Best Expert Interviews For Restaurateurs Podcasts (2025)

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Built to Serve, Not Sell: Darren Spicer’s Playbook for Turning Coffee Into Community 38:26

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6h ago38:26

38:26

Does the world really need another coffee shop? That’s the question Darren Spicer had to answer before walking away from a six-figure career to start Clutch Coffee. The answer wasn’t coffee—it was connection. In this episode, Darren breaks down why community, not caffeine, is his true product, what he learned from Dutch Bros, how he made it his own…

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Office Hours: Events Are Fake Marketing 8:44

1d ago8:44

8:44

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…

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How this Owner Grew from Caterer to a Multiunit Restaurant 44:08

1d ago44:08

44:08

Who doesn’t love a comeback story? In episode 135 of “The Restaurant Prosperity Formula” podcast, I sit down with Linda Grace Zadoian, owner of Piccadilly Grace Café & Market in San Marino and South Pasadena, California, to trace her path from middle-market finance to multi-unit operator who rediscovered joy in the business. You’ll hear how she sta…

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Estelle Manor: A Taste of Luxury, History and Hospitality 4:49

1d ago4:49

4:49

Host Margaret McSweeney takes us to the Oxfordshire countryside to Estelle Manor, one of the "hottest" destinations in England. Originally built in 1780 in Georgian style and rebuilt in 1908 in Jacobean style, Estelle Manor sits on 85 acres and is surrounded by 3,000 acres of parklands and gardens. In 2023, Ennismore opened this beautiful property …

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Scaling Through Saturation: Aaron Bludorn on Mastering Occasion 35:03

3d ago35:03

35:03

How do you define luxury? What if it isn’t about white tablecloths—but about meeting every guest, every need, every time? Aaron Bludorn didn’t just open a restaurant—he opened a new playbook for hospitality. After a business education under Daniel Boulud and Gavin Kaysen, Aaron took a massive bet: move to Houston, build a concept mid-pandemic, and …

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Stop Worshiping ‘Consistency:’ How Yann de Rocheford Scaled by Systemizing Vibe 40:51

7d ago40:51

40:51

Everyone says restaurants are about food, service, or scale. But what if it’s really about emotional engineering? Yann didn’t come from the kitchen. He came from the world of marketing and strategy. But when he opened Boqueria, he reimagined what a restaurant could be—vibe-forward, high-design, emotionally resonant, and built to scale. In this epis…

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Office Hours: Design Each Daypart as Its Own Business 9:50

8d ago9:50

9:50

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…

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You Don’t Have to Be L.A. to Be Legendary: Eric Bost on Building Fine Dining Outside the Bubble 39:25

9d ago39:25

39:25

By Josh Kopel

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Grow Deep, Not Wide: Mark Rampolla’s Five-Year Rule for Building Brands That Last 42:32

14d ago42:32

42:32

What if your next move isn’t another location—it’s owning a moment in your guest’s life? Mark Rampolla built ZICO into a category and now backs founders with a $600M fund; his playbook is built for operators under pressure. We talk about the five-year reality of product-market fit, why velocity per store beats “more units,” and how owning a specifi…

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Office Hours: Merchandise Minutes, Not Meals 7:57

15d ago7:57

7:57

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…

1
Restaurant Owner Flips the Table and Interviews Restaurant Coach 44:27

16d ago44:27

44:27

What happens when the coach becomes the one in the hot seat? In this episode of “The Restaurant Prosperity Formula” podcast, I hand the mic to longtime friend and Mastery Plus member, Brian Sandel, co-owner of Creekwood Grill in Cypress, Texas. Sandel brings decades of restaurant experience to the table — and plenty of tough, thoughtful questions. …

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The Connection Hack: Pepper Baumer on Building a Relationship-Based Empire 36:11

17d ago36:11

36:11

What if your factory was idling, your shelves were empty, and your business had just lost $15 million—and you still chose not to lay off a single person? That’s the line Pepper Baumer drew. As the third-generation CEO of Crystal Hot Sauce, he inherited a 100-year-old legacy—and nearly watched it collapse under the weight of supply chain failure, ma…

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Gleneagles: The Glorious Playground of Scotland 5:06

20d ago5:06

5:06

“Scotland is a land of mountains, glens, and islands, a land of myth and legend” - Walter Scott. Join Kitchen Chat host Margaret McSweeney as she celebrates the 100th anniversary of Gleneagles, located at the base of the Scottish Southern Highlands. After its grand opening in 1924, media proclaimed that Gleneagles was the "8th Wonder of the World" …

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Perfect Meals Don’t Matter: Sara Fay Egan on Experiences That Scale 37:16

21d ago37:16

37:16

If your guests remember the night but forget the meal, did you succeed? Sara Fay Egan never planned to run restaurants—she built experiences. After a career in high-end event planning, she was thrust into leadership at Beale Street Blues Company after the sudden passing of her father. But instead of mimicking traditional models, she brought an outs…

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Competition Isn’t Your Biggest Threat: Jean-Pierre Lacroix on the Power of Relevance 39:12

24d ago39:12

39:12

What if your restaurant’s biggest threat isn’t your competition—it’s your own irrelevance? Jean-Pierre Lacroix has spent decades helping brands regain their footing after losing touch with what made them matter. In today’s conversation, we unpack what’s killing restaurant loyalty—and it’s not what you think. Jean-Pierre argues that operators are ov…

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Cromlix: A Luxury Country House Hotel in Scotland 12:54

27d ago12:54

12:54

Welcome to a very special episode of Kitchen Chat: A Taste of Luxury, History & Hospitality. Today, we're traveling to a storybook setting in Scotland. Let's visit Cromlix (https://www.cromlix.com/), the breathtaking Victorian mansion and five-star luxury country house hotel near Dunblane, owned by tennis legend, Sir Andy Murray and his wife, Kim (…

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Quality is Overrated: Allan Dib on Scaling Sales the Smart Way 39:20

28d ago39:20

39:20

Most restaurant owners think better food or better service will win the game. But Allan Dib has a different take: your product is not your problem—your marketing is. Allan is the best-selling author of The 1-Page Marketing Plan, and in this conversation, he dismantles the myths that keep restaurants stuck. We get into the high cost of bad positioni…

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Office Hours: Enrollment Beats Training 7:23

29d ago7:23

7:23

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…

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Leadership Expert Shares Insights for Restaurant Owners 37:28

1M ago37:28

37:28

When money’s tight, creativity has to be tighter — and that’s exactly what you’ll learn about in episode 133 of the “Restaurant Prosperity Formula” podcast. I share how the most resilient operators innovate without big tech, big teams or big checks. You’ll learn how to spot high-impact opportunities right under your nose, pressure-test ideas cheapl…

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Burnout Isn’t a Badge: Ahu Hettema on Risk, Reinvention, and Building Restaurants That Work 35:19

1M ago35:19

35:19

Ahu Hettema didn’t hedge her bets—she burned the boats. No Plan B. No safety net. Just a belief that betting everything on one restaurant could rewrite her life. And it did. But not through stubbornness. Through adaptation. In this episode, Ahu breaks down how listening—really listening—to her guests saved her concept, why comfort matters more than…

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This Is What Luxury Actually Feels Like: Chris Adams on Culture, Tech, and the Soul of Service 36:59

1M ago36:59

36:59

Chris Adams does. He’s built a business on showing some of the biggest brands in the world how to make guests feel something—without faking it. In this episode, we dig into what defines modern luxury and why it has less to do with money and more to do with culture, people, and emotional precision. Chris shares how AI and tech can enhance—not replac…

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Brown's Hotel and the Mayfair Bun 13:20

1M ago13:20

13:20

Welcome to a special edition of Kitchen Chat: A Taste of Luxury, History, and Hospitality. Host Margaret McSweeney takes you to the heart of London's Mayfair, a place synonymous with timeless elegance, to visit the incomparable Brown's Hotel, a Rocco Forte Property, https://www.roccofortehotels.com/hotels-and-resorts/brown-s-hotel/ Brown's is more …

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Office Hours: Acquire Talent, Don’t Nurture It 9:00

1M ago9:00

9:00

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…

1
From Maxed-Out Credit Cards to 41 Locations: John Gelastopoulos on Building Broken Yolk’s Lasting Momentum 35:49

1M ago35:49

35:49

Most people buy a restaurant and inherit someone else’s problems. John Gelastopoulos bought a closed breakfast spot, maxed out his credit cards to keep it alive—and turned it into a 41-location powerhouse. The secret? Relentless persistence and an obsession with people. In this conversation, John shares how he went from washing dishes to franchisin…

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Geoff Alexander on Leveling Up Leadership Skills 37:57

1M ago37:57

37:57

After 30 years with restaurant conglomerate Lettuce Entertain You, Geoff Alexander could teach a masterclass on building and scaling a restaurant brand. And that’s exactly what he’s done for us today. In this far reaching conversation we discuss the essential elements of leadership, how to build a brand from the ground up, turnaround strategies for…

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Office Hours: Sell the Thing People Dream About 7:42

1M ago7:42

7:42

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…

1
Leadership Expert Shares Insights for Restaurant Owners 49:13

1M ago49:13

49:13

If your restaurant feels like it’s running your life, this episode of “The Restaurant Prosperity Formula” podcast is for you. I invited leadership expert and author of “Watch Me Rise Dr. Doug “Dr. Luff” Luffborough — who went from homelessness to Harvard and a career coaching leaders — to join me and talk straight to restaurant owners about why pro…

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Brad Wise on Transforming a Bad Launch Into an Epic Brand 31:30

2M ago31:30

31:30

Sometimes the only difference between those who succeed and those who fail is the decision to not give up. Today’s guest, Chef Brad Wise, is a testament to the grit required to build something prolific in our industry. In our conversation we discuss how to overcome a slow start and how he turned a failed bar into the hottest steakhouse concept on t…

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Bruce Bromberg on the Fundamentals of Scaling 39:14

2M ago39:14

39:14

Chef Bruce Bromberg is not the typical restaurant magnate that comes to mind when you think of a national restaurant group. More than anything, he’s a chef, leveraging the universal truths he’s learned over the years in innovative ways. His ability to translate the fundamentals of cooking to the fundamentals of business has led to his meteoric succ…

Expert Interviews For Restaurateurs Podcasts

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Kitchen Chat

Margaret McSweeney

1
FULL COMP: The Voice of the Restaurant Industry Revolution

Josh Kopel

1
The Restaurant Prosperity Formula

David Scott Peters

1
Supersonic Hospitality Marketing Podcast Sponsored by NFS Hospitality feat. Mark McC

Mark McCulloch

1
Built to Serve, Not Sell: Darren Spicer’s Playbook for Turning Coffee Into Community 38:26

1
Office Hours: Events Are Fake Marketing 8:44

1
How this Owner Grew from Caterer to a Multiunit Restaurant 44:08

1
Estelle Manor: A Taste of Luxury, History and Hospitality 4:49

1
Scaling Through Saturation: Aaron Bludorn on Mastering Occasion 35:03

1
Stop Worshiping ‘Consistency:’ How Yann de Rocheford Scaled by Systemizing Vibe 40:51

1
Office Hours: Design Each Daypart as Its Own Business 9:50

1
You Don’t Have to Be L.A. to Be Legendary: Eric Bost on Building Fine Dining Outside the Bubble 39:25

1
Grow Deep, Not Wide: Mark Rampolla’s Five-Year Rule for Building Brands That Last 42:32

1
Office Hours: Merchandise Minutes, Not Meals 7:57

1
Restaurant Owner Flips the Table and Interviews Restaurant Coach 44:27

1
The Connection Hack: Pepper Baumer on Building a Relationship-Based Empire 36:11

1
Gleneagles: The Glorious Playground of Scotland 5:06

1
Perfect Meals Don’t Matter: Sara Fay Egan on Experiences That Scale 37:16

1
Competition Isn’t Your Biggest Threat: Jean-Pierre Lacroix on the Power of Relevance 39:12

1
Cromlix: A Luxury Country House Hotel in Scotland 12:54

1
Quality is Overrated: Allan Dib on Scaling Sales the Smart Way 39:20

1
Office Hours: Enrollment Beats Training 7:23

1
Leadership Expert Shares Insights for Restaurant Owners 37:28

1
Burnout Isn’t a Badge: Ahu Hettema on Risk, Reinvention, and Building Restaurants That Work 35:19

1
This Is What Luxury Actually Feels Like: Chris Adams on Culture, Tech, and the Soul of Service 36:59

1
Brown's Hotel and the Mayfair Bun 13:20

1
Office Hours: Acquire Talent, Don’t Nurture It 9:00

1
From Maxed-Out Credit Cards to 41 Locations: John Gelastopoulos on Building Broken Yolk’s Lasting Momentum 35:49

1
Geoff Alexander on Leveling Up Leadership Skills 37:57

1
Office Hours: Sell the Thing People Dream About 7:42

1
Leadership Expert Shares Insights for Restaurant Owners 49:13

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Brad Wise on Transforming a Bad Launch Into an Epic Brand 31:30

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Bruce Bromberg on the Fundamentals of Scaling 39:14