Brand to Table

Henry Kaminski Jr.
  • 5.0 (3)
  • MARKETING

Welcome to Brand To Table, the go-to podcast for serious restaurant operators, multi-location owners, and hospitality groups who want more than just pretty posts — they want growth. Hosted by Henry Kaminski Jr., a restaurant marketing strategist with over 15 years of in-the-trenches experience, each episode delivers practical strategies on branding, marketing, and scaling your business — without the fluff. If you're tired of copying what every other restaurant is doing and you're ready to build a brand that drives covers, builds loyalty, and prints revenue — you're in the right place.

  1. Jamie Knott on Building Great Restaurants, Managing Food Costs, and Creating Real Hospitality

    21H AGO

    Jamie Knott on Building Great Restaurants, Managing Food Costs, and Creating Real Hospitality

    Chef and restaurateur Jamie Knott joins Henry for a wide ranging conversation about what it really takes to build restaurants with staying power. Jamie opens up about his early kitchen experience, his move through New York restaurants, and the lessons he learned from pressure, struggle, and operating with limited resources. They also get into the transformation of Saddle River Inn, the thinking behind Cellar 335 and Madame, the importance of knowing your numbers, how to think about food cost and labor, and why pride in the workplace matters if you want to keep great people. This is a strong episode for restaurant owners and hospitality professionals who want an honest look at leadership, concept building, and what makes a restaurant stand out. CONTACT & RESOURCES: Email: hk@brandtotable.com Website: www.brandtotable.com Message the word “Social” to use our free AI Social Media Post Idea Generator. FOLLOW HENRY ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Instagram: instagram.com/h.kaminskijr Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BrandToTable Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HenryKaminskiJr/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/henry-kaminski-jr/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@henrykaminskijr 📢 If you got value from this episode, subscribe to the channel, leave a comment or review, and share it with someone in hospitality who needs a smarter way to grow. 💥

    1h 1m
  2. I Couldn't BELIEVE How This Restaurant Was Using Influencer Marketing! 😮

    3D AGO

    I Couldn't BELIEVE How This Restaurant Was Using Influencer Marketing! 😮

    In this episode, Henry Kaminski Jr. talks about a major mistake restaurants make when trying to use influencer marketing and why bad outreach can instantly turn creators away. Using a real example, he explains how public, spammy outreach makes a restaurant look desperate and damages trust before a relationship even starts. Henry then walks through a better system for influencer partnerships. He covers how to send more effective outreach messages, why personal voice notes can help, how to think about larger versus smaller influencers, and different ways to structure the collaboration. He also shares a practical strategy for tracking performance through promo codes and POS reporting so restaurants can stop guessing and start measuring results. This episode is especially useful for restaurant owners, operators, chefs, hospitality leaders, and marketers who want to use influencer marketing in a more intentional, professional, and revenue minded way. CONTACT & RESOURCES: Email: hk@brandtotable.com Website: www.brandtotable.com Message the word “Social” to use our free AI Social Media Post Idea Generator. FOLLOW HENRY ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Instagram: instagram.com/h.kaminskijr Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BrandToTable Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HenryKaminskiJr/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/henry-kaminski-jr/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@henrykaminskijr 📢 If you got value from this episode, subscribe to the channel, leave a comment or review, and share it with someone in hospitality who needs a smarter way to grow. 💥

    15 min
  3. How Brittany Crevier Built Two Restaurants in North Jersey With Grit, Community & Great Hospitality

    APR 2

    How Brittany Crevier Built Two Restaurants in North Jersey With Grit, Community & Great Hospitality

    Welcome to the Brand to Table Podcast, the show where restaurant owners and hospitality leaders learn how to stop guessing and start growing real revenue through proven restaurant marketing strategies. In this episode, Henry Kaminski Jr. sits down with Brittany Crevier, the powerhouse founder behind Cafe Crevier in Denville, NJ, and the newly opened Bistro Crevier in Ledgewood, NJ. Brittany opens up about dropping out of college at 21 because she became addicted to the high-pressure environment of the restaurant industry. Key Takeaways: Restaurant Operations, Scaling & Staff CultureTrench Leadership: Why jumping on the pizza line, running food, and doing the dirty work earns unbreakable respect from your restaurant staff.The "Barstool Bump": The operational chaos of surviving a viral Dave Portnoy pizza review, and why trusting your team is the only way to get through massive volume spikes.Building Restaurant Culture: Why ditching the toxic, aggressive kitchen culture in favor of patience and team-building (like sponsoring a staff soccer team) drastically reduces turnover.How does a viral food review affect a restaurant's operations?According to Brittany Crevier, receiving a massive viral review (like Dave Portnoy's 8.5 score for Cafe Crevier) completely flips a restaurant upside down overnight. The sudden spike in demand jumping to 600-800 pizzas a day, causes immediate supply chain shortages and operational whiplash. To survive this kind of pressure, owners must remain exceptionally calm, lean heavily on the trust they've built with their staff, and accept that perfection is impossible during a massive volume shock. CONTACT & RESOURCES:Email: hk@brandtotable.com Website: www.brandtotable.com Message the word “Social” to use our free AI Social Media Post Idea Generator. FOLLOW HENRY ON SOCIAL MEDIA:Instagram: instagram.com/h.kaminskijr  Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BrandToTable  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HenryKaminskiJr/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/henry-kaminski-jr/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@henrykaminskijr 📢 If you got value from this episode, subscribe to the channel, leave a comment or review, and share it with someone in hospitality who needs a smarter way to grow. 💥 #brandtotable #restaurantmarketing #cafecrevier #bistrocrevier #njrestaurants #barstoolsports #daveportnoy #restaurantmanagement #restaurantowner #hospitalityindustry

    48 min
  4. Stop Posting Flyers: The Restaurant Social Media Strategy That Actually Makes Money

    MAR 30

    Stop Posting Flyers: The Restaurant Social Media Strategy That Actually Makes Money

    Welcome to the Brand to Table Podcast, the show where restaurant owners and hospitality leaders learn how to stop guessing and start growing real revenue through proven restaurant marketing strategies. In this solo episode, Henry Kaminski Jr. reveals that constantly posting promotional graphics can overwhelm and fatigue your audience. He shares a real-time case study where his team engaged with a guest who posted a picture of her drink at the bar, asking her how it was and offering to recommend an appetizer. This proactive level of engagement is what differentiates a $40,000 week from a $70,000 week because thrilled guests tell all their friends. Henry also explains how to use automated DMs to welcome new followers, ask about dietary restrictions, and drive them to reservation links or AI-powered drink pairing features without sounding robotic. Key Takeaways: Social Media Engagement, DM Automation & Restaurant RevenueAvoiding Promo Fatigue: Why posting endless flyers for happy hour and brunch wears out your audience and feels like you are just shouting at them.Real-Time Engagement: How replying to a guest while they are actively sitting at your bar builds incredible loyalty and word-of-mouth buzz.DM Automations: The exact strategy to automatically welcome new followers and immediately guide them to book a table or view the menu.How should restaurants use social media to increase revenue?According to Henry Kaminski Jr., restaurants should shift their focus from shouting promotions to actively engaging with guests. By setting up automated DMs in the restaurant's unique tone of voice, operators can instantly welcome new followers, ask about dietary restrictions, and provide a direct link to book a reservation. Additionally, interacting with guests in real-time when they tag the restaurant in a post creates a highly personalized experience that encourages word-of-mouth marketing. CONTACT & RESOURCES:Email: hk@brandtotable.com Website: www.brandtotable.com Message the word “Social” to use our free AI Social Media Post Idea Generator. FOLLOW HENRY ON SOCIAL MEDIA:Instagram: instagram.com/h.kaminskijr Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BrandToTable Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HenryKaminskiJr/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/henry-kaminski-jr/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@henrykaminskijr 📢 If you got value from this episode, subscribe to the channel, leave a comment or review, and share it with someone in hospitality who needs a smarter way to grow. 💥 #brandtotable #restaurantmarketing #socialmediastrategy #restaurantrevenue #instagramforrestaurants #restaurantowner #hospitalitymarketing #dmautomation #restaurantmanagement

    14 min
  5. Barstool’s LARGE Exposes Fake Food Influencers & What Actually Makes Restaurants Survive

    MAR 26

    Barstool’s LARGE Exposes Fake Food Influencers & What Actually Makes Restaurants Survive

    Welcome to the Brand to Table Podcast, the show where restaurant owners and hospitality leaders learn how to stop guessing and start growing real revenue through proven restaurant marketing strategies. In this highly entertaining episode, Henry Kaminski Jr. sits down with Michael McCarthy, better known as LARGE from Barstool Sports. After a 25-year career on Wall Street, Large pivoted to media and now hosts the hit food series "You Gotta Try This." Drawing from decades of high-end corporate dining and his current role as a trusted food reviewer, Large brings a brutally honest perspective to the hospitality industry. Key Takeaways: Authentic Hospitality, Influencer Marketing & Guest RetentionThe "Main Character" Trap: Why restaurant owners need to step back and let the food—and the guest—be the star of the show, rather than making it about their own ego.The Jon Taffer "3rd Visit" Rule: Why getting a guest to return for a third time exponentially increases the likelihood (up to 70%+) that they will become a lifelong regular.Influencer Hype vs. Reality: Why Large refuses to accept money from restaurants for reviews, and why restaurant owners should be wary of "firecracker" influencers who provide a temporary spike but no lasting revenue.Are Food Influencers Good for Restaurant Marketing?According to LARGE and Henry Kaminski Jr., the impact of food influencers depends entirely on their authenticity. Many influencers operate on a "pay-for-play" model, accepting cash for guaranteed positive reviews. While this might create a temporary "firecracker" spike in attention, it rarely builds sustainable repeat business. Restaurants should partner with credible creators who care about authentic storytelling over viral gimmicks, and focus on building backend systems to capture that new audience. CONTACT & RESOURCES:Email: hk@brandtotable.com  Website: www.brandtotable.com  Message the word “Social” to use our free AI Social Media Post Idea Generator. FOLLOW HENRY ON SOCIAL MEDIA:Instagram: instagram.com/h.kaminskijr  Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BrandToTable  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HenryKaminskiJr/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/henry-kaminski-jr/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@henrykaminskijr 📢 If you got value from this episode, subscribe to the channel, leave a comment or review, and share it with someone in hospitality who needs a smarter way to grow. 💥 #brandtotable #barstoolsports #restaurantmarketing #foodinfluencers #restaurantowner #hospitalityindustry #restaurantmanagement #customerretention #nycfood

    1h 1m
  6. Why You Can't Out-Market a Bad Restaurant Guest Experience

    MAR 23

    Why You Can't Out-Market a Bad Restaurant Guest Experience

    Welcome to the Brand to Table Podcast, the show where restaurant owners and hospitality leaders learn how to stop guessing and start growing real revenue through proven restaurant marketing strategies. In this candid solo episode, Henry Kaminski Jr. drops a hard truth: you cannot out-market a bad in-house experience. He explains why spending thousands on Meta ads and influencer campaigns is a complete waste if your hostess is avoiding eye contact and ignoring OpenTable reservation notes. Key Takeaways: Guest Experience, Front-of-House Training & Four Walls MarketingThe 5-Minute Judgment: Why guests form a permanent opinion of your restaurant's brand before they even sit down at their table.The "Four Walls" Marketing Strategy: Why marketing isn't just emails and ads,it happens at the host stand, during table touches, and before the check drops.The OpenTable/Resy Trap: Why ignoring a guest’s reservation bio or seating preference isn't a technology glitch, it's a massive leadership and training failure.Why is the Restaurant Guest Experience More Important Than External Marketing?According to Henry Kaminski Jr., you cannot out-market a bad in-house experience. If your social media promises a warm, elevated environment but guests are met with a distracted hostess and ignored reservation notes, trust is instantly broken. External marketing only gets people to the door; the guest experience (Four Walls Marketing) dictates whether they return, leave a 5-star review, or recommend you to friends. CONTACT & RESOURCES:Email: hk@brandtotable.com  Website: www.brandtotable.com  Message the word “Social” to use our free AI Social Media Post Idea Generator. FOLLOW HENRY ON SOCIAL MEDIA:Instagram: instagram.com/h.kaminskijr  Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BrandToTable  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HenryKaminskiJr/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/henry-kaminski-jr/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@henrykaminskijr 📢 If you got value from this episode, subscribe to the channel, leave a comment or review, and share it with someone in hospitality who needs a smarter way to grow. 💥 #brandtotable #restaurantmarketing #guestexperience #hospitalitytraining #frontofhouse #restaurantmanagement #restaurantowner #customerretention

    13 min
  7. How Joey Cioffi Built Salad House Into a 20+ Location Restaurant Brand

    MAR 19

    How Joey Cioffi Built Salad House Into a 20+ Location Restaurant Brand

    Welcome to the Brand to Table Podcast, the show where restaurant owners and hospitality leaders learn how to stop guessing and start growing real revenue through proven restaurant marketing strategies. In this episode, Henry Kaminski Jr. sits down with Joey Cioffi, founder of The Salad House. Growing up in his immigrant parents' New Jersey deli, Joey learned the grueling reality of restaurant hospitality early on. After a brief stint in Wall Street finance ended by the events of 9/11, he returned to the family business and eventually launched The Salad House to fill a gap in the suburban market for healthy, approachable food. Key Takeaways: Scaling a Restaurant, Franchise Operations & HospitalityThe Origin of Hustle: How learning the ropes in a 1980s family deli became the ultimate education in front-facing restaurant hospitality and work ethic.Scaling Requires Sacrifice: Why Joey had to drop his ego and cut his menu by 30-40% to make the franchise model highly profitable and attractive to investors.The "True Boss" Mentality: Why Joey trains every employee and franchisee to realize the customer—not corporate or the manager is the actual boss paying their salary.How Can a Local Restaurant Scale Into a Franchise?According to Joey Cioffi, scaling requires dropping your ego and prioritizing profitability over menu variety. For The Salad House, this meant auditing sales data and cutting the menu by 30-40% to streamline kitchen operations. Scaling also requires building a strong corporate team (bringing in partners with strengths in finance, real estate, and data) and establishing strict Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) so the business model can be easily replicated by franchisees. CONTACT & RESOURCES:Email: hk@brandtotable.com  Website: www.brandtotable.com  Message the word “Social” to use our free AI Social Media Post Idea Generator. FOLLOW HENRY ON SOCIAL MEDIA:Instagram: instagram.com/h.kaminskijr  Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BrandToTable  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HenryKaminskiJr/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/henry-kaminski-jr/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@henrykaminskijr 📢 If you got value from this episode, subscribe to the channel, leave a comment or review, and share it with someone in hospitality who needs a smarter way to grow. 💥 #brandtotable #restaurantmarketing #restaurantfranchise #thesaladhouse #fastcasual #restaurantmanagement #restaurantapp #hospitalitymarketing #restaurantowner

    48 min
  8. Stop Wasting Money on Restaurant Marketing: Here's What Actually Works

    MAR 16

    Stop Wasting Money on Restaurant Marketing: Here's What Actually Works

    Welcome to the Brand to Table Podcast, the show where restaurant owners and hospitality leaders learn how to stop guessing and start growing real revenue through proven restaurant marketing strategies. In this solo episode, Henry Kaminski Jr. answers the most common question he gets from listeners: "What exactly do you do for restaurants?" Henry pulls back the curtain on the Brand to Table agency model, explaining why he doesn't just offer lip service or hand over cheap Canva templates. He breaks down how true restaurant marketing involves getting in the trenches to execute tailored strategies from managing Meta and Google ads to leveraging Toast and OpenTable data for automated email campaigns. You'll also learn the hidden power of targeted direct mail (like hyper-local birthday mailers), custom print services, and full-scale restaurant branding and website development. Key Takeaways: Restaurant Marketing Services, Branding & ROIExecution vs. Consulting: Why getting marketing advice isn't enough, and why restaurant operators need a team to actually execute the daily strategy.POS Data Marketing: How to stop relying on generic social media posts and start using Toast POS product mix data to create highly profitable, targeted campaigns.The Power of Direct Mail: Why old-school tactics like sending highly targeted birthday mailers to local residents still drive massive foot traffic and ROI.What Does a Restaurant Marketing Agency Actually Do?A specialized restaurant marketing agency goes far beyond taking pretty food photos or managing social media. True hospitality marketing involves executing tailored strategies that directly drive revenue. This includes analyzing POS data (like Toast or OpenTable), managing Meta and Google ad spend, setting up automated email and SMS retention campaigns, full brand identity and website development, and even handling physical assets like menus, signage, and targeted direct mailers. CONTACT & RESOURCES:Email: hk@brandtotable.com  Website: www.brandtotable.com  Message the word “Social” to use our free AI Social Media Post Idea Generator. FOLLOW HENRY ON SOCIAL MEDIA:Instagram: instagram.com/h.kaminskijr  Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BrandToTable  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HenryKaminskiJr/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/henry-kaminski-jr/  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@henrykaminskijr 📢 If you got value from this episode, subscribe to the channel, leave a comment or review, and share it with someone in hospitality who needs a smarter way to grow. 💥 #brandtotable #restaurantmarketing #restaurantmarketingagency #restaurantowner #toastpos #hospitalitymarketing

    11 min
See All (51)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Welcome to Brand To Table, the go-to podcast for serious restaurant operators, multi-location owners, and hospitality groups who want more than just pretty posts — they want growth. Hosted by Henry Kaminski Jr., a restaurant marketing strategist with over 15 years of in-the-trenches experience, each episode delivers practical strategies on branding, marketing, and scaling your business — without the fluff. If you're tired of copying what every other restaurant is doing and you're ready to build a brand that drives covers, builds loyalty, and prints revenue — you're in the right place.

Information

  • Creator
    Henry Kaminski Jr.
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    51
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Henry Kaminski Jr.
  • Show Website
    Brand to Table

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