At Benchmark Sixty, we know that you want to be a great restaurant operator. An operator who wants to have long-term success regardless of inflation, labor shortages, or other common challenges. In order to operate that way, it’s important to understand how data and information can improve your business.

Unfortunately, most restaurant owners don’t have time to sift through information or study data because they’re too busy running their restaurants! This can be frustrating, and it leaves so many owners feeling stuck in the mindset that, “this is the way we’ve always done it.”

Benchmark Sixty is a consulting firm that believes no restaurant owner should feel stuck or like external problems are controlling their business. You shouldn’t have to feel like you have no choice but to hope that the old ways will work. That’s why we use a holistic method of analyzing data in a way that immediately pinpoints opportunities and provides a gateway to solving your problems.

Our three-step process allows us to better understand your:

Concept. Every business is different and should be operated as such.

Productivity. We measure this using a proprietary strategy.

Data. In minutes, we’ll have answers to help us better understand your business as a whole.

With Benchmark Sixty on your side, we can work to change the way the entire restaurant industry looks at labor costs in an attempt to better protect people and profit. Reach out to us to learn more about our hospitality consulting services or to get started today.

Restaurant people are built different.

They are a different breed. 


I've worked with over 400 restaurants. Met thousands of them. 

Not one of them chose the easy path.

Here's the beautiful truth nobody talks about enough:

Restaurant people possess a combination of skills that would make most CEOs jealous.

The server who remembers 47 drink orders without writing them down.
The line cook who orchestrates 15 dishes to hit the pass at the exact same moment.
The manager who turns chaos into choreography every single night.


These aren't just jobs. They're performances.

And it’s not easy. 

The Math of Restaurant Magic:

Average decisions per shift: 500+
Problems solved on the fly: Countless
Personalities managed daily: Dozens
Complaints turned to wins: Daily miracles


All while maintaining a smile and making it look effortless.


I watched a bartender last week handle three bachelorette parties, a corporate event, and two first dates.

Simultaneously.

She mixed 200+ drinks, defused two arguments, remembered everyone's name, and had every single customer laughing by the end of the night.

Try teaching that in business school.

What makes restaurant people special:

They thrive where others crumble.
They create joy in the middle of chaos.
They solve problems before customers even know they exist.
They turn strangers into regulars with nothing but genuine care.

But here's what really gets me:

They do it all knowing the hours are brutal, the pay isn't enough, and the recognition is rare.

They do it because they care

About the food. About the experience. About making someone's day better.

I know a prep cook who's been at the same restaurant for 15 years.

Could've left. Could've found easier work.

But every morning at 5am, he's there. Making sure every vegetable is perfect. Every sauce is right. Every detail matters.

Because to him, it's not just prep work

It's pride

**The resilience nobody sees:**

That server who got screamed at during the lunch rush? Back with a smile for dinner

That cook who burned himself on the grill? Bandaged up and back on the line

That manager who worked 14 hours straight? First one in tomorrow morning

That host who dealt with 20 angry customers? Still greeting everyone like family

This isn't easy or sustainable


Here's what the world needs to know:


Restaurant people aren't "just" anything.

Not "just" servers. Not "just" cooks. Not "just" dishwashers.

They're multi-tasking masters.
Problem-solving machines.
Hospitality heroes.
The backbone of every celebration, date night, and business deal

They make the impossible happen. Every. Single. Day.


Please drop a 🙌🏼 for every restaurant person who's ever made your day better


Let’s see how many we can get


And tag someone in the industry who deserves recognition

Because these people don't just serve food.

They serve magic

And it's about time we celebrated that

👊🏻

P.S. To every restaurant person reading this. I see you. 🙏🏻

#restaurantindustry

Jim Taylor

Redefining the Future of Consulting — I Help Consultants Build Businesses That Are Profitable, Predictable, and Respected in as Little as 1 Hour Per Week | 2 x Author | Entrepreneur | Restaurateur | Podcaster

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Most restaurant managers didn't plan to become restaurant managers.

This is how it so often goes. 


You were 22. Needed rent money. Your roommate's cousin managed that Italian place downtown.


"Just help out for a few weeks," they said.


Fast forward 10 years… you're running a $3M operation with 47 employees.


How the hell did that happen?


I'll tell you exactly how.

• You showed up when others called out.
• Made fewer mistakes than most.
• Remembered regulars' names.
• Didn't lose your mind when the freezer died.


Then someone asked if you wanted keys.


Your brain screamed no. Double shifts. Covering no-shows. Being the “bad guy”. 


But you said yes anyway.


For health insurance.
For consistent income.
Because someone believed in you.


What you didn't realize? You were enrolling in the world's most intense business school.


HR when your best server texts "I quit". 

Accounting when food cost jumps 8% overnight.

Psychology when a guest wants to speak to the manager.

Engineering when the dishwasher floods the place. 

Marketing when last week's sales were down. 

All while making sure 200 people get fed.

Here's the brutal truth nobody wants to admit:

These accidental executives, who never planned this path, who fell into it by chance. 

They are running some of the most complex operations in business.

And they're doing it alone.

No mentor to call. 

No playbook

No support group. 

Just "figure it out" and pray it works.


The Math of Accidental Mastery:

—> Years figuring it out alone: 10
—> Expensive mistakes made: Countless
—> Lessons that could've been shared: All of them


Restaurant managers who feel isolated: 90%


Tomorrow, we change that story.


90 accidental executives already joined forces.


They're done pretending they have all the answers.
Done learning every lesson the hard way.
Done feeling like they're the only one struggling.

Because here's what they discovered:

That scheduling nightmare keeping you up? Someone solved it.
That toxic employee destroying morale? Someone's been there.
That vendor ripping you off? Someone found a better one.

Imagine having 100 mentors who've walked your exact path.

Then 500. Then 1,000.

All those accidental executives who learned the hard way, ready to make sure you don't have to.

Tomorrow we launch. The final spots are filling fast.

Don’t miss yours. 


Drop a 🔥 in the comments for VIP access to the community where accidental executives become intentional leaders.


Together.


So here's to every restaurant manager who never planned to be here.

You didn't plan this path.

But you're exactly where this industry needs you.

👊🏻

P.S. That restaurant experience you think isn't "professional enough"? Fortune 500 CEOs couldn't handle what you do daily. 

P.P.S. 50% of proceeds go to restaurant workers in need. Because some are still figuring out if they can afford groceries this week.

#RestaurantManagement #RestaurantIndustry #Leadership

taylorco-consulting

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Talks about #innovation, #leadership, #management, #restaurants, and #contentmarketing

Even the biggest restaurant companies in the world are admitting their labor model is broken. 


The entire industry is starting to wake up.


A 40,000-location fast food giant is spending millions on AI ordering systems.


Not because it's cool tech.


Because they can't staff their stores.


• A 35,000-location coffee chain? Closing locations due to "staffing challenges."

• A 3,000-location fast-casual brand? Investing in automation to reduce dependency on labor.

• Your favorite local spot? Probably closed Mondays now.


The old model no longer works:


• 75% turnover isn't "just how it is" anymore 

• Gen Z won't work 60-hour weeks for pride

• 90-day turnover costs more than manager salaries

• Sales per labor hour? 1985 math for 2025 problems


I watched a restaurant group lose $1.2M last year.

—> Not from food costs.
—> Not from rent increases.
—> Not from government wage hikes 


From replacing the same positions every 90 days.


Here's what's actually broken:

—> Managing by percentages when you should manage productivity.

—> Scheduling like it's 1995 when you have 2025 data.

—> Onboarding like the team is replaceable when training costs $1,800 per person.

—> Measuring sales ÷ labor instead of what actually drives profit.


The shift that's coming:


Smart operators are already moving:


• From "How many hours?" to "How productive were those hours?"

• From "Fill the schedule" to "Optimize the output"

• From "That's just restaurant life" to "Let's fix the model"


Data is one thing, but your team’s ability to translate the data is where the magic happens. 


One small group I worked with last year?

They looked through a different lens:

• Stopped managing to labor percentage

• Started managing productivity metrics

• Built schedules based on output, not coverage

• Created careers, not jobs


Result: $600K saved. Same sales. Better service.


Not by cutting harder.
Not by raising prices.
Not by squeezing staff.


By finally admitting the old model doesn't work.


Even the giants are admitting it now.


Time to stop managing like it's 1985.


👊


P.S. Want my favorite resource? The same framework that helped that small group save $600K? Comment "MODEL" and I'll send you the guide that shows exactly how they did it.

P.P.S. I had a restaurant operator tell me “wow, you’re really good at managing labor cost.” 

Wrong. 

I’m no better than the rookie manager on your dining room floor. I’m just better at interpreting the data so your rookie manager can make faster, better decisions. 


#restaurants #restaurantmanagement #labormodel #hospitality #restaurantindustry

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Most restaurants worship food cost percentage.

But it’s the wrong metric.


Check this out. 


A GM texted me last week. Celebrating his 28% food cost. Industry benchmark. Textbook execution.


His restaurant is losing money. 


Meanwhile, the bistro two blocks over runs 38% food cost.

They're clearing $25K profit every month.


This Is The Math That Should Piss You Off:

—> 28% on a $14 burger = $3.92 cost, $10.08 margin

—> 38% on a $22 burger = $8.36 cost, $13.64 margin


You just made 35% more dollars with "worse" food cost.


I sadly watched three restaurants die this year chasing percentages.


All 3 had perfect food cost.
All 3 couldn’t make money.


They managed the percentage while competitors managed the profit.


Here is the brutal reality:

• Higher food cost + premium ingredients + pricing power = profit

• Low food cost + commodity product = race to the bottom


That 38% bistro?

- Grass-fed beef, not frozen patties
- House-made everything
- Local produce at peak season
- $22 burgers that people Instagram


The 28% place?

- Supllier generic product
- Same menu as 20 other spots
- Competing on “specials”
- Racing to the bottom


Stop managing percentages.
Start managing dollars.


Your guests don't give a damn about your food cost percentage.


They care about value. Experience. Something worth paying for.


Premium ingredients at premium prices beats cheap ingredients at cheap prices.


Every. Single. Time.


The industry teaches you to minimize percentages.

The market rewards you for maximizing value.


But it’s up to you. 


👊🏻


P.S. Your accountant celebrates your 28% food cost. Your empty tables don't care.


P.P.S. If you really want to drive profit, theoretical vs actual % is where the gold is. 
Drop a “💯” below and I will send you a resource to get started. 

Your business and your bank account will thank you. 



#restaurants #restaurantindustry #foodcost #profit

The Hidden MBA Every Restaurant Worker Already Has (A 20-Point Breakdown)


I've hired MBAs who couldn't survive one dinner rush.


And I've watched servers run circles around consultants with fancy degrees.


Here's the brutal truth nobody wants to admit:

Every restaurant worker graduates with skills that business schools charge $200K to maybe teach.


The Math of Restaurant Education:

Business school: 2 years + $200K = Theory
Restaurant floor: 2 years + sweat = Mastery


Let me break down the MBA you already earned:

—> Operations Management:

1. Inventory optimization while orders fly in
2. Real-time resource allocation (every single shift)
3. Supply chain management (when the truck's late and service starts in 20)
4. Quality control under impossible deadlines


—> Financial Acumen:

5. Mental math that would make accountants jealous
6. Cost control when every penny matters
7. Revenue optimization (upselling isn't just sales, it's survival)
8. Cash flow management (making tips last till payday)


—> People Leadership:

9. Managing up, down, and sideways simultaneously
10. Conflict resolution between hangry customers
11. Team building when everyone's exhausted
12. Motivating people through 16-hour days


—> Strategic Thinking:

13. Reading a room better than any focus group
14. Anticipating needs before they're expressed
15. Crisis management every. single. night.
16. Pivoting strategies in real-time


—> Marketing & Sales:

17. Personal branding (regulars don't come back for the food alone)
18. Customer psychology mastery
19. Experience design with zero budget
20. Turning complaints into five-star reviews


I watched a bartender last week handle a system crash, train a new server, manage a difficult customer, and increase sales 30% through perfect recommendations.


All while making it look easy.


Try teaching that at Harvard.

Here's what kills me:

These same people think they're "just" servers.

"Just" cooks.

"Just" restaurant workers.


Meanwhile they're running live MBA programs every shift.


That manager who thinks they need more education?

You don’t. 

That server considering business school?

Apply the skills you have. 

That cook dreaming of bigger things?

Already mastered operations most CEOs couldn't handle.


The difference?


Business schools give you a diploma.
Restaurants give you real skills.


One looks good on LinkedIn.
The other actually works in real life.


So next time someone says you're "just" in the restaurant industry...


Remind them you've got an MBA.


You just earned it the hard way.


Drop a 🔥 if you know a restaurant worker and this resonates with you. 


Or tag them below. They deserve the recognition.


👊🏻


P.S. That diploma on the wall? Impressive. That server who just handled 12 tables during a system crash while training someone new? Priceless

P.P.S. In 2 days, Im launching a network where these skills get the respect they deserve. Want in? Drop a 🔥below


#RestaurantIndustry #Restaurantpeople

Most people think restaurant work isn't a "real job."

They are dead wrong. 


They've never watched a server memorize 47 modifications during a Saturday rush while calculating split checks in their head and de-escalating a drunk customer.


I've spent 20+ years in this industry. Built restaurants. Worked with hundreds more.


And I'll tell you straight up: Restaurant people have skills that would make Fortune 500 executives sweat.


The Skills Nobody Sees:

• Crisis management: 200+ micro-decisions per shift

• People psychology: Reading 500 different moods daily

• Physical endurance: 12 miles walked per shift average

• Mental math: Calculating tips, splits, and timing constantly

• Emotional regulation: Smiling through absolute chaos

Your average line cook runs six burners, three ovens, and coordinates with five other stations.


Simultaneously.


While the kitchen hits 110 degrees.


For $18 an hour.


Show me a McKinsey consultant who could handle that.


I watched a bartender last Tuesday handle a wedding party, three Tinder dates, and a corporate buyout.


287 drinks. Zero mistakes. Remembered everyone's name.


She made each person feel like the only customer in the room.


With ease. 


MBA programs can't teach that.


The Real Numbers:

Average restaurant worker handles dozens of customers per shift.

Solves 50+ problems nobody ever sees.

Prevents 20+ complaints before they happen.

Creates thousands in revenue daily.

Gets paid less than a Target cashier.

But they show up.


At 5am for prep. At midnight for close. On holidays when everyone else celebrates.


Not for the money. God knows it's not for the money.


They show up because they give a damn.


About your anniversary dinner.
About your kid's birthday.
About making your bad day better.


The dishwasher who's been here 10 years? Could work anywhere else for more money.


Stays because the team is family.


The prep cook who makes your sauce perfect every time? Has a culinary degree.


Works here because they love the craft.


The server who remembers your usual? Has a master's degree and 2 kids at home. 


Chooses this because hospitality is their calling.


Stop calling them "just" anything.


They're athletes. Therapists. Mathematicians. Artists.


They make magic out of chaos.


Every. Single. Day.


We should be thanking them more often. 


And they do it knowing you'll forget their name before you leave.


Drop a 💪🏻 below if you know a restaurant warrior who deserves more credit.

Or if you are one. 


Tag someone below. Let them know they're seen.


Because these people don't need your pity.


They need your respect.


👊🏻


P.S. Next time your server smiles after getting screamed at by table 12, remember: 

That's not customer service. That's superhuman restraint.



#restaurantindustry #restaurants #hospitality

20 years in restaurants taught me more than I ever could have imagined.


Starting as a bus boy in a little neighborhood pub. 


And I'm grateful for every brutal shift of it.

—> The 16-hour doubles when the dishwasher quit mid-rush.

—> The nights counting pennies to make payroll.

—> The mornings cleaning grease traps because we couldn't afford the service.


All of it.


Because restaurants don't teach you theory.


They teach you life. 


What Restaurants Actually Taught Me:


• Problem-solving at 200mph 
(when the freezer dies on Friday night)

• People management 
(turning chaos into choreography daily)

• Financial discipline 
(making 3% margins work)

• Crisis leadership 
(every shift is controlled chaos)

• Real empathy 
(you learn everyone's real story)


I learned more about business watching a line cook handle six orders simultaneously than sitting in any conference room.


More about leadership from a server who kept smiling after getting stiffed three times.


More about resilience from a dishwasher who showed up every day for $12 an hour.


The Hard Times That Made Me Appreciate: 

—> That year the economy crashed taught me systems.

—> The person who stole $30K taught me controls.

—> The rockstar who quit taught me culture matters.

—> The 2am equipment failures taught me preparation.


Every failure was a masterclass.


But it's the people I'm most grateful for.


• The chef who stayed late teaching me food costs.

• The server who showed me hospitality isn't just service.

• The owner who trusted me with their dream.

• The team that became family.


They shaped everything I know about business.


And honestly?

I wouldn't trade those grease burns, exhausted nights, and impossible shifts for anything.


Because restaurants taught me the truth:


Success isn't about perfect conditions.
It's about making magic from chaos.


Every. Single. Day.


To everyone still in the trenches:


You're not just flipping burgers or pouring drinks.


You're learning to survive anything.
Building skills nobody can teach.
Developing grit that never quits.


And that's priceless.


👊🏻


P.S. Still have the scar from that fryer burn in 2008. Still grateful for what that kitchen taught me about handling pressure.


P.P.S. If you survived restaurants, you can survive anything. That's not motivational fluff. That's fact.

#restaurants #gratitude #restaurantlife

Most restaurant managers didn't plan to become restaurant managers.


You were 20. A friend worked at the cool spot. Needed cash while you "figured life out."


Fast forward 10 years—you're running a $3M operation.


How the hell did that happen? 


I'll tell you exactly how.

- You showed up on time.
- Made fewer mistakes than most.
- Took care of guests.
- Didn't do anything stupid.

Then someone asked if you wanted to "get into management." 


Your brain: Long hours. Pay cut. Managing friends. Vacation? What vacation?


But you said yes anyway.

For the paid time off.
For the benefits.
Because banks like salary over tips.


What you didn't realize? You were about to get an MBA in everything.


• HR when someone no-shows.
• Plumbing when the dishwasher breaks.
• Psychology when a guest loses their mind.
• Finance when food cost spikes.
• Marketing when sales drop.
• IT when the POS crashes.
• Engineering when the HVAC dies.


All while serving 1,000 guests on a Saturday.


People say hospitality isn't a "real job."

Those people never managed a restaurant.


Real jobs don't teach you to:
- Handle 47 crises before noon
- Turn $30/hour in sales into profit
- Keep 50 people motivated at 2am
- Solve problems with duct tape and hope


Every successful business person I know started in restaurants.


Not because they planned to.


Because restaurants teach you business better than business school.


That multi-tasking you perfected? It's called operations management now.

That angry guest you calmed? That's crisis management.

Those schedules you built? Workforce optimization.

Those stressed line cooks you motivated? Leadership.


My 20 years managing 500+ employees taught me more about business than any degree could.


Now I help restaurant managers see what they really are:

—> Some of the most skilled, resilient, resourceful business professionals on the planet.


• Running businesses that never close.
• Managing people who don't want to be managed.
• Solving problems that shouldn't exist.
• Making magic out of chaos.


Every. Single. Day.


So here's to the restaurant manager.

The accidental executive.
The midnight mathematician.
The professional plate spinner.


Your "job" is building an empire.


You just don't know it yet.


👊


P.S. That restaurant experience you think isn't "corporate enough" for your resume? 

It's exactly what every business needs. You learned to thrive in chaos. Most MBAs can't handle a lunch rush.


P.P.S. Still feeling alone in your career?  I’m here to help. Comment “SKILLS” below and I will personally send you an invite to my private community for restaurant pros. 

A place where we share knowledge, resources, lessons, mentorship and ideas. 

Oh, and we give back to charity too. 


#RestaurantManagement #Hospitality #Leadership #People

Your labor targets are based on employees who don't exist anymore.


The real problem wasn't what anyone expected.


A mid-sized restaurant company came to us with a puzzle that was destroying their margins.


All 12 locations were crushing it on paper:
• Sales up 12-20%
• Guest counts growing
• Average check increasing
• Same management teams as before


But not a single location could hit their labor cost targets.


Not one.


Here's the brutal truth nobody wants to admit:

They weren't measuring what actually mattered.


Everyone was obsessing over labor percentage while missing the real killer hiding in plain sight.


We ran a full productivity analysis across all locations.


The Math of What We Found:

• Average productivity decline: 25%
• Labor hours to serve same guests: Up massively
• Actual cost increase: Devastating
• Root cause: Not what you'd think


The shocking discovery?


Employee tenure had collapsed.

2022: Average employee tenure = 2 years
2024: Average employee tenure = 4 months

Think about that.

Your entire workforce went from experienced veterans to rookies in less than 24 months.

Same managers. Same systems. Completely different capability.


To maintain service levels with inexperienced staff, managers had no choice:

→ Schedule more people per shift
→ Add extra coverage for training
→ Build in buffers for mistakes
→ Protect staff from burnout


More people + higher wages + lower productivity = impossible math.


The only way to hit those old labor targets would've been running dangerously short-staffed.


Which would've broken the remaining team and accelerated the death spiral.


So we threw out the old targets.

Built new ones based on reality, not nostalgia:

• Set productivity benchmarks for current workforce
• Created realistic labor targets by location
• Reverse-engineered path back to profitability
• Mapped exactly what recovery would take


Because you can't solve tomorrow's problems with yesterday's benchmarks.


The lesson?


Stop comparing your operation to when you had different people.


Your 2019 metrics are meaningless if your team has 80% less experience.


Measure the business you have.
Not the one you remember.


Then build from there.


👊🏻


P.S. That labor target you're missing? It might be impossible with your current team makeup. And that's not failure — it's physics.


P.P.S. Want to know your real productivity baseline? Sometimes the truth hurts less than the guessing.



#RestaurantIndustry #LaborManagement #RestaurantOperations

Most restaurants measure labor wrong.

The profitable ones track this metric instead.



It changes everything:


Labor percentage is the biggest lie in our industry.


I watched a restaurant celebrate hitting 28% labor.


They went out of business 90 days later.


Meanwhile, my client runs 34% labor.
And banks $12K more per month.


The difference?


They stopped tracking percentages.
Started tracking productivity.


Here's what actually matters:


CPLH - Covers Per Labor Hour


It's the only metric that tells you if your team is making you money.


Real example from a $3.5M restaurant:


Before focusing on CPLH:


• Labor: 31% ($1,085,000)
• CPLH: 1.84
• Annual profit: $186,000


After 8% productivity improvement:


• Labor: 28.6% ($1,041,600)
• CPLH: 2.0
• Annual profit: $329,400


Same staff. Same wages.
Just better productivity.



The formula is simple:
Total Covers ÷ Total Labor Hours = CPLH



But here's what most operators miss:


No two restaurants are the same.


Your CPLH depends on:


• Employee experience levels
• Kitchen and dining room layout
• Training quality and systems
• Section sizes and table turns
• Manager presence and leadership
• Menu complexity
• Service style


That's why comparing to other restaurants is pointless.


Even within the same brand. 


Compare to yourself instead.


Here is how they did it:


• 4% more guests (better marketing & service)
• 4% fewer hours (smarter scheduling)
• Result: 8% productivity gain


That's $143,400 more profit per year.
From focusing on one metric.


The shift is simple:


—> Stop asking "What's my labor percentage?"

—> Start asking "How can I improve productivity?"


• Stop comparing to industry benchmarks.
• Start beating your own numbers.


Because you can't deposit percentages.
But you can deposit productivity gains.


What's your current CPLH baseline?


Once you know that, you can start to make a real impact on the entire model. 


And drive profit you didn’t realize was there. 



PS - Comment "CPLH" below and I'll send you my calculator that shows exactly where you're leaving money on the table.

#Restaurantindustry #Restaurantoperations #Hospitalityindustry

Most restaurants cut labor to save money.

The smart ones do something different. 


The smart ones boost productivity instead.


One approach kills your team. The other builds an empire.


I’ve been teaching something called the Optimal Productivity Zone for the last 10 years. 

It flips everything we've been taught about restaurant economics.


Here's the brutal truth nobody wants to admit:

We've been managing labor backwards for decades.

The Old Way (what's killing restaurants):

• Start with labor percentage target
• Cut staff to hit the number
• Watch service quality tank
• Lose guests to competitors
• Cut more staff to compensate
• Death spiral accelerates


The OPZ Way (what actually works):

• Start with productivity metrics
• Balance workload to demand
• Service quality improves
• Guest counts increase
• Labor costs stabilize naturally
• Profit follows performance


Real example from last week:

Restaurant A: 26% labor, skeleton crew, servers handling 12 tables, kitchen drowning, guests waiting 45 minutes, Yelp reviews tanking.


Restaurant B: 32% labor, balanced staffing, servers handling 6 tables, kitchen flowing, guests happy, sales up 18%.


Guess which one's more profitable?


The Math of the Optimal Productivity Zone:

When productivity and workload align:

→ Output increases without burnout
→ Quality stays consistent
→ Teams stay longer (turnover drops 40%)
→ Training costs plummet
→ Profit margins expand


It's not about working harder.
It's about working at the right rhythm.


Think of it like this:

Your team is an engine. Run it too lean, it breaks. Run it too rich, you waste fuel. But find that sweet spot—the OPZ—and it purrs.


The key metric? CPLH (Covers Per Labor Hour).


Not labor percentage.
Not sales per labor hour.
Actual covers served per hour worked.


Because that tells you if your team is in the zone or drowning.


Every restaurant's OPZ is different:

• Fine dining might be 1.5 CPLH
• Fast casual might be 4.5 CPLH
• QSR might be 8.0 CPLH



Your number depends on concept, layout, menu complexity, team experience.


But once you find YOUR zone, everything changes.


Stop asking "How can I cut labor?"
Start asking "How can I optimize productivity?"


One question kills businesses.
The other builds them.


Your team knows the difference.
Your guests feel the difference.
Your P&L shows the difference.


Balance before reduction.
People before percentages.
Productivity before panic.


That's how you protect both profit and people.


👊🏻


P.S. That manager working 70-hour weeks to cover shifts? They're not in the OPZ. They're in the danger zone. And it's costing you more than overtime.


P.P.S. Want to find your restaurant's OPZ? 
Comment “CPLH” and I will send you an easy resource to use. 

The pattern will shock you.


#RestaurantIndustry #RestaurantOperations #Leadership

It takes a rare breed to survive restaurants.


And I'm not talking about the ones who make it look easy.


I'm talking about you.


The operator who just worked a double because two people called out. Again.


The manager who fixed the freezer at 11pm instead of calling the $400/hour emergency repair guy.


The owner who hasn't taken a real day off since 2019.


You're still here.

Still fighting.

Still showing up.


While everyone else is complaining about how hard business is, you're dealing with:


• 75% staff turnover
• 35% labor costs
• 3% profit margins
• 100% of the stress


And you keep going.


Not because it's easy. Because it's who you are.


This Is The Kind That Survives Restaurants. 

• You solve 200 problems before lunch.
• Navigate supplier shortages like it’s chess. 
• Turn angry customers into regulars.
• Make payroll happen when it’s tight. 


You're part CEO, part therapist, part mechanic, part magician.


Running on 4 hours of sleep and pure determination.


I see you.


The one who trains the same position 8 times a year and still smiles.


The one who covers every station because you know them all.


The one who eats standing up in the walk-in because there's no time to sit.
(And nobody can hear you let out a yell) 


You're not lucky. You're relentless.


You don't survive restaurants.
You thrive in the chaos.
You make the impossible work.
Every. Single. Day.


And honestly? Most people couldn't last a single shift in your shoes.


But you're not most people.


You're the special breed.


The ones who turn chaos into choreography.
Problems into profit.
Teams into families.


While others are closing their doors, you're finding ways to keep yours open.


That's not just business.
That's warrior stuff.


So here's to you.


The operators who refuse to quit.
The managers who actually give a damn.
The owners who bet everything on themselves.


You're the backbone of this industry.


And you deserve to win.


That's also why I built “The Exchange”.


—> A place where operators like you share what actually works.

—> Where your 2am solutions become someone else's salvation.

—> Where we stop suffering alone and start winning together.


Because if you're tough enough to survive this industry, you're smart enough to master it.


You just need the right people in your corner.


Drop a 👊🏻 if you're part of this rare breed.


Or if you know someone who is.


They need to hear this today.


👊🏻


P.S. That thing you figured out last week to save 2% on labor? Someone in The Exchange needs to know about it. Your battle scars are someone else's roadmap.


P.P.S. You're not crazy for choosing this life. You're just built different. And that's exactly what this industry needs.


#restaurants #restaurantlife #restaurantoperators

Restaurants are not a charity.

Restaurants are a business.


I watched too many restaurants die this year. Great food. Packed dining rooms. Passionate owners.


All broke.


Because somewhere along the way, we forgot a very important rule of restaurants:


You have to make money.


Not just cover costs.
Not just break even.
Actually profit.


But we've romanticized struggle so much that operators feel guilty about wanting to be profitable.


Like caring about margins means you don't care about people.


Wrong.


This Is The Math Nobody Wants to Face:

• Average restaurant profit margin: 3-5%
• What it should be: 10-15%
• Difference on $2M revenue: $140K-$200K
• What that means: Actually surviving


I analyzed a restaurant last month. Chef-owner crying about barely making payroll.


His food cost? 42%.
His reasoning? "Quality ingredients matter."


You know what else matters? Staying open.


Quality without profit is just expensive failure.


Here's the brutal truth:

Your amazing food means nothing if you close in 6 months.

Your incredible culture dies when you can't make payroll.

Your passionate team gets nothing when the doors lock.

Being profitable isn't selling out.
It's staying alive.


And it is possible to run a successful business while also taking great care of your team and your guests. 


The operators who get it track these numbers religiously:

→ Prime cost under 60%
→ CPLH (covers per labor hour) optimized
→ Every dollar in, every dollar out
→ Weekly P&L reviews, not monthly surprises


They're not heartless.
They're smart.


Because profit lets you:

• Pay your team better
• Fix equipment before it breaks
• Take an actual day off
• Build something that lasts
• Really enjoy the business 


The restaurant across the street isn't your competition.


Math is your competition. 


And math doesn't care about your passion.
Doesn't care about your dreams.
Doesn't care about your 5-star Yelp reviews.


Math only cares about math. 


Stop apologizing for wanting to make money.


Start treating your restaurant like the business it is.


Your food can be art.
Your service can be magic.
Your culture can be family.


But your P&L better be profitable.



Or none of it matters.



👊🏻



P.S. That guilty feeling about raising prices? Your landlord doesn't have it when raising rent. Neither should you.



P.P.S. Profit isn't what's left over after everything else. It's what you plan for first. Don’t forget that. 


#restaurants #restaurantbusiness #restaurantprofit

It feels really strange to see my name in an industry article about consulting innovation.


It’s true. It just does. It feels weird. 


Because 5 years ago I was googling "how to get consulting clients" at 2am.


Zero pipeline. Zero credibility. Zero clue.


Zero plan. 


Just a guy who'd helped some restaurants wondering if this could actually work.


If it could actually be a “thing”. 


Now I'm being recognized for "building smarter consulting models."


Wild.


But here's what actually matters:

Every consultant starting today deserves a clearer path than I had.


This Is The Truth About Building a Consulting Business:

I spent months perfecting frameworks nobody wanted.

Built beautiful proposals nobody read.

Created systems for problems nobody had.


Meanwhile, consultants with napkin sketches were billing $30K monthly.


The difference?


They talked to people.
I talked to myself.


Here Is What Actually Built My Practice:

• 500+ real conversations 
• Listening to actual problems
• Solving what hurt TODAY
• Building trust before templates

One conversation → $50K project
That project → Three referrals  
Those referrals → $200K pipeline


All from understanding, not frameworks.


Why I'm Sharing Everything Now:


Because hoarding information gets you nowhere.


Every "secret" that took me months to figure out?

You can have it today.


Every expensive mistake I made?

You should skip it.


Every shortcut I discovered?

It's yours. Have it. 


The consulting industry doesn't need more experts.

It needs more people willing to listen and help.


So yeah, being recognized feels good.


It’s cool. 


But watching consultants go from zero to six figures using stuff I share?

That feels better.


Because success shouldn't require suffering through what I did in my in laws basement. 


Your path should be clearer.
Your wins should come faster.
Your business should work sooner.


That's why I give it all away.


👊🏻


P.S. That article mentioned my "innovative approach." It's not innovative. It's just honest. Talk to people, solve real problems, skip the BS.


P.P.S. Starting from zero? Good. You're exactly where I was. And you'll get there faster than I did. Because you won't make my mistakes.


#consulting #consultingbusiness #entrepreneurship

Restaurant managers absorb stress like sponges —> With nowhere to wring it out.


You became a manager because you love service. The rush. Making magic happen.


But now you're everyone's therapist, often with no one to talk to.


• The server crying in the walk-in needs you to be strong

• The line cook with problems sees you as their rock  

• The host having a panic attack looks to you for calm

• Your owner just wants numbers, not your feelings


Leave it at the door is a company policy. 


You absorb it all. Then go home and squeeze it out alone.


The problem: We built an industry where caring kills you.


The Math of Manager Mental Health:

• Problems you solve daily: 50+

• Personal stress conversations you have: Zero

• Team members who lean on you: Everyone

• People you can lean on: Next to nobody


I watched a friend break last month. 15 years in the industry. Could handle any Friday night disaster. Couldn't handle one more day of being strong for everyone else.


Keep suffering alone and you'll join the 75% who burn out this year.


But there's another way.


Find another manager. Any manager.


Say these four words: "This is fu**ing hard."


Watch their shoulders drop with relief. Because they've been waiting for someone to say it first.


Start a real conversation about the weight of carrying everyone else's problems. 

About the 3am anxiety. 

About wondering if you're the only one feeling it.


Ten other managers within 5 miles feel exactly like you do. All suffering in silence. All thinking they're weak.


It doesn't have to be.


Your team needs you strong.
But strength isn't suffering in silence.


Real strength is knowing when you need support too.


Text a manager friend. Call an old colleague. Just reach out.


Because that breakdown you're fighting off? Every manager in a 10-mile radius is fighting the same battle.


You're not alone. You just think you are.


We’ve just built an industry that believes we should wear all of this as a badge of honor. 


But I don’t. 


👊🏻


P.S. Being everyone's therapist without having your own isn't noble. It's a countdown to collapse. 

Everyone needs someone or somewhere. 


P.P.S. It doesn't have to be this hard. If you want to be part of what I'm building to make the day-to-day easier for our industry, comment "YES" below and I'll send you a quick, easy resource.


#people #mentalhealth #restaurants #restaurantindustry

Top Restaurant Chains Are Quietly Cutting 20-40% of Menu Items.


Everyone thinks it's about simplification. 


But it goes far deeper than that. 


The smart ones understand it's about overall profit model architecture.


Chipotle runs 50 ingredients. Creates millions in combinations. Dominates fast-casual.


Your 57 item menu though… It's killing you in ways you don't even see.


I worked with a restaurant group last year. 63 menu items. Proud of their "variety."


Their best seller generated $47 profit per hour.

Their mid seller COST them $23 per hour to produce.


Both had the same food cost percentage.


Here's The Math That Nobody's Teaching:

• That chicken dish with 28% food cost? Takes 18 minutes. Requires 3 specialty ingredients. Sells like crazy.


• Your burger at 35% food cost? Takes 7 minutes. Uses base ingredients. Sells 30 times daily.


One makes money. One bleeds money.


The chains cutting menus aren't just simplifying.


They're engineering profit at three levels:

1) Food Cost Architecture

 —> Not just percentages. Ingredient overlap. Cross-utilization. Waste reduction.
   

2) Operational Efficiency

 —> Fewer SKUs = faster inventory. Simpler training. Consistent execution.
   

3) Labor Model Optimization

 —> Every item requires prep time, cook time, plating time. Complexity compounds.


The New Menu Math:

→ Profit per square foot (not just margin)
→ Profit per minute (not just food cost)
→ Ingredient velocity (not just popularity)
→ Cross-utilization score (not just waste)


That "signature dish" your chef loves? If it requires 6 unique ingredients that nothing else uses, it's probably costing you $8K annually in waste alone.


A major pizza chain just cut 40% of their menu. Stock price up 23%.


Not because they saved on food cost.


Because they transformed their overall profit model.


Stop thinking menu engineering is about food cost.


Start thinking total profit architecture.


Your P&L will thank you.


👊🏻


P.S. Want to know which items are secretly killing your profit? Comment "MENU" below. I’ll share an easy place for you to start. 


P.P.S. If you're still managing menus by food cost percentage alone, you're using a calculator when everyone else has Excel.(or better) 

Time to upgrade your thinking.

#restaurants #menuengineering #restaurantprofitability

Tuesday. 2pm. Manager meeting.

"We need to talk about food cost."


(Every operator's favorite conversation.)


CFO pulls up the spreadsheet. Points to 38%. Shakes his head.


"Industry standard is 30%."


GM nods. Already planning which items to cut.


Chef starts defending every ingredient.


Me? I'm doing math on a napkin.


$120 seafood tower → 45% food cost → $66 profit
$28 pasta special → 25% food cost → $21 profit


We'd need to sell THREE pastas to match ONE tower.


"Your highest food cost items are your most profitable," I tell them.


Silence.


Then the CFO does what CFOs do. Argues about percentages.


So I pull up last month's data:

𝗧𝗼𝗽 𝟱 "𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲" 𝗜𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 (𝟰𝟬%+ 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁):
Generated $47,000 in contribution margin

𝗧𝗼𝗽 𝟱 "𝗘𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁" 𝗜𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀 (𝟮𝟱% 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁):
Generated $31,000 in contribution margin


We're literally hiding our profit drivers because they scare the spreadsheet.


𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 𝗶𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗻.

We're just measuring it wrong.


Still managing like it's 1995. When rent was 6%. When labor was $8/hour. When a POS system meant something different.


Today? Different game entirely.


That steakhouse running 42% food cost and banking 18% profit understands this.


Meanwhile, the pizza joint down the street hits perfect 28% food cost. And closes in 6 months.


Because percentages don't pay bills. Dollars do.


𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿.

Your gut says cut the high-cost items.
Your gut says staff based on how busy it feels.
Your gut says that promotion is working.

Your gut is wrong.


Track contribution margin per cover.
Track productivity by daypart.
Track server performance metrics.


Or keep managing by feel while your competition manages by fact.


Your choice.


👊🏻


P.S. That meeting? We featured the seafood tower. Promoted it hard. Food cost went to 39%. Profit went up $8K that month. CFO still confused. Chef vindicated. Math wins.

#Restaurants #Restaurantowner #RestaurantManagement

The Dishwasher Who Became a $20M Restaurant Group CEO


Started at 16 washing dishes for $7.25 an hour.

By 38, was running seven restaurants. $20 million in revenue. 400 employees.

No MBA. No trust fund. No handouts.


Just 22 years of restaurant lessons that business schools can't teach.


Learned inventory counting boxes at 2am.
Learned cashflow when paychecks bounced.
Learned leadership when the entire line walked out on Mother's Day.


The restaurant industry gave them an education worth more than any degree:


𝗖𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: Walk-in dies during Saturday service. 20 minutes, $500. Fix it.


𝗣𝘀𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆: Your best server just broke up with the bartender. Both scheduled tonight. 300 reservations.


𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲: Make payroll with $1,200 in the bank and $8,000 coming over the weekend.


𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗻: Produce vendor ghosts you. Menu launches tomorrow.


Every shift was a masterclass.
Every problem a professor.
Every failure, tuition.


When thry opened their first restaurant at 31, banks laughed.

"No formal business education."
"Just restaurant experience."
"Too risky."

That restaurant did $2.8M year one.

Because they understood something the bank didn't:

Restaurants are the ultimate business proving ground.

You juggle a dozen things while the building's on fire.
You make magic with nothing.
Everything breaks and you fix it anyway.


The brutal truth?


Business isn't about spreadsheets and theories.


It's about showing up when you don't want to.

It's about solving problems that shouldn't exist.

It's about people trusting you when everything goes wrong.


Marcus built his empire on lessons learned at the dish pit:

• Respect everyone (that dishwasher might be your CEO someday)

• Systems beat talent (but you need both)

• Cash is oxygen (manage it or die)

• Culture is everything (treat people right, they'll bleed for you)


Today they mentor young restaurant workers.


The message: "You're not just making food. You're getting an MBA in real life."


Every ticket teaches time management.
Every rush teaches pressure.
Every complaint teaches humility.


The restaurant industry doesn't just teach you business.


It teaches you life.


And that education?


You can't buy it.
You earn it.


One shift at a time.


👊🏻


P.S. Know someone grinding in restaurants thinking it's "just a job"? 

Share this. 

They're getting the best business education money can't buy.



P.P.S. Started in restaurants? Chime in below - I'd love to hear your story.


#RestaurantIndustry #Leadership #Restaurantowner

"My food cost is 32%"

Wrong.



I've analyzed over 500 restaurant P&Ls, and 91% of owners are calculating their food costs incorrectly.


Here's the truth: Your food cost percentage doesn't matter nearly as much as your dollar contribution.


Let me prove it:

Item A:
	•	Sells for $20
	•	Costs $5 to make
	•	25% food cost
	•	$15 profit
Item B:
	•	Sells for $40
	•	Costs $16 to make
	•	40% food cost
	•	$24 profit


Most owners would pick Item A because of the "better" food cost %.


But you're leaving money on the table.


Here's why:


#1) Dollar contribution > percentage Would you rather have:
	•	A 25% cost item making you $15
	•	Or a 40% cost item making you $24?


#2) Volume matters If you sell 100 of each:
	•	Item A = $1,500 profit
	•	Item B = $2,400 profit
That's $900 in profit you're missing by focusing on the wrong number.


#3) The real math you should be doing:
	•	Profit per item
	•	Profit per hour of prep time
	•	Profit per square foot 



Quick example:


Two burgers:
A) 28% cost, 10 min prep = $12 profit
B) 35% cost, 5 min prep = $15 profit
B is more profitable because it generates more dollars per labor minute.


Want to see exactly how we calculate true menu profitability?


Drop a "menu" in the comments and I'll send you a specific tool from my book about menu optimization.



👊🏻



#restaurants #restaurantmanagement #restaurantowner

"I don't know where I would be without the restaurant industry."

That line from my book Bold Operations hits different every time I read it.


Because it's one of the truest things I've ever said.

I was 19. Green as hell. Thought I was unstoppable.


The restaurant industry grabbed me by the collar and said:

"Kid, let me teach you about life."


And off we went. 


Not gently either. 


Through 16-hour shifts.
Through the doubles and clo-pens
Through the kitchen meltdowns
Through the angry customers 
Through nights counting cash till 3am w

Wondering if this was it.

But here's what else it gave me:

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹.

How to read people in 3 seconds. 
How to solve 47 problems fast.
How to lead when everyone's ready to walk.
How to find calm in chaos.
How to turn strangers into family.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀.

That line cook who had my back
That server who covered my tables
That dishwasher who taught me work ethic
That manager who saw potential in me 

We didn't just work together
We survived together
We built something together

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗜 𝗮𝗺.

• Opening 14 restaurants across the country.
• Managing 500+ people who trusted me.
• Learning that data matters more than %.
• Discovering that people-first isn't soft. 
• Building plans that turned chaos into calm

But the restaurant industry gave me something even more.

It taught me that success isn't about perfection.

It's about adapting when everything goes sideways.

It's about finding solutions with limited resources.

It's about building trust when tensions run high.

25 years later, here I am.

Writing books about the industry that made me.

Teaching others what those late nights taught me.

Helping restaurants see their true value.


The restaurant industry didn't just give me a career.

It gave me character
It gave me resilience
It gave me perspective
It gave me purpose

To every manager grinding through another double.

To every server, cook, host and dishwasher.


You're not just working in restaurants.

You're earning an MBA
You're building unbreakable relationships
You're creating memories that will last
You're becoming who you're meant to be


The restaurant industry will take everything from you.


Your time
Your energy
Your sanity
Your social life


But if you let it, it'll give you back something better:


A life you couldn't have imagined
Skills nobody can take away
Relationships that last forever
Stories that never get old

Because if you can survive a Saturday night rush with three call-outs and a broken dishwasher?

You can survive anything


I don't know where I'd be without the restaurant industry


But I know exactly where I am because of it


👊🏻


P.S. To everyone still in the trenches—what you're doing matters.

P.P.S. If the restaurant industry changed your life too, drop your story below. I want to hear it.

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