Restaurants Aren’t About Food, They’re About People: David Youngberg’s Playbook for Longevity episode artwork

EPISODE · Jan 16, 2026 · 37 MIN

Restaurants Aren’t About Food, They’re About People: David Youngberg’s Playbook for Longevity

from FULL COMP: The Voice of the Restaurant Industry Revolution · host Josh Kopel

What if the best leadership training didn’t come from business school, but from the brutal discipline of an Ironman?David Youngberg didn’t start triathlons until 50. But the mindset it required, focus, repetition, resilience, changed how he runs restaurants. After two decades at BJ’s and now CEO at Stonefire Grill, David brings that same intensity to team culture, systems thinking, and servant leadership. In this conversation, we get into how Ironman training sharpened his business instincts, what it takes to build 20-year team tenure, and why the best leaders don’t demand more, they serve more.For anyone trying to lead with longevity in mind, this episode is fuel.To learn more about Stonefire Grill and their people-first approach, visit stonefiregrill.com._________________________________________________________Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass – This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand. Save your spot at restaurantbusinessschool.com

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jan 16, 2026

Embed this episode

NOW PLAYING

Restaurants Aren’t About Food, They’re About People: David Youngberg’s Playbook for Longevity

0:00 37:06

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of FULL COMP: The Voice of the Restaurant Industry Revolution?

This episode is 37 minutes long.

When was this FULL COMP: The Voice of the Restaurant Industry Revolution episode published?

This episode was published on January 16, 2026.

Can I download this FULL COMP: The Voice of the Restaurant Industry Revolution episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!