INTERVIEW | Make Money by Building a Restaurant Brand with Chef JJ Johnson

Chef JJ Johnson is a James Beard Award-winning chef, author, entrepreneur, and founder of Field Trip, a fast-casual restaurant concept built around globally inspired rice bowls. With locations across New York City, Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas, and a new location opening in JFK Airport, JJ has successfully combined culinary excellence with business innovation. In this episode, he shares the realities of restaurant entrepreneurship, raising capital, managing cash flow, scaling a food brand, and navigating the challenges of running a business in a highly competitive industry. On this episode we talk about: How JJ Johnson turned a passion for cooking into a successful restaurant brand Why Field Trip was born from a capital constraint rather than the original business plan The hidden financial realities of opening and operating a restaurant Managing cash flow, labor costs, food inflation, and profitability Building customer loyalty, retaining guests, and expanding through licensing opportunities Top 3 Takeaways Capital constraints can spark innovation. Field Trip wasn't JJ's original vision, but adapting to the resources available led to a scalable concept that ultimately succeeded. Entrepreneurship requires mastering skills far beyond your craft. Running a restaurant means understanding accounting, payroll, insurance, cash flow, operations, and marketing—not just making great food. Cash flow is king. A restaurant can have a great concept and strong demand but still struggle if cash isn't managed carefully enough to survive growth and operational challenges. Notable Quotes "If I really work this hard for this guy, what happens if I work really hard for myself?" "A lot of restaurants don't close because they're bad concepts—they close because they don't have enough money to survive long enough to grow." "You're the founder of the business. You have to jump in where it's needed and rock and roll." Connect with Chef JJ Johnson: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chefjj Website: https://www.chefjj.co Field Trip: https://www.fieldtripnyc.com Clio TV: Just Eats with Chef JJ A Word from Our Sponsors: Today's episode is brought to you by our incredible sponsors. Their support allows us to continue bringing you conversations with entrepreneurs, creators, and industry leaders who are building remarkable businesses. Be sure to check out the sponsors featured in this episode and let them know you heard about them on the Travis Makes Money Podcast! - Are you ready to start your own creatorjourney and make it big? Visitwww.fanvue.com today and launch yourcareer! - To learn more about Mode Mobile and its investor community, go to https://invest.modemobile.com/travismakesmoney -Travis Makes Money is made possible by High Level – the All-In-One Sales & Marketing Platform built for agencies, by an agency.Capture leads, nurture them, and close more deals—all from one powerful platform.Get an extended free trial at gohighlevel.com/travis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices