Best Mastering Restaurant Scalability Podcasts (2025)

1
Train Smarter, Scale Faster: Won Jeong on Building Teams that Scale 38:05

Play Pause

12h ago38:05

38:05

What if trying to control everything is the very thing holding your business back? Most operators think control means being everywhere at once. Today’s guest thinks that mindset is killing your business. After opening 100+ stores, managing $100M in revenue, and building teams across international brands, Won Jeong realized the real goal isn’t knowi…

1
Office Hours: Expansion Is the Fastest Way to Go Broke 9:16

1d ago9:16

9:16

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
Elevating Hospitality Through Light, Sound, and Space - John Grossman - CEO of Grossman Company Properties 1:21:17

3d ago1:21:17

1:21:17

In his second appearance on Masters of Moments, John Grossman joins Jake Wurzak for a deep dive into the philosophy behind his company’s approach to design, operations, and long-term ownership in hospitality. John discusses why “not fighting the building” remains a guiding principle for every renovation, how his team balances creativity with practi…

1
AI Isn’t Replacing Your Team, It’s Saving Them: Devana Bhargava on Tech That Respects Hospitality 36:54

4d ago36:54

36:54

What if AI could make your restaurant more human, not less? That’s the bold idea Devana Bhargava is betting on. As a product leader at Yelp, she’s rethinking restaurant tech from the inside out—building tools that support staff instead of replacing them. In this episode, we dig into the design philosophy behind Yelp Host, why your Yelp page convert…

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

8d 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…

1
Office Hours: Events Are Fake Marketing 8:44

9d 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…

1
Inside Dovehill's Latest Acquisition - Charles Paloux - Chief Investment Officer - Dovehill 1:05:08

8d ago1:05:08

1:05:08

In this episode of Masters of Moments, host Jake Wurzak sits down with his colleague and DoveHill’s Chief Investment Officer, Charles Paloux, to discuss their firm’s recent acquisition of the White Barn Inn in Kennebunkport, Maine. Jake and Charles take listeners behind the scenes of the deal, from the story of how it came together to the strategy …

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

11d 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 …

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

15d 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…

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

16d 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…

1
The Culinary Brilliance Behind Hilton & Wolfgang Puck - Adam Crocini, SVP of Global Design, Wellness, and Food & Beverage @ Hilton 1:28:07

17d ago1:28:07

1:28:07

In this episode of Masters of Moments, Jake Wurzak sits down with hospitality leader Adam Crocini for a deep dive into the intersection of food, beverage, and hotel design. Adam shares his journey from working as a teenage barback in Connecticut to shaping global hospitality experiences with iconic brands like Wolfgang Puck, Capella Hotels, and Hil…

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

16d ago39:25

39:25

By Josh Kopel

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

22d 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…

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

23d 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
The Connection Hack: Pepper Baumer on Building a Relationship-Based Empire 36:11

25d 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…

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

29d 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…

1
Building the Boutique for the Outdoors - Ben Weinberg - Co-Founder & Co-CEO at Trailborn 1:14:52

1M ago1:14:52

1:14:52

In this episode, Jake Wurzak sits down with Ben Weinberg to discuss the intersection of entrepreneurship, hospitality, and real estate. Ben shares his journey from investment banking into building Trailborn, a brand focused on transforming three-star properties into four-star experiences in iconic outdoor destinations. The conversation covers the s…

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

1M 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…

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

1M 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…

1
Office Hours: Enrollment Beats Training 7:23

1M 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…

1
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…

1
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…

1
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

2M 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…

1
Geoff Alexander on Leveling Up Leadership Skills 37:57

2M 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…

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

2M 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
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…

Mastering Restaurant Scalability Podcasts

1
FULL COMP: The Voice of the Restaurant Industry Revolution

Josh Kopel

4
Masters of Moments

Jake Wurzak

1
Train Smarter, Scale Faster: Won Jeong on Building Teams that Scale 38:05

1
Office Hours: Expansion Is the Fastest Way to Go Broke 9:16

1
Elevating Hospitality Through Light, Sound, and Space - John Grossman - CEO of Grossman Company Properties 1:21:17

1
AI Isn’t Replacing Your Team, It’s Saving Them: Devana Bhargava on Tech That Respects Hospitality 36:54

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
Inside Dovehill's Latest Acquisition - Charles Paloux - Chief Investment Officer - Dovehill 1:05:08

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
The Culinary Brilliance Behind Hilton & Wolfgang Puck - Adam Crocini, SVP of Global Design, Wellness, and Food & Beverage @ Hilton 1:28:07

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

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

1
Building the Boutique for the Outdoors - Ben Weinberg - Co-Founder & Co-CEO at Trailborn 1:14:52

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

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

1
Office Hours: Enrollment Beats Training 7:23

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