Seth Cohen Explains Sweetfin’s Growth Strategy

How can restaurant founders step away from daily operations without losing control of the business? Seth Cohen, co-founder and president of Sweetfin, joins Shawn Walchef at CREATE to share how the 15-location poké brand uses detailed systems, strong general managers and weekly financial reviews to maintain accountability. Cohen explains why Sweetfin treats each restaurant like its general manager’s own business, how high-quality content has differentiated the brand since 2015 and why digital hospitality requires consistency at every customer touchpoint. He also discusses expansion beyond California, potential CPG opportunities and why he still personally checks the brand’s Instagram DMs. Systems give founders room to grow. Thorough documentation and strong SOPs allow leaders to step away from daily operations without sacrificing consistency. General managers should understand the business, not just operate it. Sweetfin uses weekly reviews and manually tracked financials to help managers recognize problems and correct them quickly. Digital hospitality requires personal accountability. Consistent branding and communication matter, but operators must also respond directly when an online order goes wrong or a guest reaches out. Episode Links Seth Cohen LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/setharicohen/ Sweetfin LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sweetfin/ Sweetfin: https://www.sweetfin.com/ Sweetfin YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sweetfinpoke Sweetfin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweetfin/ Sweetfin TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sweetfinpoke Sweetfin Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sweetfin/ Where to find Cali BBQ Media Visit our Website Follow Restaurant Technology Substack Follow us on Instagram Follow us on LinkedIn Learn About our Media Services