Most chefs should not open a restaurant.

James Trees explains why ownership is finance and leadership, not cooking. From prime cost and food cost velocity to EBITDA, triple net leases, and delivery app traps, this episode is a restaurant business masterclass.

If you are thinking about opening your first restaurant, learn the numbers first.

• How prime cost actually works

• Why food cost velocity matters more than percentages

• How to negotiate leases and protect downside

Built for chefs serious about ownership and profit.

Follow Chefs PSA and share this episode with a chef who wants to open a restaurant.

James Trees Instagram

LINKS & RESOURCES

Subscribe on Substack → ⁠https://chefspsa.substack.com/⁠
Shop Chef’s PSA Merch → ⁠https://shop.chefspsa.com/⁠
Visit Chef’s PSA Website → ⁠https://chefspsa.com/⁠
Sponsored by RATIONAL USA → https://rationalusa.com

A Michelin-trained chef faces thyroid cancer and the real possibility of losing his taste.

Chef Jake Rojas shares his diagnosis, treatment, feeding tube recovery, and how the experience reshaped his priorities around health and leadership. From El Paso competitions to three-star kitchens in Las Vegas, this is a conversation about discipline, identity, and why flavor is the only thing that truly matters.

• What Michelin kitchens teach about execution and respect

• How serious illness reframes leadership and priorities

• Why deliciousness outweighs presentation and hype

Built for chefs who want longevity, not just accolades.

Follow Chefs PSA and share this episode with a chef who needs permission to prioritize their health.

Jake Rojas on Instagram

LINKS & RESOURCES

Subscribe on Substack → ⁠https://chefspsa.substack.com/⁠
Shop Chef’s PSA Merch → ⁠https://shop.chefspsa.com/⁠
Visit Chef’s PSA Website → ⁠https://chefspsa.com/⁠
Sponsored by RATIONAL USA → https://rationalusa.com

She left finance to open two of Austin’s most talked-about restaurants.

In this episode of Chefs PSA, Laila Bazahm explains how fine dining discipline, financial literacy, and cultural awareness shaped her path from Wall Street to restaurant ownership.

This conversation is essential for chefs who want to open their first restaurant without guessing their way through funding.

• How to secure capital for a restaurant

• What elite kitchens actually teach

• Why financial literacy determines survival

Built for chefs serious about ownership and leadership.

ollow Chefs PSA and share this episode with a chef planning to open a restaurant.

Laila on Instagram

Siti on Instagram

El Raval on Instagram

LINKS & RESOURCES

Subscribe on Substack → ⁠https://chefspsa.substack.com/⁠
Shop Chef’s PSA Merch → ⁠https://shop.chefspsa.com/⁠
Visit Chef’s PSA Website → ⁠https://chefspsa.com/⁠
Sponsored by RATIONAL USA → https://rationalusa.com