consult (regularly priced at $1,000) just for listeners of this podcast. Use the link below to snag some time with her!  IMPORTANT LINKS:  FREE CONSULTATION: Https://www.zeroproofgo.com/klose.html ***** Are you ready for consisent, predicatble 20% profits month after month? Set up a FREE 30-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule  

#336 - The 6 Big Complaints I Just Can't Stand (ENCORE) *****  This week's episode is brought to you by: MARQII  Marqii is your one-stop-shop for listings management and reputation management. Collect reviews in one place to make responding easy and effortless and win the SEO game to land at the top of more search results. Win back guests and put more butts in the seats with Marqii.  VISIT: https://marqii.com/ ***** This week's episode is brought to you by: 7SHIFTS 7shifts is the team management platform for restaurants. From hiring, to scheduling, training and retaining, they’ve got the tools you need to help you run your business with ease. Better understand your restaurant, hit your labor targets, and keep your entire team connected. Plus, 7shifts integrates with POS and payroll systems you already use and trust! Join over 30,000 restaurants using 7shifts today. Restaurant Strategy listeners get 3 months free. VISIT: https://www.7shifts.com/restaurantstrategy   ***** I spend most of my week speaking with restaurant owners from all over the world... and when I go out to eat I pay careful attention to what the operators are saying. (Yes, I sometimes eavesdrop, but I also like to strike up conversations with the managers when I can.) And there are 6 things I hear all the time these days...  And I just don't think they should be in our vocabulary any more.  So on today's episode I'm going to share these 6 complaints, and I'm going to show you a way to rethink them. A way to shift your mindset about all of them. Are you ready? Hit PLAY!    ***** Are you ready to generate consistent, predictable, 20% returns? Click the link to schedule a FREE 30-minute strategy session to learn about my P3 Mastermind:  https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule 

#335 - Mike Bausch, Owner of Andolini's Pizza and Author of Unsliced ***** This week's episode is brought to you by: KICKFIN Thousands of restaurants across the country use Kickfin to send instant, cashless tip payouts, directly to their employees’ bank accounts, the second their shift ends. Get in touch today for a personalized demo and see how restaurants and bars across the country are tipping out with Kickfin. VISIT: https://kickfin.com/demo/ ***** This week's episode is brought to you by: POPMENU If you’re a restaurant owner you need a great website that not only looks beautiful, but helps drive more traffic and sales. Use POPMENU to take your business to the next level. Best of all, listeners of this show can lock in one, set monthly rate… and get $100 off their first month.  VISIT: https://popmenu.com/restaurantstrategy ***** Mike Bausch is on fire on this episode. Brutally honest and brimming with insights from his 3+ decades in the industry. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did!  IMPORTANT LINKS:  Website: https://andolinisworldwide.com/ ***** Are you ready for consisent, predicatble 20% profits month after month? Set up a FREE 30-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule  

#334 - Excerpts from The Restaurant Marketing Mindset (ENCORE) ***** This week's episode is brought to you by: TRIPLESEAT Revolutionize your private event planning with Tripleseat's all-in-one platform. Boost new booking sales by 30%, generate more leads, create contracts, BEOs, and more. Plus listeners of the show get a discount when you sign up. VISIT: https://tripleseat.com/restaurantstrategy/ ***** This week I'm reading the first two chapters from my new book, The Restaurant Marketing Mindset.  BUY NOW: https://www.therestaurantmarketingmindset.com/   ***** Ready for consistent, predictable 20% profits every single month? Let's chat about the P3 Mastermind.  Schedule a FREE 30-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule   

#333 - Welcoming Back Bo Davis, Founder and CEO of MarginEdge *****  This week's episode is brought to you by: MARGIN EDGE Take control of your costs with using MarginEdge. Best of all? No contract. No setup fee. Free and unlimited training and support.  VISIT: marginedge.com/chip ***** This week's episode is brought to you by: 7SHIFTS 7shifts is the team management platform for restaurants. From hiring, to scheduling, training and retaining, they’ve got the tools you need to help you run your business with ease. Better understand your restaurant, hit your labor targets, and keep your entire team connected. Plus, 7shifts integrates with POS and payroll systems you already use and trust! Join over 30,000 restaurants using 7shifts today. Restaurant Strategy listeners get 3 months free. VISIT: https://www.7shifts.com/restaurantstrategy/ ***** Bo Davis returns to the show to talk about some of the important updates and features that are being added to the MarginEdge platform. This software - perhaps more than just about anything else - will help increase the profitability in your restaurant. This is a great conversation for understanding how to get a hold of COGS.  IMPORTANT LINKS:  WEBSITE: marginedge.com/chip ***** Currently the P3 Mastermind has more than 150 members enrolled, spread across 4 different groups. Our members are seeing huge transformations, often in the first 90 days. The system works, and yes it can work for you.  Click the link to schedule a FREE 30-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule 

#332 - The VERY BEST Ways to Increase Check Average by 15 Percent ***** This week's episode is brought to you by: TRIPLESEAT Revolutionize your private event planning with Tripleseat's all-in-one platform. Boost new booking sales by 30%, generate more leads, create contracts, BEOs, and more. Plus listeners of the show get a discount when you sign up. VISIT: https://tripleseat.com/restaurantstrategy/ ***** When it comes to full service restaurants, there are really only 4 opportunities to impact check average. In a quick service environment, there's only 1. What are they? Check out today's episode to learn more.    ***** Ready for consistent, predictable 20% profits every single month? Let's chat about the P3 Mastermind.  Schedule a FREE 30-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule   

#331 - Co-Owner of Boka Restaurant Group, Kevin Boehm (ENCORE) *****  This week's episode is brought to you by: MARGIN EDGE Take control of your costs with using MarginEdge. Best of all? No contract. No setup fee. Free and unlimited training and support.  VISIT: marginedge.com/chip ***** This week's episode is brought to you by: 7SHIFTS 7shifts is the team management platform for restaurants. From hiring, to scheduling, training and retaining, they’ve got the tools you need to help you run your business with ease. Better understand your restaurant, hit your labor targets, and keep your entire team connected. Plus, 7shifts integrates with POS and payroll systems you already use and trust! Join over 30,000 restaurants using 7shifts today. Restaurant Strategy listeners get 3 months free. VISIT: https://www.7shifts.com/restaurantstrategy/ ***** Kevin Boehm is a giant in our industry. He is smart and passionate, and one of the most generous people I've ever met. This conversation continues to be one of my absolute favorite episodes and I am thrilled to be able to re-introduce all of you to this man. Radical transparency. That is all.  IMPORTANT LINKS:  WEBSITE - https://www.bokagrp.com/ ***** Currently the P3 Mastermind has more than 150 members enrolled, spread across 3 different groups. Our members are seeing huge transformations, often in the first 90 days. The system works, and yes it can work for you.  Click the link to schedule a FREE 30-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule 

#330 - Six Takeaways from Bar & Restaurant Expo (Las Vegas, NV)   *****  This week's episode is brought to you by: 7SHIFTS 7shifts is the team management platform for restaurants. From hiring, to scheduling, training and retaining, they’ve got the tools you need to help you run your business with ease. Better understand your restaurant, hit your labor targets, and keep your entire team connected. Plus, 7shifts integrates with POS and payroll systems you already use and trust! Join over 30,000 restaurants using 7shifts today. Restaurant Strategy listeners get 3 months free. VISIT: https://www.7shifts.com/restaurantstrategy *****  As many of you know, I fly out to Las Vegas every March to take the stage at Bar & Restaurant Expo. It's probably my favorite trade show of the year, specifically because there is such a focus put on EDUCATION. Because of that, people really show up to LEARN. This year was no different. On this week's episode I'm sharing my biggest takewaways from the event.  Want to attend next year? Mark your calendars...  LINK: https://www.barandrestaurantexpo.com/   ***** Ready for consistent, predicatble 20% profits every single month? Let's chat about the P3 Mastermind.  Schedule a FREE 30-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule   

#329 - Talking Systems and Goals with Boqueria's Emma Blecker ***** This week's episode is brought to you by: KICKFIN Thousands of restaurants across the country use Kickfin to send instant, cashless tip payouts, directly to their employees’ bank accounts, the second their shift ends. Get in touch today for a personalized demo and see how restaurants and bars across the country are tipping out with Kickfin. VISIT: https://kickfin.com/demo/ ***** This week's episode is brought to you by: POPMENU If you’re a restaurant owner you need a great website that not only looks beautiful, but helps drive more traffic and sales. Use POPMENU to take your business to the next level. Best of all, listeners of this show can lock in one, set monthly rate… and get $100 off their first month.  VISIT: https://popmenu.com/restaurantstrategy ***** Boqueria is exploding with new locations year after year... in multiple markets across multiple states. But it wasn't too long ago that they were just a scrappy little tapas restaurant in midtown Manhattan. I first discovered the place about 15 years ago with my wife and we've been back to their 19th Street location multiple times... but now the company has explanded like crazy over the last half-decade. To understand how they think about growth, I'm chatting with Emma Blecker, the one in charge of buiulding (and maintaining) systems across the entire company. I love how this woman thinks about hospitality and the best way to charge forward.  IMPORTANT LINKS:  Website: https://boqueriarestaurant.com/ ***** Are you ready for consisent, predicatble 20% profits month after month? Set up a FREE 30-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule  

#328 - How to WIN with a Great Organic Social Media Presence   *****  This week's episode is brought to you by: 7SHIFTS 7shifts is the team management platform for restaurants. From hiring, to scheduling, training and retaining, they’ve got the tools you need to help you run your business with ease. Better understand your restaurant, hit your labor targets, and keep your entire team connected. Plus, 7shifts integrates with POS and payroll systems you already use and trust! Join over 30,000 restaurants using 7shifts today. Restaurant Strategy listeners get 3 months free. VISIT: https://www.7shifts.com/restaurantstrategy *****  On Episode 326 I talked about the importance of using paid advertising on social medai platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Today we're going to talk about how to use your organic social media presence to help fortify your ad spend. All the do's and don'ts... tune in!    ***** Ready for consistent, predicatble 20% profits every single month? Let's chat about the P3 Mastermind.  Schedule a FREE 30-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule   

#327 - Founder of Craveworthy Brands, Gregg Majewski ***** This week's episode is brought to you by: KICKFIN Thousands of restaurants across the country use Kickfin to send instant, cashless tip payouts, directly to their employees’ bank accounts, the second their shift ends. Get in touch today for a personalized demo and see how restaurants and bars across the country are tipping out with Kickfin. VISIT: https://kickfin.com/demo/ ***** This week's episode is brought to you by: POPMENU If you’re a restaurant owner you need a great website that not only looks beautiful, but helps drive more traffic and sales. Use POPMENU to take your business to the next level. Best of all, listeners of this show can lock in one, set monthly rate… and get $100 off their first month.  VISIT: https://popmenu.com/restaurantstrategy ***** Craveworthy is a hospitality-first company with a portfolio of unique, engaging, and scalable brands dedicated to CRAVEABLE food and guest experiences. Gregg Majewski is the man who had the vision and skillset to create (and curate) this prortfolio of brands. From humble beginnings to the top of the top... his story and insights are not to be missed.  IMPORTANT LINKS:  Website: https://www.craveworthybrands.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greggmajewski/ ***** Are you ready for consisent, predicatble 20% profits month after month? Set up a FREE 30-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule  

#326 - Facebook Ad Strategies that Generate 4X ROI ***** This week's episode is brought to you by: TRIPLESEAT Revolutionize your private event planning with Tripleseat's all-in-one platform. Boost new booking sales by 30%, generate more leads, create contracts, BEOs, and more. Plus listeners of the show get a discount when you sign up. VISIT: https://tripleseat.com/restaurantstrategy/ ***** Most restaurants do not spend money on the social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. On today's episode I'm going to explain why I think that's a huge mistake, and how to get started. I lay out two simple strategies that can be used in tandem to generate a massive amount of revenue for your restaurant.    ***** Ready for consistent, predictable 20% profits every single month? Let's chat about the P3 Mastermind.  Schedule a FREE 30-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule   

#325 - Turning Restaurant Managers into Industry Leaders with Author, Jason E. Brooks *****  This week's episode is brought to you by: MARGIN EDGE Take control of your costs with using MarginEdge. Best of all? No contract. No setup fee. Free and unlimited training and support.  VISIT: marginedge.com/chip ***** This week's episode is brought to you by: 7SHIFTS 7shifts is the team management platform for restaurants. From hiring, to scheduling, training and retaining, they’ve got the tools you need to help you run your business with ease. Better understand your restaurant, hit your labor targets, and keep your entire team connected. Plus, 7shifts integrates with POS and payroll systems you already use and trust! Join over 30,000 restaurants using 7shifts today. Restaurant Strategy listeners get 3 months free. VISIT: https://www.7shifts.com/restaurantstrategy/ ***** Jason E Brooks has been in this industry for a while... working his way from BOH to FOH to management and beyond. He now works as a consultant and keynote speaker, plus he's written a brand new book, Every Leader Needs Followers, out NOW. We talk about hospitality, service, management, and so much more.  IMPORTANT LINKS:  WEBSITE - https://www.jasonebrooks.com/ LINKEDIN - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-e-brooks/ ***** Currently the P3 Mastermind has more than 150 members enrolled, spread across 3 different groups. Our members are seeing huge transformations, often in the first 90 days. The system works, and yes it can work for you.  Click the link to schedule a FREE 30-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule 

#324 - How to Get More 5-Star Reviews on Google and Yelp ***** This week's episode is brought to you by: TRIPLESEAT Revolutionize your private event planning with Tripleseat's all-in-one platform. Boost new booking sales by 30%, generate more leads, create contracts, BEOs, and more. Plus listeners of the show get a discount when you sign up. VISIT: https://tripleseat.com/restaurantstrategy/ ***** This week we're talking about all about the importance of reputation management!    ***** Ready for consistent, predicatble 20% profits every single month? Let's chat about the P3 Mastermind.  Schedule a FREE 30-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule   

#323 - Bringing the Taste of Haiti to the Big Apple with Chef Wesly Jean Simon *****  This week's episode is brought to you by: MARGIN EDGE Take control of your costs with using MarginEdge. Best of all? No contract. No setup fee. Free and unlimited training and support.  VISIT: marginedge.com/chip ***** This week's episode is brought to you by: 7SHIFTS 7shifts is the team management platform for restaurants. From hiring, to scheduling, training and retaining, they’ve got the tools you need to help you run your business with ease. Better understand your restaurant, hit your labor targets, and keep your entire team connected. Plus, 7shifts integrates with POS and payroll systems you already use and trust! Join over 30,000 restaurants using 7shifts today. Restaurant Strategy listeners get 3 months free. VISIT: https://www.7shifts.com/restaurantstrategy/ ***** Wesly Jean Simon is a career chef, running the kitchens at Zanmi, Djon Djon, and Market Bar... all in NYC. He chats about his journey from cook to chef to owner/operators, as well as the future of our industry. Tons of insights on this one.  ***** Currently the P3 Mastermind has more than 100 members enrolled, spread across 3 different groups. Our members are seeing huge transformations, often in the first 90 days. The system works, and yes it can work for you.  Click the link to schedule a FREE 30-minute Strategy Session: https://www.restaurantstrategypodcast.com/schedule