The Sports Bar Reinvented. Convo w/ Brooks Schaden of Tom’s Watch Bar

Why Most Restaurant Growth Fails. Convo w/ Joe Fontana of Fry The Coop

What does it take to grow a restaurant brand without outside funding, franchise shortcuts, or sacrificing quality along the way? Joe Fontana, founder of Fry The Coop, sits down with Ty Wilson to break down how he built one of Chicago’s fastest-growing hot chicken brands from a single second-generation restaurant into a 10-unit operation doing $16 million annually, completely debt-free. Joe shares why he refuses to franchise, how store-level profitability drives every decision, and why growing a restaurant company should create more opportunity for the people inside it. The conversation also explores the realities of scaling through bank debt, private capital, operational systems, and brand differentiation, including Fry The Coop’s commitment to frying everything in 100% beef tallow. This conversation was recorded live at NRA in Chicago. What You’ll Learn: • Why Joe Fontana believes store-level profitability is the foundation of scaling • How Fry The Coop grew to 10 locations without outside investors or franchise deals • Why debt, private equity, and family office capital all come with tradeoffs • How operational systems and financial discipline impact restaurant growth • Why differentiation matters in crowded restaurant categories • How social media and community-building fuel long-term brand expansion Visit tabcommerce.com to learn how extended terms, higher limits, and smarter controls can power your growth. Episode Links - Fry The Coop Online: https://www.frythecoop.com/ - Fry The Coop Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frythecoop/?hl=en - Fry The Coop TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@frythecoop - Fry The Coop Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frythecoop/ - Joe Fontana on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephfontana/

How Tab Commerce Fixes Restaurant Cash Flow / Interview with Ty Wilson

On this episode of The Restaurant Finance Podcast we flip the script. Shawn Walchef (Cali BBQ Media) sits down with Ty Wilson, CEO & founder of Tab Commerce, to unpack how his team rebuilt the corporate card for restaurants. Ty shares the origin story born in his family’s dining room during COVID, why DoorDash/Uber Eats rejections pushed him to build, and the now-famous King–Queen–Bishop framework for selling into restaurant organizations (owner, operator, controller/CFO). They dive into relationship-first go-to-market, moving the team to Texas to partner deeply with the Texas Restaurant Association, and the product moves that matter: higher credit limits, real-time controls, automated receipt capture, and payment terms up to 60 days to smooth working capital. Expect candid talk on scaling hospitality, fixing back-office scar tissue, and why “pressure is a privilege.” - Ty Wilson LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyedwardwilson/ - James Tice LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-tice-124911140/ - Tab Commerce Online: https://www.tabcommerce.com/ - Tab Commerce LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tabcommerce/ - Tab Commerce X/Twitter: https://x.com/tabcommercehq

How To Fix Restaurant Cashflow Problems

The script is flipped! Join Ty Wilson and James Tice as they join Cali BBQ Media Founder Shawn Walchef on Digital Hospitality. And this conversation goes deep on a topic most operators avoid: money. Tab Commerce is building a modern financial platform for restaurants - offering corporate cards designed specifically for operators, better support, AP automation, higher limits, and financial tools built around real restaurant workflows. But more importantly, this episode is about storytelling, vulnerability, and why restaurant finance doesn’t need to be scary. Ty and James share: - How a cold call turned into a partnership - Why restaurant operators need transparent financial conversations - What big banks don’t understand about hospitality - The power of podcasting for building trust - Why finance is actually a human story, not a spreadsheet

The Sports Bar Reinvented. Convo w/ Brooks Schaden of Tom’s Watch Bar

What happens when a restaurant stops thinking like a traditional restaurant and starts thinking like a live event? Brooks Schaden, Co-CEO of Tom’s Watch Bar, joins James Tice to talk about building restaurants around live sports, fan communities, and shared experiences. From playoff runs and opening day surges to alumni groups and watch parties, Schaden explains how Tom’s turns every game into an event. He also shares why sports-driven restaurants require a different operational mindset, where forecasting changes daily based on schedules, rivalries, and team performance. The conversation covers service speed, labor precision, kitchen design, mobile POS systems, and the small operational decisions that have a massive impact on profitability and guest experience. What You’ll Learn: • How Tom’s Watch Bar forecasts demand around sporting events and playoffs • Why sports bars require a completely different operational model than traditional restaurants • How fan clubs, alumni groups, and watch parties drive recurring traffic • Why service speed, mobile POS, and menu engineering shape profitability • How analytics and forecasting improve labor, inventory, and guest experience • Why experiential hospitality is becoming one of the biggest opportunities in restaurants Visit tabcommerce.com to learn how extended terms, higher limits, and smarter controls can power your growth. Episode Links - Tom’s Watch Bar: https://tomswatchbar.com/ - Brooks Schaden LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brooks-schaden-35564a11/

Creating Restaurant Experiences People Remember. Convo w/ Ford Fry

What makes someone choose your restaurant over every other option around them? For Ford Fry, it starts long before the food hits the table. Ford Fry, chef and founder of Rocket Farm Restaurants, joins James Tice to break down how hospitality, atmosphere, and operational thinking shape modern restaurant growth. Fry explains how his team adapts service across different formats while still protecting the experience that keeps guests coming back. The conversation explores how thoughtful details increase guest satisfaction, why “soul” matters in restaurant design, and how technology and AI can help operators spend less time in the back office and more time with guests. What You’ll Learn: • Why service matters at every level of the restaurant industry • How small operational details shape guest experience and revenue • Why atmosphere and “soul” influence whether guests return • How AI and automation can give operators more time on the floor • How Ford Fry approaches expansion across multiple restaurant concepts Visit TabCommerce.com to learn how extended terms, higher limits, and smarter controls can power your growth. Episode Links • Ford Fry Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fordfry/ • Rocket Farm Restaurants: https://rocketfarmrestaurants.com/ • Little Rey: https://littlerey.com/ • Superica: https://superica.com