Make Restaurants Profitable

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1 in 4 restaurants ran at a loss last year.And if you’re honest?You’ve probably felt just one bad month away from being part of that stat.I’ve recorded a few episodes for this podcast now and after speaking with some of the best restaurant owners in Australia … nearly every single one of them has been through the same stuff that you’re facing right now.Whether it's finding staff, 80 hour weeks, rising supplier costs, struggling to balance family, no money left to pay yourself, fires, floods … you name it - the guests I’ve spoken to have seen it all.Some of them are now industry leaders and experts, with successful restaurants, franchises, turning over millions in revenue, and even stocking their products in supermarketsThis podcast is about what really made the difference.The stuff no one talks about.The mindset shifts, the messy moments, and the moves that actually worked.So if you’re: Sick of grinding with nothing to show for it Ready to finally pay yourself properly Wanting a business that runs without you there 24/7Then this is for you.Every week, we’ll break down how to make restaurants profitable againNot just with theory, but real strategies that are working right now.If you need help right now head over to foodiecoaches.com and book a call with our team otherwise hit follow or subscribe wherever you’re tuning in and I’ll see you every WednesdayCheck out the behind the scenes over at @foodie_coaches and @tim.kummerfeld

  1. He Took Over His Dad's Restaurant Empire. Now He Runs 18 Locations Without Losing the Family Feel.

    1 day ago

    He Took Over His Dad's Restaurant Empire. Now He Runs 18 Locations Without Losing the Family Feel.

    How a second-generation restaurant owner took over a 25-year family business with 18 venues across Sydney and refuses to let it go corporate. Daniel Drakopoulos on running SRG Hospitality, scaling without losing the heart, and what most family businesses get wrong. Daniel Drakopoulos didn't choose hospitality. He was born into it. He was polishing cutlery at 13 in the family's first restaurant — Aqua Dining at Milsons Point — opened by his parents Bill and Kathleen in 2000. 26 years later, he's just stepped up as co-Managing Director of SRG Hospitality alongside his brother Perry, with his dad finally easing back after a quarter-century of running the group day-to-day. The portfolio reads like a who's-who of iconic Sydney venues: Aqua, Ripples Milsons Point, Ormeggio at the Spit, Sails, Akti, plus the recent Langham Sydney hotel takeover — their first hotel partnership and one of the biggest moves in the group's history. 18 venues currently, 550 staff, and six more openings coming in the next two years. But the bigger story isn't the scale. It's how they got here without becoming the kind of corporate group that loses its soul along the way. In this episode, Daniel sits down with Tim to talk through the family operating philosophy his parents built — the hospitality, the food obsession, the refusal to standardise their venues — and how he and Perry are scaling that DNA into the next generation without breaking it. You'll hear: 00:00 – Polishing cutlery at 13: how the Drakopoulos family got into hospitality 05:00 – The 26-year journey from Aqua to 18 venues 15:00 – Why every SRG venue has to feel different (and the temptation to standardise) 25:00 – The Langham takeover: their first hotel partnership and biggest move yet 35:00 – Generational handover: what changed when Bill stepped back 45:00 – Scaling a family business without losing the family feel Key takeaways: A family operating philosophy is the hardest thing to scale — and the only thing worth scaling Standardising venues for efficiency is the fastest way to lose what made you great The handover from founder to second generation isn't a single day. It's a decade of slow trust. "Looking after our staff is the way we look after our customers" — get the team right and everything downstream sorts itself out Family in business is harder than it looks. The conversations you avoid become the bottlenecks. If you're ready to build a hospitality business that grows without losing what makes it yours, book a free Profit Finding Session with the Foodie Coaches team at https://discover.foodiecoaches.com/bac Follow Daniel and SRG Hospitality: @srghospitality @aquadiningmilsonspoint @ripplesmilsonspoint Follow along: @foodie_coaches @tim.kummerfeld New episodes every Wednesday.

    54 min
  2. Wage Hike Confirmed, Payday Super Looms & Trust Tax Changes: What's Coming for Hospo | June Hospo Update

    3 days ago

    Wage Hike Confirmed, Payday Super Looms & Trust Tax Changes: What's Coming for Hospo | June Hospo Update

    What's coming for hospo in June: the 4.75% award wage hike confirmed, payday super landing on 1 July, and the looming trust tax changes that could double-tax small business owners. If you're a restaurant owner, café owner or bar owner in Australia, here's exactly what's coming and what to do about it. Three things landed on hospitality this month, and all three need action. In this month's industry update, Tim sits down with Wes Lambert — CEO of ARCA and the man in Parliament advocating for every café and restaurant in Australia — to break down the confirmed 4.75% award wage rise (third-largest since the GFC), the payday super deadline on 1 July, and the trust tax changes that could quietly cost small business owners a fortune in fiscal 27. Plus the small business CGT carve-out (good news, for once), where the surcharge ban stands as it approaches end of year, and what's happening with the phase-out of junior rates. If you haven't lifted your prices yet this year, this is your last warning. You'll hear: 00:00 – The 4.75% award wage hike: confirmed, predicted months ago  03:00 – What this means for your roster, your rates, and your menu prices  05:00 – Payday super lands 1 July: what changes and how to prepare  08:00 – Trust tax changes: the looming threat most owners don't know about  12:00 – The small business CGT carve-out — and why it might actually be good news  14:00 – Where the surcharge ban stands as we head into October  16:00 – End of junior rates: timeline update  18:00 – EOFY compliance: single-use plastics, seafood labelling, payday super  20:00 – What every operator needs to do this month Key takeaways: Award wages confirmed up 4.75% from 1 July. If you haven't raised your menu prices by at least that much, you're absorbing the hit yourself.Payday super starts 1 July — every pay run now triggers a super payment. Cash flow planning starts now.Trust tax changes proposed for fiscal 27 could result in double taxation for small business owners running through trust structures. Talk to your accountant now.Not acting is a decision — and right now it's the most expensive one you can make.ARCA is your voice in Parliament. The more members they have, the louder it gets.Checkout the Payday Super Webinar Replay: https://learn.foodiecoaches.com.au/payday-super-replay Join our Foundation Programs: https://foundations.foodiecoaches.com.au/programs If you're not on top of your pricing, your labour costs and your margins right now, book a free Profit Finding Session with the Foodie Coaches team at https://discover.foodiecoaches.com/bac Join ARCA at arca.org.au  The people advocating for your industry need your support. Follow along:  @foodie_coaches  @tim.kummerfeld New updates every month

    22 min
  3. "I Wouldn't Open a Burger Shop Today": James Hurlston on 11 Years Running Melbourne's Most Iconic Burger Joint

    9 June

    "I Wouldn't Open a Burger Shop Today": James Hurlston on 11 Years Running Melbourne's Most Iconic Burger Joint

    James "Jimmy" Hurlston was studying intellectual property law when he decided he'd had enough. So he quit, ate over 800 burgers in a year, wrote The Burger Book, and three years later opened Easey's — the now-iconic Collingwood burger joint with a train carriage on the roof, graffiti walls, and a rotating cast of Melbourne's hospitality and street art scene. Eleven years on, Easey's is still standing. But James says he wouldn't open a burger shop today. In this episode, he sits down with Tim to talk about how Easey's actually survived, the failed Sydney expansion that nearly broke him, the ego he had to lose to grow, and why the train carriage on the roof has been both his biggest strength and his most expensive lease. He's also brutally honest about what he got wrong, why the next venue wouldn't be in Victoria or Sydney, and the one achievement he's most proud of after 11 years. This is the kind of conversation you only get from someone who's been in the trenches long enough to tell the truth. You'll hear: 00:00 – From law school to 800 burgers a year  08:30 – How Easey's actually survived the early years  14:30 – The Sydney expansion that failed (and the ego that caused it)  30:00 – Why he wouldn't open a burger shop today  50:00 – Building a community in burgers and what 11 years has really taught him Key takeaways: Passion is the only thing that gets you through 11 years in hospo — every operator who opened a burger shop chasing the trend is goneA unique venue can hide a lot of mistakes early on — but it also locks you into a rent you can't escape fromExpansion needs full control of the venue. Sub-letting your brand into someone else's pub is a fast way to lose it.Once you upset the locals in a tight community, you can't come back. Doesn't matter what your product is.Your greatest achievement as an owner isn't your venues. It's the team members who go on to open their own.If you're serious about building a hospo business that lasts — without burning yourself out chasing a trend — book a free Profit Finding Session with the Foodie Coaches team at https://discover.foodiecoaches.com/bac Follow James and Easey's: @jimmysburgers @easeysburgers Follow along: @foodie_coaches @tim.kummerfeld New episodes every Wednesday.

    55 min
  4. He Has 8 Locations & 1000+ Staff: How Rob Comiskey Runs Australia's Most Iconic Pub Empire

    2 June

    He Has 8 Locations & 1000+ Staff: How Rob Comiskey Runs Australia's Most Iconic Pub Empire

    Rob Comiskey runs one of the biggest hospitality groups in Australia. 8 venues. 1,000+ staff. And another 6-7 venues under construction, including a $250 million expansion at Sandstone Point that will bring the area's first 5-star resort. The Comiskey Group's portfolio reads like a who's who of iconic Queensland venues — Eatons Hill Hotel (where Prince, Ice Cube and Post Malone have all played), Sandstone Point Hotel, the BIG4 holiday resort that's the highest selling in Australia, plus the Dakabin, Mundy, Samford, Doonan and Eumundi. But the real story isn't the scale. It's what Rob, his brother and his father — still working at 83 — built from three pubs they took over decades ago, and the operating rhythms that keep it consistent across every venue. In this episode, Rob sits down with Tim to talk through how he actually runs a business this big — the monthly 6-hour finance meetings where every GM reviews every line of every P&L, the $500K butchery they built purely for quality, why food and beverage matters more than gaming in every pub they own, and the family decision-making style that's seen them invest tens of millions on gut feel. It's the most operationally generous conversation we've ever had on this show. You'll hear: 00:00 – Inside the Comiskey Group: 8 venues and what's coming  05:00 – The monthly 6-hour open-book finance meeting every GM attends  07:30 – The $500K butchery that sometimes loses money — and why he'd still vote for it every time  10:30 – Why every pub is 5 businesses in one (and why you can't rely on gaming)  14:00 – How they built Eatons Hill: 15,000 capacity, 5 levels, $80M, and everyone said it was crazy  20:00 – How to make calculated decisions without losing momentum  22:30 – Maintaining culture and consistency across 1,000+ staff  28:00 – Why every venue needs its own personality (and one hero product)  29:00 – Weekly on-site management meetings and how Rob splits his time  35:00 – The brutal truth about hiring: you can't change personality Key takeaways: Open-book financials with your GMs creates accountability, not exposureEvery part of your business should be self-sufficient — don't let one revenue stream carry the restQuality and consistency build the brand. The money comes from that, not the other way around.You can't make decisions without facts. Ask the questions until the answer becomes obvious.Hire for personality and work ethic. You can train everything else. You can't train those.Build with intention, but renovate constantly. The standard you set is the standard you have to keep raising.If you're ready to build a hospitality business that runs at this level — or even just the next level up from where you are now — book a free Profit Finding Session with the Foodie Coaches team at https://discover.foodiecoaches.com/bac Follow Rob and the Comiskey Group: @comiskeygroup @sandstonepointhotel @eatonshillhotel Follow along: @foodie_coaches @tim.kummerfeld New episodes every Wednesday

    51 min
  5. He Runs His Café From 1,700km Away: Cam Henderson on Building The Winey Cow

    26 May

    He Runs His Café From 1,700km Away: Cam Henderson on Building The Winey Cow

    Cam Henderson and his wife Jill opened The Winey Cow in Mornington, Victoria in 2014. For nearly a decade it became one of the Mornington Peninsula's most loved cafés — Cafe of the Year, Best Breakfast Restaurant Victoria, the lot. Then COVID happened. Three years of opening, closing, opening, closing. By the end of it, Cam was mentally beat up. So he turned to Jill and said: "I think we need to move." Two weeks of quarantine in Cairns later, they landed on the Gold Coast — into a house they'd never seen, a school they'd never visited, with Mornington still running 1,700km behind them. Eighteen months after that, they opened a second venue in Main Beach. Brought their long-time staff members in as co-owners. And nearly broke themselves doing it. In this episode, Cam sits down with Tim to talk through what it actually takes to run a café from another state — the systems, the weekly rhythms, the team culture that holds it all together, and the hard lessons from a second venue that nearly took them out. This is the conversation for anyone wondering if you can actually step back from your business without losing it. You'll hear: 00:00 – How to move interstate without losing your café 09:30 – How to run a café remotely (the systems that hold it together) 21:30 – How to track the right numbers across multiple cafés 28:00 – How to recover when a second venue is losing money 40:00 – How to step back from your business without burning it down Key takeaways: - You can run a venue from anywhere — but only if the systems, the culture, and the weekly rhythm are non-negotiable - Always have a strong 2IC ready to step up. It's the difference between a hiccup and a disaster. - Your regulars don't only stay loyal to you — they become loyal to the team you build - Standards drift the moment you stop showing up for them. Weekly meetings are how you hold the line. - A new venue is not a copy-paste of the last one. Arrogance in expansion is what nearly took Cam out. - The best way to keep your best people is to invite them in as owners If you're ready to build a business you can actually step back from — without losing what you built — book a free Profit Finding Session with the Foodie Coaches team at https://discover.foodiecoaches.com/bac Follow Cam and The Winey Cow: @thewineycow Follow along: @foodie_coaches @tim.kummerfeld New episodes every Wednesday

    53 min
  6. Food Truck Trouble, Empty Sports Bars & Teams That Don't Care (Q&A Special)

    19 May

    Food Truck Trouble, Empty Sports Bars & Teams That Don't Care (Q&A Special)

    You asked. Tim answered. Four real owners. Four totally different problems. And the kind of straight-up answers that come from someone who's worked with over 2,000 venues across the world. In this Q&A special, Tim breaks down what's actually broken — and exactly what to do about it. This episode covers: 00:00 – How do you build consistent revenue when your fixed location is unpredictable? 05:00 – How do you manage labour cost during quiet periods without gutting service? 09:00 – What do you do when your team doesn't care anymore? 12:00 – How do you measure true profitability when multiple brands share one kitchen? If you've got a question you want Tim to answer on the show, send it through — details in the comments. If you're stuck, plateaued, or on a growth trajectory and you need someone in your corner, book a free call with the Foodie Coaches team at https://discover.foodiecoaches.com/bac Follow along: @foodie_coaches @tim.kummerfeld New episodes every Wednesday.

    15 min
  7. Federal Budget, Surcharge Ban Update & Wage Rises Ahead: What's Coming for Hospo | May Hospo Update

    17 May

    Federal Budget, Surcharge Ban Update & Wage Rises Ahead: What's Coming for Hospo | May Hospo Update

    The federal budget just dropped. The surcharge ban is creeping closer. And the next round of wage rises is about to land. In this month's industry update, Tim sits down with Wes Lambert — CEO of ARCA and the man in Parliament advocating for every café and restaurant in Australia — to break down what's just happened, what's coming, and what you need to be doing about it right now. It's the most direct conversation we've had yet. If you're already break-even, you need to hear this. You'll hear: 00:00 – Wes is back from the US — what he saw in New York and why credit card surcharges are on every menu there  03:00 – The federal budget: tax, spend, broken promises and the one tiny piece of good news for small business  04:30 – Instant asset write-off made permanent at $20K — what it means for you before EOFY  05:30 – The surcharge ban update: why the banks have gone silent (and what it might mean on 1 October)  07:00 – The fear nobody's talking about: you could end up paying the same merchant fees with nothing in return  08:30 – Why you must be planning a menu price increase before 1 October 09:00 – The next interest rate rise expected before 1 July  09:30 – Award wages likely up mid-5% — and how the Fair Work Commission calculates the jump  10:00 – Payday super lands on 1 July: what it actually means for your weekly cash flow 12:00 – Why operators already at break-even are the ones most at risk  13:00 – "If your only excuse for not raising prices is 'I'll lose customers,' you'll say that until the day you close"  14:30 – What ARCA is fighting for right now: rent renegotiation, tourism spend, red tape reduction  16:00 – Why rent should be 8-10% in restaurants — and what to do if yours has crept beyond that  17:00 – The case for doubling tourism advertising and bringing Michelin Guide to Australia  19:00 – Why fiscal 2027 needs to be a reset period for the industry Key takeaways: The federal budget is a tax-and-spend budget — there's no relief coming for small businessThe surcharge ban is on track for 1 October — but the banks haven't moved on merchant fees, so you may end up absorbing the cost with no reliefAward wages are expected to rise mid-5% from 1 July. Payday super hits on the same day.If you haven't raised your prices by 10% this year, you're absorbing every cost increase yourselfRent is the largest negotiable line item on your P&L. If yours is above 10%, it's time to negotiate.ARCA has put together a rent renegotiation pack for members and non-members. Use it.If you're already at break-even and worried about what's coming, this is the moment to book a free call with the Foodie Coaches team at https://discover.foodiecoaches.com/bac Join ARCA at arca.org.au — the more members ARCA has, the louder the voice in Parliament. Follow along: @foodie_coaches @tim.kummerfeld

    21 min
  8. You Don't Own Your Business. The Community Does: Rabih Yanni on 33 Years in Hospitality

    12 May

    You Don't Own Your Business. The Community Does: Rabih Yanni on 33 Years in Hospitality

    Rabih Yanni has spent 33 years in hospitality. Nine venues across nine different postcodes. Currently runs Botanical Hotel in South Yarra — the iconic Melbourne pub he's brought back to life since 2019. Founded South Yarra Deli during COVID and took it national. He's the kind of operator who can walk into a venue, look around, and tell you in five minutes what's broken and how to fix it. But the line that stopped Tim in this conversation was this: "You never own a business. The community does. Your role is to navigate that community expectation." In this episode, Rabih breaks down 33 years of hard-won lessons — the standards he refuses to compromise on, the way he holds team for 20+ years, why he's never bought a business from a good operator, and the one mindset shift that separates owners who survive from owners who scale. This one's a masterclass. You'll hear: 00:00 – "You either win or you learn. You don't make mistakes." 01:00 – Why a 10K week venue is harder than a 100K week venue 02:00 – The line that changes how you see ownership forever 04:00 – Walking the guest's path — how to read what your community actually wants 07:00 – How to stop being store-blind in your own venue 09:00 – Why your suppliers are part of the team, not just service providers 10:00 – Holding staff for 20+ years — what actually creates loyalty 12:00 – Non-negotiables: fingerprints, dog-eared menus, dust on bottles 13:00 – "The standard you walk past is the standard you accept" 15:00 – How Rabih's "intent" shifted from working for himself to growing his team 19:00 – Why hospitality is one of the safest industries to be in right now 20:00 – Never buy a business from a good operator — Rabih's rule for acquisitions 21:00 – "You make your money when you buy" 42:00 – Weekly stocktakes and why most owners avoid them 45:00 – "If you're at $2M with aspirations to grow, do the work or concede you bought a job" 46:00 – Act quicker, fail fast — the lesson Rabih wishes he'd learned earlier 50:00 – The difference between an opportunity and a distraction 51:00 – Advice for anyone thinking about buying their first venue Key takeaways: - You never own a business. The community does. Your job is to navigate the community's expectation. - Secondary can never become primary — but you can't get primary right if you don't get secondary right. - Everyone needs to share in the heavy lifting. Suppliers, service providers, team — not just the owner. - The standard you walk past is the standard you accept. - If you're going to fail, fail fast. Procrastination is the most expensive habit in hospo. - You don't get a second chance at a first impression. If you're ready to build something worth being proud of — and stop being a stranger to your own numbers — book a free call with the Foodie Coaches team at foodiecoaches.com Follow Rabih and Botanical Hotel: @botanicalhotel Follow along: @foodie_coaches @tim.kummerfeld New episodes every Wednesday.

    54 min
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1 in 4 restaurants ran at a loss last year.And if you’re honest?You’ve probably felt just one bad month away from being part of that stat.I’ve recorded a few episodes for this podcast now and after speaking with some of the best restaurant owners in Australia … nearly every single one of them has been through the same stuff that you’re facing right now.Whether it's finding staff, 80 hour weeks, rising supplier costs, struggling to balance family, no money left to pay yourself, fires, floods … you name it - the guests I’ve spoken to have seen it all.Some of them are now industry leaders and experts, with successful restaurants, franchises, turning over millions in revenue, and even stocking their products in supermarketsThis podcast is about what really made the difference.The stuff no one talks about.The mindset shifts, the messy moments, and the moves that actually worked.So if you’re: Sick of grinding with nothing to show for it Ready to finally pay yourself properly Wanting a business that runs without you there 24/7Then this is for you.Every week, we’ll break down how to make restaurants profitable againNot just with theory, but real strategies that are working right now.If you need help right now head over to foodiecoaches.com and book a call with our team otherwise hit follow or subscribe wherever you’re tuning in and I’ll see you every WednesdayCheck out the behind the scenes over at @foodie_coaches and @tim.kummerfeld

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