[DELETED ON YOUTUBE] The biggest food reviewer you never heard of

Did Jono accidentally crack the blueprint for turning internet clout into real-world empire? After years behind the scenes helping LADbible and global brands go viral, Jono Yates built OnlyScrans into one of the UK’s most engaged food channels – then used that attention to launch YRDS, a sports-focused creative agency, and GOAT, a packed sports bar in his hometown of Nantwich. In this episode, we break down how he went from “burning toast and sticking pasta to the bottom of the pan” to running a multi-revenue business built on IP, community and clever positioning. Jono explains why he “hates food creators” (even as one himself), the perverse incentives behind negative reviews, and how chase-the-algorithm content is quietly damaging hospitality at the exact moment the sector needs help the most. We unpack his philosophy on integrity, trust and long-term audience building in a world where “honest review” doesn’t always mean what it says on the sign. We then get into GOAT: why he always wanted his own place, what it’s really like to open a sports bar in a bruised hospitality market, and how he’s using creator-first thinking (social leverage, brand, community) to drive footfall from across the UK and beyond. From capacity and costs to margins and menu, he shares the real numbers mindset behind turning over six figures in the first few months – and why seeing people in the room hits different to seeing views on a screen. We also talk sobriety, running a bar while not drinking, and why GOAT’s non-alcoholic range matters just as much as the pints. And finally, we dig into YRDS: how he’s channelling everything he learned at LADbible, Red Bull and OnlyScrans into a sports marketing agency built for talent, brands and rights holders who actually want to win online and offline. 00:00 - Intro 1:21 - Soy Sauce - What’s Soy Sauce? 3:25 - Building a Community Through Relatability 6:01 - The Journey to 500k - LadBible learnings 11:00 - When He Finally Cracked The Formula 19:45 - Transitioning The Formula to Long Form 25:18 - Where Does the Money Come From? You Can’t Do Everything 35:40 - Why Football Football? How does it Link With The Food? 41:50 - The State of The Hospitality Sector - Why Did You Choose To Open a Bar Now? 45:49 - What Is GOAT? - How Successful Is It? 58:18 - Who Would You Love To Work With? !:00:00 - The Process Of Starting YRDS 1:05:00 - Are Food Creators Good For The Industry? 1:10:50 - What Makes The money - $$ CPM 1:19:00 - The Three-Year Plan If you care about food, sport, hospitality, or the creator economy, this is a masterclass in turning views into venues and using content to build assets that live beyond the feed. Welcome to Think Like a Creator 🧠💭 Your guide to the creator universe. No flashy set. No gimmicks. No fluff. Just a show with one goal: be the bridge between the worlds of business and content. As the Manager of the Sidemen, I've been navigating these worlds longer than most. No matter which side you come from, it can be confusing. So I'm here to help. I want businesses to think more like creators and creators to think more like businesses. Whether you're a YouTube nerd or you've never even heard the term 'Creator Economy' - I've got you covered.