Closed Monday

Kyle Inserra
Closed Monday

Ever wonder what it really takes to go from one location to ten? Every Monday, top restaurant operators share their actual playbooks for scaling - from site selection and systems to funding and team building. No basics, no fluff – just real conversations about what works (and what doesn't) in multi-unit growth.

  1. 3 DAYS AGO

    From Red Sauce to Green Juice: When a Brooklyn Restaurant Family Goes Franchise

    A lot of independent restaurant families look at franchising like it's the dark side. But what happens when a father-son team with 50 years of Italian restaurant experience decides to make the switch? James and Mike Simone had a beloved Brooklyn spot for 20 years. Good sauce, cold drinks, and most importantly - great neighborhood vibes. Then COVID hit. After losing everything, they had a choice: rebuild their independent empire, or try something completely different. In this episode, we sit down with James and Mike to talk about their surprising journey from classic Italian restaurateurs to health-focused franchise operators. We get into: Why they chose franchising over another independent spot (hint: it wasn't just about the money) How they picked their concept and territory The real differences between running your own joint vs. being part of a system Their ambitious plans for Westchester What it's like working with dad/son when everything's on the line Plus, some wild stories about their Brooklyn days, including how they turned their restaurant into the unofficial staff cafeteria for Barclays Center (and scored some amazing concert tickets along the way). Come for the business insights, stay for the family dynamics and real industry talk. This one's for anyone who's ever thought about making a major pivot in the restaurant world. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts. Connect with Closed Monday Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@closedmondaypodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: Closed Monday Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kyle@four-turns.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Special Offers Take a screenshot of you listening to the show, and tag @closedmondaypodcast, and I'll send you a FREE Closed Monday t-shirt. Subscribe & Share If you found value in this episode, please subscribe and share it with your friends and network. Your support helps us bring you more actionable insights every week!

    57 min
  2. JAN 20

    Looking Beyond the AUV : Smarter Systems For Franchise Growth w/ Jeff Fenster | Founder & CEO of everbowl

    Just when we think we understand how to scale a franchise, someone comes along and completely flips the playbook on its head. Enter Jeff Fenster, Founder & CEO of everbowl who looked at the traditional franchise model and said... checks notes... "Nah, I'm just going to build everything myself"? Excuse me? A franchise founder who manufactures their own equipment, runs their own construction company, AND imports their own ingredients? That's exactly what happened at Ever Bowl, and the results are kind of mind-blowing. We're talking 60% lower build-out costs, two-year payback periods, and franchisees actually making money (imagine that!). But here's the real kicker - while everyone's chasing fancy AUVs and store count milestones, Jeff's over here focusing on something revolutionary in franchising: actual profitability. Wild concept, right? In this episode, we dive into how Jeff built this vertically integrated franchise powerhouse, why he thinks AI is about to turn site selection on its head, and what it really takes to hit that elusive 100-unit milestone that only 4% of franchises ever reach. Plus, he shares some brutally honest advice about what you should be asking (but probably aren't) before signing that franchise agreement. Connect with Closed Monday Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@closedmondaypodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ YouTube: Closed Monday Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kyle@four-turns.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Special Offers Take a screenshot of you listening to the show, and tag @closedmondaypodcast, and I'll send you a FREE Closed Monday t-shirt. Subscribe & Share If you found value in this episode, please subscribe and share it with your friends and network. Your support helps us bring you more actionable insights every week!

    50 min
  3. 12/23/2024

    Southern Hospitality and Some Next Level Tech | Mike Ball, VP of Operations, Vicious Biscuit

    In this episode, Kyle sits down with and Michael Ball discuss the challenges and experiences in the restaurant industry, the importance of technology integration, and the balance between hospitality and technology. Michael shares his journey from pizza delivery to leadership roles, emphasizing the significance of creating a positive customer experience and adapting to changing circumstances in the industry. The discussion also covers the significance of digital presence, training technology, and the challenges of staffing in the restaurant industry. Looking ahead, Ball outlines ambitious growth plans and the unique franchising opportunities available at Vicious Biscuit. Exclusive Partner Want to learn more about Marqii? Check them out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and instantly level up your digital presence. Connect with Closed Monday Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@closedmondaypodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kyle@four-turns.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Special Offers Take a screenshot of you listening to the show, and tag @closedmondaypodcast, and I'll send you a FREE Closed Monday t-shirt. Subscribe & Share If you found value in this episode, please subscribe and share it with your friends and network. Your support helps us bring you more actionable insights every week!

    35 min
  4. 12/16/2024

    Building A Brand Centric Restaurant | Sebastian Stahl, Founder & CEO, Breadth - Strategic Restaurant Marketing

    In this weeks episode Kyle sits down with Sebastian Stahl - the visionary CEO and founder of Breadth, a strategic restaurant marketing agency. With over 17 years of unwavering dedication to the hospitality industry,Sebastian's journey has been characterized by a fervent passion for helping transform restaurants with a focus on long-term success. His extensive experience includes owning and operating multiple restaurant concepts and serving as the esteemed Head of Marketing and Partner at an award-winning restaurant group in South Florida. Sebastian's illustrious trackrecord speaks volumes about his expertise, as he has played a pivotal role in transformingnumerous restaurants across the country, driving remarkable revenue growth.and delve into the complexities of the restaurant industry. Sebastian shares valuable insights from his journey as a restaurant owner and marketing agency founder, emphasizing the importance of systems, scaling strategies, and the challenges of franchise marketing. They discuss the role of technology and AI in enhancing restaurant operations while maintaining a human touch. Sebastian is also the author of The Restaurant Marketing Insider and the host of the podcast Restaurant Leaders Unplugged. Exclusive Partner Want to learn more about Marqii? Check them out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and instantly level up your digital presence. Connect with Closed Monday Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@closedmondaypodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kyle@four-turns.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Special Offers Take a screenshot of you listening to the show, and tag @closedmondaypodcast, and I'll send you a FREE Closed Monday t-shirt. Subscribe & Share If you found value in this episode, please subscribe and share it with your friends and network. Your support helps us bring you more actionable insights every week!

    44 min
  5. 12/09/2024

    Your Restaurant Staff Doesn't Want More Money -They Want These 3 Things Instead

    In this weeks episode, Kyle sits down with D.J. Costantino to discuss insights from the 7Shifts 2025 Restaurant Workforce Report. D.J. Costantino is a writer, marketer, and podcast host based in Atlanta, Georgia. D.J. is currently a content marketer for 7shifts, a restaurant software company, where he writes for the company blog and hosts the in-house Pre-Shift Podcast. The Pre-Shift features guests from all across the restaurant industry and has been streamed more than 60,000 times since 2021. DJ is a journalist by trade, and has written extensively about the restaurant industry for a decade.They explore the challenges faced by restaurant managers, the importance of flexible scheduling, and the impact of wage differences across regions. The discussion also touches on the evolving landscape of tipping and how restaurants are adapting to changing consumer preferences. In this conversation, Kyle Inserra and D.J. Costantino discuss the evolving landscape of the restaurant industry, focusing on the impact of rising costs, the shift towards smaller restaurant footprints, and the critical importance of employee benefits and retention strategies. They emphasize the need for restaurant owners to engage with their staff, understand their needs, and adapt to changing market dynamics to thrive in the future. Exclusive Partner Want to learn more about Marqii? Check them out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and instantly level up your digital presence. Connect with Closed Monday Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@closedmondaypodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kyle@four-turns.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Special Offers Take a screenshot of you listening to the show, and tag @closedmondaypodcast, and I'll send you a FREE Closed Monday t-shirt. Subscribe & Share If you found value in this episode, please subscribe and share it with your friends and network. Your support helps us bring you more actionable insights every week!

    35 min
  6. 12/02/2024

    Rich Restaurant Owners All Use These 3 Formulas - And Now You Will Too

    In this episode, Kyle discusses three critical financial formulas essential for restaurant success: the Sales to Investment Ratio, Payback Period, and Rent Factor. The importance of these metrics in making informed decisions, attracting investors, and ensuring sustainable growth - can not be overstate The conversation provides practical insights into calculating these formulas and highlights common pitfalls to avoid in restaurant site selection Free Restaurant Financial Formula Calculator Pack - Click here! Takeaways Operators who track these formulas make better decisions and make more money. Sales to investment ratio is crucial for evaluating new locations. Payback period indicates how quickly an investment can be recovered. Rent factor should ideally be under 10% for sustainability. Realistic sales projections are essential to avoid financial pitfalls. Understanding total investment costs is critical for accurate calculations. Site inspections are necessary for due diligence before investment. Investors prioritize these three metrics when considering funding. Exclusive Partner Want to learn more about Marqii? Check them out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and instantly level up your digital presence. Connect with Closed Monday Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@closedmondaypodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠kyle@four-turns.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Special Offers Take a screenshot of you listening to the show, and tag @closedmondaypodcast, and I'll send you a FREE Closed Monday t-shirt. Subscribe & Share If you found value in this episode, please subscribe and share it with your friends and network. Your support helps us bring you more actionable insights every week!

    52 min
5
out of 5
31 Ratings

About

Ever wonder what it really takes to go from one location to ten? Every Monday, top restaurant operators share their actual playbooks for scaling - from site selection and systems to funding and team building. No basics, no fluff – just real conversations about what works (and what doesn't) in multi-unit growth.

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