The Pre-Shift cover art

All Episodes

The Pre-Shift — 80 episodes

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Title
1

An update on The Pre-Shift podcast

2

The QUESO Framework: how Condado Tacos built a culture-first restaurant empire | 072

3

How to get your team to actually care about the numbers with Ji Hye Kim | 071

4

Anthony Valletta on tech, training, and tearing up the traditional pay model | 070

5

Where are you on the restaurant tech journey? | 069

6

The WOWorks growth playbook for repeatable systems and unified tech | 068

7

Franchising isn't an exit strategy—it's a full-time job with Shawn Saraga | 067

8

What do restaurant investors really want? unlocking the financial trifecta with Garrett Mills | 066

9

The franchise playbook: A CEO’s guide to restaurant expansion with Troy Hooper | 065

10

AI is here, but your story is your superpower | Shawn Walchef, Cali BBQ | 064

11

Can restaurants survive without traditional tipping? | Katie Button (Reupload) | 063

12

The people-first culture that drives just 17% turnover at Brasa with Michel Falcon (Reupload) | 062

13

Winning the restaurant hiring game in 2025 with Alice Cheng | 061

14

Building skills beyond the kitchen with Justin Khanna | 060

15

AI marketing strategies that boost restaurant revenue with Josh Kopel | 059

16

Stop fixing light bulbs and start delegating with Avery Ward | 058

17

Navigating Tariff Uncertainty for Canadian Restaurants with Jay Ashton | 057

18

Growing careers (and franchises) at Jeremiah's Italian Ice | 056

19

The end of boring training for restaurants with Arrow Up | 055

20

Insights for serving up restaurant excellence with Square | James Schonzeit, Square, Eric Cacciatore, Restaurant Unstoppable | 054

21

Building an a kitchen OS | Josh Sharkey, CEO of meez | 053

22

The small town soul behind Pizza Ranch | Ross Groeneweg, Pizza Ranch | 052

23

Mastering the art of pizza and business | Mike Bausch, Andolini's | 051

24

Building Chicago's Thattu | Margaret Pak, Chef/Owner | 050

25

Fostering community and belonging in the restaurant biz | Ellen Yin, Founder of High Street Hospitality | 049

26

Rethinking Server Pay: The Commission Model Revolution with Zach Feinstein

27

Leadership lessons from Felipe's Taqueria | Pike Howard, CEO | 047

28

The fight for psychological safety in food service | Hassel Aviles, Director of Not 9 to 5 | 046

29

Tacos, tequila, and teamwork at Agave & Rye | Chris Britt, COO of Epic Brands | 045

30

Making pay transparency work in restaurants | Stella Dennig, Co-Owner/GM of Daytrip | 044

31

How commission-based pay for servers transformed this restaurant | Chad Mackay, CEO of Fire and Vine Hospitality | 043

32

How restaurants exist beyond four walls | Irene Shiang Li, Cofounder of Prepshift & Mei Mei Dumplings | 042

33

Can open-book finance work for restaurants? | Ji Hye Kim, Chef/Owner at Miss Kim | 041

34

How Lula Cafe stays ahead, 25 years in | Jason Hammel, Chef and Owner of Lula Cafe | 040

35

Practical steps for a better staff experience | Kwini Reed, Poppy & Seed | 039

36

The QUESO code at Condado Tacos | Joe Kahn and Chris Artinian | 038

37

How Brasa redefines employee experience | Michel Falcon, Founder & CEO of Brasa Peruvian Kitchen | 037

38

Managing Michelin-star restaurant teams | Ron Hsu, Owner of Lazy Betty, Humble Pie, and Juniper Cafe

39

Fine dining to fried chicken success | Eric Huang, Chef/Owner of Peking House | 035

40

Conquering the front and back of house divide with equal pay scales | Katie Button, CEO / Co-Founder of KB Restaurants | 034

41

Family matters in the restaurant business | Eric Scheffer, Scheffer Group | 033

42

The dynamic culture of care that drives 7leaves | Newton Hoang, 7leaves | 032

43

Crafting careers in restaurants | Kelly Phillips, Destination Unknown Restaurants | 031

44

Inside Bartaco's game-changing growth strategies | Anthony Valletta, President of bartaco | 030

45

Creating culture that attracts and retains | Danny Meyer + Jordan Boesch | 029

46

How do you know when things need to change? | Adam Lamb, Chef Life | 028

47

How Chris Smith scaled Zunzi's with kickass culture | Chris Smith, Zunzi's | 027

48

The journey of Amelie Kang and dry pot cuisine | Amelie Kang, MáLà Project NYC | 026

49

A roadmap for repeat customers | Matt Plapp, America's Best Restaurants | 025

50

Inside the tech that drives Carl's Jr. & Hardees | Phil Crawford, CKE Restaurants | 022

51

Franchise dreams and bus tub discoveries | Mijo Alanis, Beyond Juicery | 021

52

The restaurant trends that defined 2022 | Danny Klein, Food News Media | 020

53

Finding grounded certainty in restaurants | Brandon Poole, BrandGabs | 019

54

How to work *on* your restaurant—not *in* it | Monte Silva, Restaurant Coach | 018

55

Unlocking restaurant prosperity | David Scott Peters | 017

56

A new way to look at restaurant labor costs | Jim Taylor, BenchmarkSixty | 016

57

Expansion Insights for Restaurateurs | Lauren Fernandez, Founder of Full Course | 015

58

Vertical Kitchens, Digital Dining at ClusterTruck | Charles Wright, VP of Ops | 014

59

How &Pizza Thrives with Unique Employee Benefits | Andy Hooper, President &pizza | 013

60

Restaurant Growth Podcast Trailer

61

Why retention beats recruitment every time | Dan Simpson, CEO of Taziki's Mediterranean Grill | 012

62

The restaurant marketing flywheel | Chip Klose, Founder of Restaurant Strategy | 011

63

Where restaurants are leaving money on the table | Josh Kopel, Full Comp | 010

64

Delivering the Digital Restaurant | Carl Orsbourn & Meredith Sandland | 009

65

Training through texts for a deskless industry | Rachael Nemeth, Co-founder and CEO of Opus | 008

66

Fireside chat featuring Danny Meyer | 007

67

Crafting core values for restaurant success | Kelly McCutcheon, Hopdoddy Burger Bar | 006

68

Restaurant Task Management: How to Communicate Tasks to Staff (Blog Audio #8)

69

Restaurant Utility Costs: Ultimate Guide (Blog Audio #7)

70

You're a restaurant manager—now what? | Ken McGarrie, Author | 005

71

Six Red Flags in Restaurant Hiring Processes | Jensen Cummings, Best Served Creative | 004

72

Embracing Digital Hospitality at Cali BBQ | Shawn Walchef, Founder | 003

73

How to Schedule Employees Effectively (Blog Audio #6)

74

Eric Cacciatore’s Journey in Podcasting and Hospitality | 002

75

Future-proofing restaurants with tech | Preston Junger, 7shifts | 001

76

How to Conduct a Restaurant Feasibility Study (Blog Audio #5)

77

Restaurant Job Interview Questions & Answers (Blog Audio #4)

78

Essential Restaurant Management Skills (Blog Audio #3)

79

How to Create a Restaurant Staff Training Manual (Blog Audio #2)

80

Simple Restaurant Marketing Plan for 2023 (Blog Audio Series #1)