486. Inside Restaurant Operations at a 35-Unit Brand: KPIs, Training & Culture - Alex Sadowsky

Running 35 restaurants takes more than systems. It takes real restaurant operations. In this episode of the Restaurant Rockstars Podcast, I sit down with Alex Sadowsky, Vice President of Training, Culinary, and Beverage at Ojos Locos Sports Cantina, a growing 35-unit brand. We go inside how a multi-unit restaurant actually operates, from hiring and training to culture, accountability, and managing margins in today’s environment. Alex shares how they hire for attitude over experience, build long-term teams, and create real paths for growth from server to leadership. We also get into the realities of running a scratch kitchen at scale, keeping menus tight for efficiency, and maintaining consistency across multiple locations. We break down the numbers that matter, including prime cost, labor, and food cost, and how their team is working toward more real-time visibility to make better decisions faster. This is not theory or a list of systems. It’s a real look at restaurant operations inside a multi-unit brand that’s growing while staying true to its culture. Listen to the full episode: https://restaurantrockstars.com/audio/restaurant-operations-35-unit-brand/ Connect with our Guest: @ojoslocossportscantina https://ojoslocos.com Thank you to our sponsors: 🔘 The Operator Inner Circle Mastermind: Join a select group of restaurateurs seeking solutions to labor, increasing margins, leadership, proven marketing, staying ahead of the competition and today’s most pressing operating challenges. We get together brainstorm and share best practices 2 X/ month. Uplevel your restaurant with like-minded peers and industry experts. https://restaurantrockstars.com/mastermind 🔘 Rally Catering: Catering is an excellent added profit center for your restaurant, but it’s all in the details. With Rally Catering, customers browse your packages and pricing to order instantly. Orders arrive complete and ready to approve, with kitchen-ready production sheets and packing forms. Grow your catering business without missing a beat and without the chaos! https://rallycatering.com/rockstars Busy doesn’t equal profitable. More sales won’t fix weak margins; smarter menu decisions will. Do the 5-Day Menu Margin Makeover Challenge and turn one item into a repeatable profit driver.👉 https://restaurantrockstars.com/the-5-day-menu-margin-makeover-challenge/ Connect with Restaurant Rockstars on Social Media: LinkedIn Roger: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roger-beaudoin-21590016 LinkedIn Restaurant Rockstars: https://www.linkedin.com/company/restaurant-rockstars LinkedIn Roger Beaudoin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roger-beaudoin/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/restaurantrockstars/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/restaurantrockstars X: https://x.com/RestaurantRock1