From Line Cook to Wealth Advisor: Funding & Scaling Restaurants w/ David Spungen

Former line cook turned wealth advisor David Spungen joins Restaurant Leaders Unplugged to break down the real economics of opening, funding, and scaling restaurants. We dig into what’s working right now outside the major metros, the true cost stack (rent, labor, food), when to use friends & family vs. alternative financing, and how operators can build financial literacy without becoming accountants. We also cover advisory boards, exit planning for fast casual vs. full service, and why personal wealth planning should start before the liquidity event.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• How to pressure-test a restaurant model (traffic, Avg Check, turns, beverage mix, unit economics).
  
  
  
• Where operators are finding better profitability outside NYC/Miami — and why.
  
  
  
• Funding paths beyond pure equity: dining-credit prepay models (e.g., Inkin), build-out loans (e.g., Phoenix), equipment financing, and targeted crowdfunding (e.g., New Market).
  
  
  
• The finance stack that actually helps: great bookkeeping, hospitality-savvy CPAs, Restaurant365, and AI P&L visualization (Starfish).
  
  
  
• When to form an advisory board and how to run it so it’s useful.
  
  
  
• The fast-casual “3–5 units then scale” playbook vs. realities of fine dining.
  
  
  
• Why estate/tax planning shouldn’t wait until a deal is signed.
  
  
  

Connect with our guest:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-spungen/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidspungen/channel/

Restaurant Leaders Unplugged with Sebastian Stahl

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