I’m Josh Kopel, a Michelin-awarded restaurateur and the creator of the Restaurant Scaling System. I’ve spent decades in the industry, building, scaling, and coaching restaurants to become more profitable and sustainable. On this show, I cut through the noise to give you real, actionable strategies that help independent restaurant owners run smarter, more successful businesses.

In this episode, I dive into why profitability has to be the North Star for every restaurant owner — because without profit, nothing else is sustainable. I also break down one of the most underrated marketing tools in the game: the power of 'surprise and delight.' We’re talking about those unexpected moments that turn a first-time guest into a lifelong fan. I share practical ways to build those moments into your operations — from budgeting for them to training your team to execute with heart. Because when you systemize joy, you create loyalty. And that’s how you win.

Takeaways:

• Money makes every other problem a minor inconvenience.
• Surprise and delight isn't just generosity; it's unexpected generosity.
• Creating unforgettable experiences turns guests into raving fans.
• A surprise and delight budget empowers staff to enhance customer experiences.
• It's about exceeding expectations in ways they couldn't even imagine.
• Transforming guests into ambassadors is key for marketing.
• Marketing through surprise and delight pays for itself.
• Training staff on surprise and delight strategies is essential.
• Focus on creating genuine moments of connection with guests.
• Implementing a structured approach to surprise and delight can lead to greater profitability.

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Restaurant Profitability
02:06 The Power of Surprise and Delight
05:54 Creating Unforgettable Experiences
09:47 Implementing Surprise and Delight Strategies

If you’ve got a marketing or profitability related question for me, email me directly at josh@joshkopel.com and include Office Hours in the subject line. If you'd like to scale the profitability of your restaurant in only 5 days, sign up for our FREE 5 Day Restaurant Profitability Challenge by visiting https://joshkopel.com.