How Data, Coaching, and Culture Drive Restaurant Performance | Oscar Castillo at Rise Up Restaurants

from The Shifting People Podcast · host Evercruiting Software

How Data, Coaching, and Culture Drive Restaurant Performance | Oscar Castillo (Rise Up Restaurants: Pizza Patron + Wingstop) On the Shifting People Podcast, co-hosts Derek Williamson and Kathleen McDonough interview Oscar Castillo, Manager of Operational Performance at Rise Up Restaurants (Wingstop franchisee and Pizza Patron franchisor), about using data to improve restaurant operations while keeping people and coaching at the center. Oscar shares his career path from McDonald’s cashier to recruiting, HR, training, and operations, including lessons from knowledge hoarding and the importance of training replacements. He explains how Rise Up aligns two different brands through shared operational fundamentals, friendly competitions, and pep rallies, and how his role focuses on analytics, special projects, and frontline decision support. Key themes include guest satisfaction as a core metric, leaders performing better when they know their numbers, using scoreboards to drive engagement, prioritizing food and labor costs, avoiding assumptions through questions, strengthening training with role play, promoting from within, and leveraging learning resources like Audible and leadership books. He also previews Rise Up’s “Area Coach Games,” a competitive, metrics-driven leadership program. 00:00 Podcast Introduction 00:46 Oscar Career Journey 02:47 RiseUp Brands Overview 05:26 Balancing Two Cultures 08:01 Data Driven Leadership 14:15 Scoreboards And Engagement 15:53 Key Restaurant Metrics 18:04 Hiring Versus Training Leaders 22:37 Promotions And Motivation 26:18 Challenging Assumptions 27:20 Turning Interest Into Promotion 27:45 Teaching Food Cost Basics 29:10 Restaurant Work As Career 31:10 Orientation Assumptions Lesson 34:11 Role Play For Confidence 36:23 Crucial Conversations Mindset 38:26 Learning Resources And Books 41:24 Area Coach Games Preview 43:56 Host Debrief And Takeaways 45:34 Shifting Questions Wrap Up 51:34 Final Sign Off

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