FULL COMP: The Voice of the Restaurant Industry Revolution

Fabio Viviani on Crafting a Concept Guaranteed to Succeed

The pandemic taught many of us many different lessons but it taught Chef Fabio Vivani how to fight back. The chef spent the years rebounding from the pandemic curating a concept that he believes is not only recession proof, it’s pandemic proof.  Today we sit down to discuss the formula he’s crafted for guaranteed success so that we too can protect our businesses from what’s lurking around the corner.  For more information on the chef, visit https://www.fabioviviani.com/ [https://www.fabioviviani.com/fabio-viviani.php] _________________________________________________________ Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com [http://restaurantbusinessschool.com/] Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time. We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content: Yelp for Restaurants Podcasts [http://restaurants.yelp.com/fullcomp] Restaurant expert videos & webinars [https://restaurants.yelp.com/restaurant-resources/industry-town-halls/]

Office Hours: Why You Shouldn’t Reward Regulars

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. Today I dig into what customer loyalty really means and why so many programs miss the mark. Loyalty is not about discounts. It is about access, recognition, and the feeling of being valued. I break down how small moments of surprise and genuine connection can drive more repeat visits than any points system. If you want your guests to come back more often and spend more when they do, these strategies will help you build relationships that last.   Takeaways * Loyalty should be about access, not just perks. * Recognition is key to building emotional equity. * Surprise elements in loyalty programs enhance customer engagement. * Creating thresholds in loyalty fosters a sense of belonging. * Handwritten notes can significantly improve customer relationships. * Loyalty programs should focus on privilege rather than discounts. * Emotional economics can drive customer loyalty effectively. * Regulars should feel special through personalized experiences. * Surprise and delight can differentiate your restaurant from competitors. * Tracking changes in loyalty strategies can reveal valuable insights. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Hospitality Insights 01:26 Rethinking Customer Loyalty 05:48 Creating Emotional Connections with Guests If you’ve got a marketing or profitability related question for me, email me directly at josh@joshkopel.com and include Office Hours in the subject line. If you'd like to scale the profitability of your restaurant in only 5 days, sign up for our FREE 5 Day Restaurant Profitability Challenge by visiting https://joshkopel.com [https://joshkopel.com/].

Stop Playing It Safe: Katherine Miller on the Real Risk of Staying Apolitical

What if staying quiet is the riskiest move you can make? Katherine Miller built her career where politics and policy collide—and she’s not afraid to bring chefs into the fight. From her early days in democratic campaigns to working with global nonprofits and the UN, Katherine’s mission has been clear: empower the most trusted voices in food to influence the systems that shape it. In this episode, we dig into why chefs are uniquely positioned to drive real change, how restaurant owners can speak up without alienating guests, and the surprising cost of silence in today’s political climate. She shares a clear, actionable framework for advocacy and explains why being apolitical doesn’t protect you—it sidelines you. For any operator wondering how to take a stand without losing their seat at the table, this is the conversation you’ve been waiting for. To learn more about her work and pick up a copy of At the Table, visit table81.com [https://table81.com/]. _________________________________________________________ Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com [http://restaurantbusinessschool.com/] Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time. We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content: Yelp for Restaurants Podcasts [http://restaurants.yelp.com/fullcomp] Restaurant expert videos & webinars [https://restaurants.yelp.com/restaurant-resources/industry-town-halls/]

The Prince of Portland: Celebrity Chef Gregory Gourdet

When you open a restaurant you've investing in more than a business, you're investing in a community.  As we change and evolve as individuals so do our communities and few places more beautifully illustrate this capacity to change more than Portland, Oregon.  Today's we chat with, Portland's adopted son, Celebrity Chef Gregory Gourdet. Instead of staking his claim in his hometown of New York or following the trends out to Los Angeles, Gregory has chosen to walk a more complicated path, using this talent and his food to help mend together a community that is still struggling to become the best version of itself. For more on the chef visit https://www.gregorygourdet.com [https://www.gregorygourdet.com] _________________________________________________________ Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com [http://restaurantbusinessschool.com/] Full Comp is brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time. We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other content: Yelp for Restaurants Podcasts [http://restaurants.yelp.com/fullcomp] Restaurant expert videos & webinars [https://restaurants.yelp.com/restaurant-resources/industry-town-halls/]

Office Hours: Influence Fatigue — Why Your Customers Don’t Trust Your Marketing (and What to Do Instead)

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 what real storytelling looks like and why so many brands get it wrong. Authenticity is not a vibe, it is evidence. Your audience can feel the difference between polished propaganda and the truth. I explain why showing your process builds more trust than any perfect promo ever could and how behind the scenes content can change the way people see your business. If you are trying to reconnect with your audience or rebuild credibility, this is the place to start.   Takeaways * Shop floor storytelling can rebuild credibility. * Authenticity is evidence, not just a vibe. * Polished content without process appears as propaganda. * Identical restaurant marketing leads to audience distrust. * Behind-the-scenes content increases engagement. * People crave permission to trust brands. * Stripping back promotional content can boost engagement. * Engagement can triple with authentic content. * Social media feeds are often overly polished. * Transparency is key to audience connection. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Hospitality Insights 00:56 Building Credibility Through Process and Proof If you’ve got a marketing or profitability related question for me, email me directly at josh@joshkopel.com and include Office Hours in the subject line. If you'd like to scale the profitability of your restaurant in only 5 days, sign up for our FREE 5 Day Restaurant Profitability Challenge by visiting https://joshkopel.com [https://joshkopel.com/].