Supy Talks - The Multi-Branch Restaurant Operations Podcast

Ep. 23 | The Pizza Express Finance Playbook: Scaling to 500 Restaurants Without Chaos | Dan Jarvis | Supy Talks Podcast

What does it actually take to keep a globally recognised restaurant brand financially healthy across 500 locations - without running out of cash?In this episode of Supy Talks, host Karin sits down with Dan Jarvis, Head of Finance at Pizza Express UAE, to pull back the curtain on the financial discipline, strategic trade-offs, and operational decisions that keep one of the world's most iconic restaurant brands running.Dan shares the real mechanics behind Pizza Express's growth - from a single restaurant in Soho in 1965 to 500 locations globally, the cash flow system that runs every week without fail, why they deliberately turn off delivery on their busiest days, and the one tomato supplier in Naples that has supplied every single Pizza Express in the world since the very beginning.We cover:✅ Why cash flow matters more than profit - and how to forecast it properly✅ The menu engineering matrix Pizza Express uses to decide what stays and what goes✅ How to scale restaurants globally without running out of cash✅ Why Pizza Express turns off delivery during Friday brunch - on purpose✅ Fixed labor costs in the UAE and the beach club salary war✅ The four-scenario model Dan uses before opening every new restaurant✅ Why average spend per head is an overrated metric✅ If Q4 in Dubai isn't working - it's never going to workYou'll also hear:🍅 Every Pizza Express in the world uses tomatoes from one supplier in Naples - since 1965🐟 The fish pizza that got pulled from the menu (Dan hates fish - the data agreed)🍍 Why pineapple should absolutely not go on pizza💸 Would you rather make £10M profit on £100M revenue - or £10M on £15M?🏖️ How beach clubs are quietly winning the UAE staffing war Connect with Dan Jarvis via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-jarvis-acca-35907047/Follow Supy:💼 https://www.linkedin.com/company/supy1/📸 https://www.instagram.com/supy.io🌐 https://www.supy.io

Ep.22 | What Losing £100K On The Wrong Business Taught This UK Pub Owner | Matt Crowther | Supy Talks Podcast

In this episode of Supy Talks, we're joined by Matt Crowther, founder of Pug Pubs - the dog-focused pub group in Warwickshire that just won Star Pub of the Year - to talk about what building a concept-led hospitality business actually looks like when you're doing it on instinct, grit, and the occasional expensive mistake.Matt shares the real story behind Pug Pubs: quitting his job the day his wife said she was pregnant, a £100K cheese bar that taught him everything about passion and research, and why "dog friendly" and "dog tolerant" are two completely different businesses.We cover:✅ Quitting your job the day your wife says she's pregnant✅ Why "dog friendly" and "dog tolerant" are not the same thing✅ The £100K cheese bar - and what it actually taught him✅ Running 5 venues with the agility of a solo operator✅ Why mission statements on the wall are mostly nonsense✅ The tech stack that actually matters at the multi-site level✅ Father's Day street festivals, Pug Crawls & building communityYou'll also hear:🐾 Why the dog gets served before the humans do🍺 The barbecue he bought without permission - and the sales that proved him right📉 How many people actually want a cheeseboard on a Tuesday🧠 The moment going from one site to two changes everything📲 Connect with Matt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-crowther-16586919/🐾 Follow Pug Pubs: https://www.instagram.com/pugpubs/🎟️ PugFest 2026: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/pugstock-2026-tickets-1983541993498?aff=oddtdtcreatorFollow Supy:💼 https://www.linkedin.com/company/supy1/📸 https://www.instagram.com/supy.io🌐 https://www.supy.io

Ep.21 - From Single Pop-Up To One Of London's Most Loved Restaurants | Marc Summers | Supy Talks Podcast

In this episode of Supy Talks, we're joined by Mark Summers, founder of Bubala - the veg-led Middle Eastern restaurant group that grew from pop-ups into one of London's most celebrated multi-site brands - to talk about what scaling a restaurant actually looks like when you're doing it without shortcuts.Mark shares the real story behind Bubala's growth: two years of pop-ups before a single permanent site, a six-week opening at Spitalfields, a coffee machine that took out the electrics on opening night, and a bold decision to drop their set menu price from £46 back to £39 in pursuit of the value perception that built the brand in the first place.We cover:✅ Two years of pop-ups before the first permanent site✅ Why "leave your ego at the door" is the most important rule in restaurants✅ Going veg-led: the margin advantage and the creative constraint✅ Hiring a GM six months before opening - and why it changed everything✅ Winning Happiest Workplace: voted for by the team✅ Tech, Tenzo & All Gravy: how Bubala uses data without letting it run the business✅ Why the most popular restaurant in the world can still go brokeYou'll also hear:🔥 The pop-up disaster that served 150 guests - 3 hours late⚡ How a coffee machine killed the electrics on Bubala's opening night📉 Why going from £30 to £46 on the set menu made no extra profit🧠 The mindset shift that keeps operators calm when everything goes wrong📲 Connect with Mark:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-summers-bubalaWatch the full episode: https://youtu.be/484u4Cnp_Yg

Ep.20 - The Real Reason Hospitality Tech Fails (It's Not the Software) - Mitz Patel - Supy Talks Podcast

In this episode of Supy Talks, we're joined by Mitz Patel, Global Head of IT Delivery at Soho House, to explore why the biggest barrier to technology adoption in hospitality isn't the tech - it's the people. Mitz brings over a decade of experience across David Lloyd Leisure, Prezzo Italian, and Soho House, and shares a ground-level view of what actually makes technology stick in operationally complex hospitality businesses: trust, operational empathy, and getting out from behind the desk. We cover: ✅ Why tech adoption fails (and it's rarely the software) ✅ Efficient service vs fast service - and why the difference matters ✅ How to bring resistant teams on a technology journey ✅ Testing new tech: the fail fast, learn fast approach ✅ Best-in-class stacks vs all-in-one systems ✅ AI & automation in hospitality: where it's heading You'll also hear: 🔥 The pen-and-paper moment that sums up all of hospitality tech adoption📱 Why Soho House is building a "menu" of tech options for GMs to choose from 🤖 Robots, intelligent fridges & walk-out payment - what's actually worth trialling 🍕 Why bad Italian restaurant syndrome applies to software too 📲 Connect with Mitz:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitzpatel/

Ep.19 - How To Build A Best-in-Class Restaurant Tech Stack - Jackson Versitano - Supy Talks Podcast

In this episode of Supy Talks, we’re joined by Jackson Versitano, Senior Director of Hospitality at Lightspeed, to break down why hospitality is harder to run (and scale) than retail — and what operators need to get right as they grow.Jackson brings over a decade of experience across retail and hospitality tech, and shares a practical view on scaling: why perishables and tight trading windows make margins unforgiving, why people + technology are the biggest levers, and how data, POS integrations, and AI should be approached without hype.We cover:✅ Retail vs hospitality: what’s fundamentally different✅ Why scaling breaks without strong foundations✅ People + tech: the two biggest levers for multi-site growth✅ Best-in-class stacks vs all-in-one software✅ POS as the “brain” + why integrations matter✅ AI in restaurants: start slow, fix data firstYou’ll also hear:🔥 “Concept + location” as the real starting point📉 Why bad data makes AI risky (garbage in, garbage out)🔌 How plug-and-play integrations support long-term scale📲 Connect with Jackson:   / jacksonversitano9   [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa3ZBa01md1IwMW94Q3dPcUYxMlcyNFU1cF9pZ3xBQ3Jtc0ttU3JtQ0s5akFLdkZKZk1QYUFLSldfcFZZTlpfX09PV2YzNVhDdk1pVXY3dkhRYlBGOTIyeVEtNGFoRS1pTDJRdEpiTlAwLUNBQjF2YW1PWUhuTXdlZk84RFFfTGdfNlh4cWtieDFnNFRZX2xHcGl3UQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fjacksonversitano9%2F&v=3MIEZqib9cM]