The Restaurant Finance Podcast

What if chasing the lowest price on ingredients is costing your restaurant more money?Corey O’Connor, chief operating officer of DeCheco’s Pizzeria, joins James Tice to share how working at Sysco changed his approach to restaurant purchasing. Buying from several suppliers might save a few cents on individual items, but extra deliveries, pickup trips and overlooked package sizes can erase those savings. His experience on both sides of the business helps him negotiate contracts, consolidate orders and understand what suppliers need in return for better pricing.DeCheco’s grew from three to six locations last year, with plans to reach 10 over the next eight months. That growth brought more guest complaints, maintenance problems and pressure on a small leadership team. O’Connor shares how the company is using automation for scheduling, inventory and bookkeeping to support more restaurants without adding layers of management. The goal is to give general managers more time to focus on their locations while keeping the food and service consistent as the business grows.Episode Links DeCheco’s Pizzeria: https://dechecospizzeria.com/DeCheco’s Pizzeria: on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dechecospizzeriaDeCeheco's Pizzeria on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dechecospizzeria?_rdc=2&_rdr#

What happens when customers see something in your restaurant brand that your marketing is missing?Jennifer Dodd, CEO and board advisor at Main Squeeze Juice Co., joins James Tice to discuss her decision to pause franchise sales and marketing spending to rethink the brand. Customer data and conversations pointed toward an unexpected idea: Main Squeeze was a beauty brand. A new message focused on helping customers look and feel better brought a reported 35% sales increase within four months, with gains sustained for more than a year and a half.Her experience with Dunkin’ and other national chains helped shape the approach, but staying close to customers takes more than a corporate résumé. Supplier research, conversations with her teenage granddaughter and questions about what people actually want all inform her decisions. AI offers another way to work through the data, provided someone checks its answers. For restaurant operators, the challenge is understanding what customers value and giving them a reason to choose your brand.Episode LinksJennifer Dodd LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferedodd/Main Squeeze Juice Co: https://mainsqueezejuiceco.com/Main Squeeze Juice Co. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mainsqueezejuiceco/Main Squeeze Juice Co. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/main-squeeze-juice-co/posts/

How do you decide which opportunities to pursue when your business is growing fast?Scott Kleckner, owner of Olive Wood Pizza, joins James Tice to discuss the decisions behind scaling his Southern California catering business. After nearly 30 years in corporate hospitality, Kleckner bought a small company and doubled it in about 20 months. He explains why he passed on a promising restaurant space, even though it was close to home and could have raised the brand’s profile.Kleckner also shares how he uses event data to spot valuable markets, why he spends heavily on Google Ads and how he is building a larger commissary to support growth. For him, the hardest part is balancing the risks of expansion with the time and focus needed to deliver on the plan he already has.Episode LinksScott Kleckner LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottkleckner/Olive Wood Pizza LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/olive-wood-pizza/Olive Wood Pizza: https://www.olivewoodpizza.com/

How do you update a restaurant brand without losing the customers who have loved it for decades?Alfredo Miro, chief operating officer of Baker’s Drive-Thru, joins James Tice to discuss that challenge as the 38-location Southern California chain prepares to grow. Baker’s wants to reach new customers and expand into markets where former California residents already know the brand, but even small changes at home can upset longtime regulars.Miro shares what happened when Baker’s changed the tomatoes on one of its tacos to reduce waste, why the company uses test stores and focus groups before making decisions, and how it looks for savings without simply raising menu prices. He and Tice also discuss where technology can help restaurants and why experienced operators still need to make the call.Alfredo Miro LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alfredo-miro/Baker’s Drive Thru: https://www.bakersdrivethru.com/

How do you take a culture built on radical transparency and high operational standards into an environment where guest stress is high and time is scarce?Michel Falcon, founder of Brasa Peruvian Kitchen, joins James Tice as the brand prepares to launch its first non-traditional location inside Toronto Pearson International Airport. Scaling into major transit hubs usually exposes young concepts to steep learning curves and diluted guest experiences. Falcon unpacks his framework for high-trust leadership, offering a direct look at the systems that drive Brasa's 17% employee turnover rate in an industry known for double that. He details the impact of full company-wide pay transparency, a structured approach to conflict resolution, and why standard-setting micro-details matter down to how bottled drinks face on a shelf.Michel Falcon Website: https://michelfalcon.com/Falcon Leadership Academy: https://michel-s-site-7878.thinkific.com/courses/teamsbymichelfalconMichel Falcon Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelfalcon/?originalSubdomain=caMichael Falcon Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michelfalcon/?hl=enMichel Falcon Blog and Podcast: https://michelfalcon.com/blog/Brasa Peruvian Kitchen: https://brasaperuvian.com/Brasa Peruvian Kitchen Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brasaperuvian/?hl=enBrasa Peruvian Kitchen TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brasaperuvian