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Fred Castellucci, founder of Castellucci Hospitality Group, didn't just build a restaurant business; he built an empire on grit. He started by reviving a failed family restaurant with a $10,000 handshake loan and went on to launch his flagship, The Iberian Pig, with a negative bank account, a stolen budget, and a chaotic opening night where 200 unexpected guests showed up. Years later, he would open the now Michelin-starred Mujo in the middle of a global pandemic.

This episode is a raw and honest look at the real challenges of the restaurant industry. Fred shares the invaluable lessons he learned from his parents, his strategic philosophy on brand building, and the frameworks he uses for making high-stakes decisions. Learn why passion beats forcing a concept into a pre-existing lease, how to measure what truly matters, and how to persevere when failure seems imminent.

Fred Castellucci’s Links:

• Website: https://chgrestaurants.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fred-castellucci-2431a39
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chgrestaurants/

Visit Castellucci Hospitality Group Restaurants:

• The Iberian Pig (Modern Spanish Tapas)
• Cooks & Soldiers (Basque Wood-Fired Grilling)
• Mujo (Michelin-Starred Omakase)
• Double Zero (Upscale Neapolitan Pizza & Pasta)
• Sugo (Family-Style Italian)

Welcome to The Bottom Line – the real talk podcast about restaurant profit and growth. Each episode, we explore the decisions, systems, and stories behind the most successful food businesses out there in the market. No fluff. No hype. Just real operators, real challenges, and real advice from people who know how to get results. Let's get to The Bottom Line.

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Connect with Naki on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ufuksoyturk/