The Restaurant Success Podcast

Matthew Mabel
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  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

The Restaurant Success Podcast is a weekly podcast for Restaurant owners full of information about how to run and improve your business. What's the point of growing a restaurant company if it doesn’t maximize relationships and profits? What's the point of being successful if you can’t maximize your net worth while enjoying every minute? Matthew Mabel encourages successful independent multi-unit restaurateurs to "be as good to yourself as you are to your guests" in everything they do. “Owning an independent multi-unit restaurant company ought to be a joy. Let’s make it that way," he says.Based out of Dallas, Matthew’s devoted to improving the lives and businesses of successful independent restaurateurs.

  1. 3D AGO

    Remembering Ed Murph, America’s Only Cafetuer

    In this special episode of the Restaurant Success Podcast, veteran restaurant consultant Matthew Mabel pays tribute to Ed Murph, the owner and driving force behind Norma's Café in Dallas. Rather than the usual business strategies, Matthew reflects on thirty years of friendship and collaboration with a man whose restaurant career spanned from the legendary Beggar and Bell Ringer clubs in the seventies, through the groundbreaking Café Cancun in the eighties, to building Norma's Café into a true multi-unit Dallas institution. Matthew shares four powerful lessons Ed taught him and everyone around him — about attitude in the face of adversity, deep community engagement, genuine friendship, and the importance of knowing your business details down to the last dollar. Whether you're a seasoned restaurant entrepreneur or just starting your journey in the food and hospitality industry, Ed's story is a masterclass in building a lasting independent restaurant brand with heart, purpose, and operational excellence. Key Topics Covered Ed Murph's three-chapter restaurant career in DallasFacing a serious health diagnosis with grace and determinationBuilding meaningful community impact through your restaurant businessThe famous Norma's Café annual Thanksgiving meal traditionThe importance of detail-oriented restaurant management and profitabilitySuccession planning and preparing your business for long-term sustainabilityLinks Mentioned Norma's Cafe34 years and counting, Norma's Cafe gives out Thanksgiving mealsResources Mentioned Website: www.surrender.bizFree initial consultation availableConnect with Matthew Mabel Matthew works with owners of successful, independent, multi-unit restaurants to improve: Profit growthSales optimizationGuest count increaseUnit expansionEmployee engagementBrand loyaltyHow to Support the Show Subscribe to the Restaurant Success Podcast and NewsletterRate and review the showVisit www.surrender.biz for additional resourcesTags:

    7 min

  2. MAR 2

    Why Avoiding Risk Isn’t Actually a Great Strategy

    In this episode of the Restaurant Success Podcast, Matthew Mabel tackles a critical question facing many restaurant entrepreneurs today: is playing it safe actually the riskiest business strategy of all? For multi-unit independent restaurant owners navigating a flat market, the comfort of stability can mask the slow deterioration of brand strength, business performance, and net worth. Matthew provides the context restaurant operators need to calm their nerves, explains why the downside risk of doing nothing outweighs the fear of taking action, and lays out the specific steps owners can take right now—from setting attainable growth goals to honestly evaluating their management teams and operations—to get their restaurants back on a forward trajectory and achieve six to eight percent annual growth. Key Topics Covered Why playing it safe is the riskiest move for restaurant owners in today's marketThe downside risk of doing nothing: brand deterioration, declining performance, and shrinking net worthContext for the current restaurant industry landscape and why your staying power is an accomplishmentSetting reasonable, attainable goals for guest count, revenue, and profit growthEvaluating whether your multi-unit management team has the talent to drive resultsFour existential questions every restaurant entrepreneur should ask about their operations, concept, marketing, and learning and developmentHow the best independent restaurant groups are growing six to eight percent annuallyLinks Mentioned Restaurateur's Essential Guide to Developing Powerful General ManagersHow to Clarify the Best Way Forward for Your RestaurantsResources Mentioned Website: www.surrender.bizFree initial consultation availableConnect with Matthew Mabel Matthew works with owners of successful, independent, multi-unit restaurants to improve: Profit growthSales optimizationGuest count increaseUnit expansionEmployee engagementBrand loyaltyHow to Support the Show Subscribe to the Restaurant Success Podcast and NewsletterRate and review the showVisit www.surrender.biz for additional resources

    6 min

  3. FEB 23

    Increase Guest Count Now by Doing These Five Things

    In today's challenging restaurant industry, many operators are watching revenue hold steady while their guest count quietly erodes. In this episode, restaurant business advisor Matthew Mabel breaks down why guest count is the most critical metric for independent restaurant entrepreneurs—and why menu price increases have been masking a deeper problem. Drawing from his recent presentation at the DFW Restaurant-and-Bar Conference, Matthew shares five actionable strategies restaurant owners can implement right now to reverse guest count decline, win back lapsed customers, attract new diners, and drive sustainable business growth. Whether you run a single location or a multi-unit restaurant operation, this episode delivers the entrepreneurship mindset and tactical playbook you need to thrive in a flat market. Key Topics Covered Why revenue comparisons alone are misleading and how inflation has disguised guest count erosionThe critical difference between encouraging repeat visits and winning back lapsed guests and non-usersFive steps to make guest count the priority across your restaurant businessHow to build guest count tracking systems and lead weekly operations meetings around themWhy hiring conversations should include guest count from day oneThe value of investing in learning and development to compete with chain restaurantsMaking guest experience a daily conversation through shift meetings, coaching, and anecdotesLinks Mentioned Breaking Out of the Funk of this Unusually Flat MarketHow to Take Action and Power to Boost Guest Count — link coming soonResources Mentioned Website: www.surrender.bizFree initial consultation availableConnect with Matthew Mabel Matthew works with owners of successful, independent, multi-unit restaurants to improve: Profit growthSales optimizationGuest count increaseUnit expansionEmployee engagementBrand loyaltyHow to Support the Show Subscribe to the Restaurant Success Podcast and NewsletterRate and review the showVisit www.surrender.biz for additional resources

    6 min

  4. FEB 16

    How To Wake Up Your Brand and Increase Guest Count

    Is your restaurant brand showing signs of fatigue? In this episode of the Restaurant Success Podcast, veteran restaurant advisor Matthew Mabel tackles what he calls "Sleepy Restaurant Syndrome" — the slow decline that happens when independent restaurant groups defer updates to their branding, marketing, menu design, culture, and physical spaces. Matthew walks through the warning signs that your restaurant business may be falling behind the competition, from outdated logos and stale menu formats to marketing strategies that target yesterday's guests instead of today's. Drawing on real-world examples from his entrepreneurship and consulting work with multi-unit restaurant owners, Matthew shares a practical roadmap for waking up your brand, increasing guest count, and optimizing revenue and profit in 2026. Whether you operate in casual dining or any other restaurant segment, this episode delivers actionable business strategy to help you stop coasting and start growing. Key Topics Covered What "Sleepy Restaurant Syndrome" looks like in independent restaurant groupsWarning signs that your restaurant brand needs a refreshWhy insiders often miss what an outside advisor can seeHow deferred maintenance of your brand hurts revenue and guest countPractical steps to update your offerings, marketing, branding, messaging, technology, and cultureWhy 2026 is the right time to take action on restaurant innovation and growthLinks Mentioned To Stay Relevant, You Must Update Your Restaurants NowRestaurateurs Make Sure Marketing Leads to Exceeding Forecast RevenueResources Mentioned Website: www.surrender.bizFree initial consultation availableConnect with Matthew Mabel Matthew works with owners of successful, independent, multi-unit restaurants to improve: Profit growthSales optimizationGuest count increaseUnit expansionEmployee engagementBrand loyaltyHow to Support the Show Subscribe to the Restaurant Success Podcast and NewsletterRate and review the showVisit www.surrender.biz for additional resources

    7 min

  5. FEB 9

    The Best Ways Restaurants Activate and Retain Excellent Management

    In this episode of the Restaurant Success Podcast, Matthew Mabel tackles one of the most pressing challenges in the restaurant industry today: how to activate and retain excellent management talent. With restaurant owners and entrepreneurs across the business struggling to find and keep great managers, Matthew breaks down what managers truly want from their organizations, including professional development, inspiration, and pride. He explores two competing approaches to building strong restaurant leadership teams—recruiting experienced talent versus hiring and developing from within—and explains why upgrading your management development strategy is no longer optional for any serious restaurant business. Whether you run a single location or a growing multi-unit operation, this episode delivers actionable entrepreneurship insights to help you build the team your restaurant needs to thrive. Key Topics Covered What restaurant managers really want: development, inspiration, and prideHow to document and track management growth year over yearRecruiting experienced managers versus hiring and developing talent internallyWhy your management development approach may be outdatedFundamentals for building today's restaurant management teamsFive key leadership development concepts for restaurant successLinks Mentioned Overcome the Shallow Talent Pool by Taking This Action NowHow Amazing Restaurant Leadership Development Creates Success Stories in 2023Resources Mentioned Website: www.surrender.bizFree initial consultation availableConnect with Matthew Mabel Matthew works with owners of successful, independent, multi-unit restaurants to improve: Profit growthSales optimizationGuest count increaseUnit expansionEmployee engagementBrand loyaltyHow to Support the Show Subscribe to the Restaurant Success Podcast and NewsletterRate and review the showVisit www.surrender.biz for additional resources

    7 min

  6. FEB 2

    Why You Miss the Biggest Hidden Opportunities in Your Restaurants

    In this episode of the Restaurant Success Podcast, Matthew Mabel reveals why successful restaurant entrepreneurs often overlook their greatest business opportunities. Drawing from his extensive consulting experience with multi-unit restaurant owners, Matthew explains how focusing solely on problems can blind operators to the untapped potential hiding in the parts of their business that already seem to be working. Through two compelling client examples, he demonstrates how a production-focused culture shift and a food cost correction each led to dramatic profit increases—including one case where profits rose by fifty percent and another where millions of dollars were recovered. This episode challenges restaurant business owners to examine what they take for granted and discover where their greatest returns may be waiting. Key Topics Covered Why restaurant owners instinctively focus on problems instead of opportunitiesHow long-term success can become invisible to operatorsReal-world example: Shifting from production-focused to guest-focused culture for a fifty percent profit increaseReal-world example: Correcting food cost handling and menu pricing to recover millions in lost profitWhy making strong aspects of your business stronger yields the greatest returnQuestions to ask yourself about untapped upside in your restaurant operationLinks Mentioned Restaurateur's Investment that Consistently Out Performs New Units Every TimeResources Mentioned Website: www.surrender.bizFree initial consultation availableConnect with Matthew Mabel Matthew works with owners of successful, independent, multi-unit restaurants to improve: Profit growthSales optimizationGuest count increaseUnit expansionEmployee engagementBrand loyaltyHow to Support the Show Subscribe to the Restaurant Success Podcast and NewsletterRate and review the showVisit www.surrender.biz for additional resources

    7 min

  7. JAN 26

    Only 3 Worthwhile Places to Look When Developing a Healthy Restaurant Business

    In this episode of the Restaurant Success Podcast, Matthew Mabel cuts through the noise of restaurant entrepreneurship to reveal the three essential areas every restaurant business owner must examine when developing a healthy, profitable operation. Whether you're running a single location or scaling a multi-unit restaurant group, Matthew shares the critical questions that should occupy your attention as a restaurant entrepreneur—from guest satisfaction and financial health to company culture and employee development. Discover why leadership, people, and systems form the foundation of restaurant business success, and learn what happens when any one of these elements is missing. This episode delivers practical business strategy for independent restaurant owners ready to build sustainable growth and operational excellence. Key Topics Covered The four critical questions every restaurant entrepreneur should focus onWhy your restaurant business reflects its owner's strengths and weaknessesThe three places to look for improvement: leadership, people, and systemsWhat happens when you only have two out of three elements workingHow to evaluate your organizational capability across all three areasThe importance of developing people versus moving on from those who can't growLinks Mentioned The Simple Way to Make Successful Restaurant Companies Much BetterResources Mentioned Website: www.surrender.bizFree initial consultation availableConnect with Matthew Mabel Matthew works with owners of successful, independent, multi-unit restaurants to improve: Profit growthSales optimizationGuest count increaseUnit expansionEmployee engagementBrand loyaltyHow to Support the Show Subscribe to the Restaurant Success Podcast and NewsletterRate and review the showVisit www.surrender.biz for additional resources

    6 min

  8. JAN 20

    Improve Your Restaurants Big Time by Taking a Buyer's Perspective

    In this episode of the Restaurant Success Podcast, Matthew Mabel shares one of the most powerful mindset shifts a restaurant owner can make: viewing your business as if you just bought it. This entrepreneurial approach helps restaurant operators identify hidden opportunities for profit growth, improved guest experience, and operational efficiency. Matthew explains the difference between "store blindness" and "owner blindness," and offers practical questions to help multi-unit restaurant owners evaluate their menu, branding, food costs, labor costs, and employee training with fresh eyes. Whether you're looking to optimize your restaurant business strategy or reignite your team's passion for thrilling guests, this episode provides actionable insights for independent restaurant entrepreneurs. Key Topics Covered The power of adopting a buyer's perspective in your restaurant businessUnderstanding "owner blindness" and how it impacts profitabilityQuestions to ask yourself about menu length, guest experience, and brandingIdentifying overlooked food and labor cost inefficienciesThe importance of reinforcing culture and reeducating staffLinks Mentioned Make Sure Restaurant Employees and Guests Love Your Culture in 2023The Great Differentiator: How to Train and Educate Today's Restaurant WorkerResources Mentioned Website: www.surrender.bizFree initial consultation availableConnect with Matthew Mabel Matthew works with owners of successful, independent, multi-unit restaurants to improve: Profit growthSales optimizationGuest count increaseUnit expansionEmployee engagementBrand loyaltyHow to Support the Show Subscribe to the Restaurant Success Podcast and NewsletterRate and review the showVisit www.surrender.biz for additional resources

    6 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

The Restaurant Success Podcast is a weekly podcast for Restaurant owners full of information about how to run and improve your business. What's the point of growing a restaurant company if it doesn’t maximize relationships and profits? What's the point of being successful if you can’t maximize your net worth while enjoying every minute? Matthew Mabel encourages successful independent multi-unit restaurateurs to "be as good to yourself as you are to your guests" in everything they do. “Owning an independent multi-unit restaurant company ought to be a joy. Let’s make it that way," he says.Based out of Dallas, Matthew’s devoted to improving the lives and businesses of successful independent restaurateurs.

Information

  • Creator
    Matthew Mabel
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    63
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Restaurant Success Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Restaurant Success Podcast