What if your dishwasher earned the same as your most tenured line cook? At bartaco, that’s not a hypothetical—it’s the reality. In this episode, we sit down with Anthony Valletta, President of bartaco, to discuss the innovative strategies fueling their nationwide growth. Anthony pulls back the curtain on their revolutionary compensation structure, where every hourly employee receives the same base wage and an equal share of tips, eliminating pay disparity between the front and back of house. He explains how this model has not only provided a true living wage but also fostered unprecedented teamwork and a self-managing labor force. We also dive into bartaco's philosophy on technology as a tool to enhance hospitality and their unique leadership academy that invests in developing the whole person, not just the employee.

Key Takeaways

• Tech as an Enabler: Learn bartaco's philosophy on using technology to handle transactional tasks, giving staff more time to engage with guests and enhance the human element of hospitality.
• A Radical Pay Structure: Discover how bartaco implemented a system where every hourly employee—FOH and BOH—earns the exact same base wage and receives an equal percentage of tips.
• The Unintended Benefits of Equal Pay: Hear how the equal-pay model has led to remarkable teamwork and a culture where the team holds each other accountable, creating a self-managing labor model.
• Developing People, Not Just Managers: Explore the "bartaco Leadership Academy," a program that provides executive-level coaching on life skills to every salaried employee, leading to profound personal and professional growth.
• Career Pathing That Works: Understand their "edible carrots" approach to career development, which provides clear, accessible, and attainable steps for advancement within the company.

Resources Mentioned

• bartaco: https://bartaco.com/

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7shifts is a scheduling, payroll, and employee retention app designed to help restaurants thrive. With an easy-to-use app and industry-specific solutions, 7shifts saves time, reduces errors, and helps keep costs in check for more than 50,000 restaurants.

Do you ever wonder if your restaurant's technology is ahead of the curve, just keeping pace, or falling behind the competition? In a tough environment where 44% of restaurants are missing their labor targets, knowing where you stand is the first step to getting ahead.

In this special solo episode, host D.J. Costantino walks you through the four distinct stages of a restaurant's digital journey: from "Analog" paper-and-pen operations to a fully "Optimized" and integrated tech stack. Discover where your restaurant fits in this framework and get a clear, practical roadmap for what comes next.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• How to identify your restaurant's current stage of tech maturity, from Analog to Optimized.
• Why 44% of restaurants are missing labor targets and how real-time data can give you back control.
• The direct link between modern tools, a positive employee experience, and improving your team's retention rate.
• How automating manual tasks can free up hours of your time to work on your business, not just in it.

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About Us
7shifts is a scheduling, payroll, and employee retention app designed to help restaurants thrive. With an easy-to-use app and industry-specific solutions, 7shifts saves time, reduces errors, and helps keep costs in check for more than 50,000 restaurants.

How do you take six distinct fast-casual brands and scale them under a single, efficient operational umbrella? In this episode, we sit down with Lauriena Borstein, Chief Operating Officer, and Kyle Mark, Chief Information Officer of WOWorks—the restaurant group behind Saladworks, Frutta Bowls, and Garbanzo, among others.

They share the "One WOW Way," their philosophy for unifying operations, technology, and communication across their entire portfolio. Lauriena details how creating repeatable systems while maintaining flexibility is the key to scaling, and why franchisee profitability is their non-negotiable north star metric. Kyle explains the monumental task of consolidating disparate systems into a single tech stack and how proving the ROI—like a 30-35% increase in digital sales—is crucial for getting franchisee buy-in. This conversation is a masterclass in managing growth, the c between operations and technology, and why a strong culture is built on communication.

Key takeaways

• Building repeatable systems. Scaling any brand requires creating consistent, repeatable systems with flexibility for local execution.
• The "one WOW way" is A core philosophy for shared services like tech and supply chain, which creates efficiency across a multi-brand portfolio.
• Franchisee profitability is #1. Franchisee profitability is the primary metric for success, as no initiative is scalable if it isn't profitable.
• Unify your tech stack for growth. A single tech stack (POS, online ordering, loyalty) simplifies operations, reduces training, and unifies data analysis.
• Communicate, communicate, communicate. Build a strong culture with a consistent communication cadence, ensuring franchisees hear a unified message from all leadership.
• Don't be afraid to fail fast. Growth-minded operators must try new things and be willing to fail fast, dropping what doesn't work to move on quickly.

Resources

• Learn more about WOWorks and their family of brands:
• Connect with the guests on LinkedIn:
  • Kyle Mark
  • Lauriena Borstein

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About Us
7shifts is a scheduling, payroll, and employee retention app designed to help restaurants thrive. With an easy-to-use app and industry-specific solutions, 7shifts saves time, reduces errors, and helps keep costs in check for more than 50,000 restaurants.

What does it truly take to turn a successful restaurant into a scalable franchise? In this episode, D.J. sits down with Shawn Saraga, a franchise development expert who has been involved in opening nearly 1,000 franchise locations. Shawn shares his journey from nightclub DJ to franchise guru and dives deep into the realities of restaurant expansion. He explains why franchising is not an exit strategy but an entirely new business that requires immense dedication. Listeners will learn the critical systems and benchmarks a restaurant must have in place before franchising, the "devil in the details" of standardizing your secret sauce, and, most importantly, the non-teachable personality trait to look for in a potential franchisee: persistence.

Key Takeaways

• Prove the Model First: Before you even consider franchising, you need a replicable model. This means having at least two or three successful locations to prove the concept works beyond your direct, daily involvement.
• Franchising is a New Job, Not an Exit: Thinking of franchising as a way to step back is a mistake. It’s an entirely new, full-time role focused on recruiting, real estate, operations, and support. You are no longer just an operator; you are a "king maker."
• Systemize Your Intangibles: The "little things" that make your restaurant special—like your networking style or community involvement—must be documented and turned into a trainable system for your franchisees to follow.
• Location is Non-Negotiable: As Shawn says, "50 feet from great is not great." You cannot afford to compromise on real estate. Diligent, multi-day scouting and research of a location is critical before signing a long-term lease.
• Hire for Persistence: You can teach someone how to make your food, but you can't teach them the grit to get through the hard days. Persistence is the single most important personality trait of a successful franchisee.

Resources

• The Franchise Academy: Learn more about Shawn and his consulting services at thefranchiseacademy.ca.
• Upcoming Book: Keep an eye out for Shawn's book, How to Choose the Right Franchise for You, releasing in early 2026.

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About Us
7shifts is a scheduling, payroll, and employee retention app designed to help restaurants thrive. With an easy-to-use app and industry-specific solutions, 7shifts saves time, reduces errors, and helps keep costs in check for more than 50,000 restaurants.

What does it truly take to grow a restaurant concept from a single unit to a multi-location brand? In this episode, we're joined by Garrett Mills, Partner at Uncommon Brands, for a deep dive into the world of restaurant growth and investment. Garrett shares his unique journey and unpacks the key financial and qualitative factors his firm evaluates when partnering with emerging brands. From the importance of a strong employee culture to the challenges of letting go of control, this conversation is packed with actionable advice for any operator looking to scale their business and build a lasting brand.

Key Takeaways

• The Financial Trifecta: When evaluating a business, focus on three key ratios: sales-to-investment, store-level margin, and cash-on-cash returns. Achieving strength in at least two of these areas is crucial for attracting investment and ensuring sustainable growth.
• Embrace the GM-Driven Model: To scale effectively, founders must transition from being hands-on in every detail to empowering their general managers. This requires building trust and creating systems that allow unit-level leaders to take ownership of their stores.
• Culture Drives Experience: Your employees are the ones driving the guest experience. Investing in a strong employee culture is fundamental to creating a restaurant experience that keeps customers returning.
• Technology Should Inform Decisions: The most valuable technology partners provide clear information that helps you make better, faster decisions, especially around food and labor costs. The goal is to get GMs out of the back office and onto the floor with guests and staff.
• Growth Isn't Easy: The path to scaling a restaurant is a grind. Surround yourself with experienced advisors and be prepared to overcome significant challenges along the way.

Resources

• Uncommon Brands
• Uncommon Brands on LinkedIn
• 7shifts

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About Us
7shifts is a scheduling, payroll, and employee retention app designed to help restaurants thrive. With an easy-to-use app and industry-specific solutions, 7shifts saves time, reduces errors, and helps keep costs in check for more than 50,000 restaurants.

What does it take to grow a restaurant from a single location to a global phenomenon? In this episode, D.J. sits down with Troy Hooper, CEO of Hot Palate America, the holding company for the rapidly expanding Japanese fast-casual brand, Pepper Lunch. Troy pulls back the curtain on his extensive career, from his early days in the kitchen to leading a global brand. He offers a masterclass on scaling a restaurant business, detailing the crucial transition from hands-on manager to visionary executive. Listeners will learn the key metrics and, more importantly, the mindset required to franchise, the right way to enter new markets successfully, and how to use data to understand your customer on a deeper level. This is a must-listen for any operator with ambitions to grow.

Key Takeaways

• The 3-Thing Rule: To let go effectively, identify the 1-3 things you are most passionate about in your business and focus on them. Outsource everything else to people who are passionate about those specific areas.
• Are You Franchise-Ready? Franchising means leaving the restaurant business and entering the business of providing service to your franchisees. It's a fundamental mindset shift.
• Grow Methodically: The biggest mistake brands make is jumping from one market to another with single stores. Instead, grow adjacent and open at least three locations in a new market quickly to achieve penetration and build an audience.
• Master Market Research: Use technology like geofencing to get demographic and sociographic data on your customers, where they come from, and where else they shop. But don't discount analog research—stand in line at a local grocery store and ask people what they value in a restaurant.
• Real Estate is Everything: After choosing your franchise partner, selecting the right real estate is your most critical decision. It is the most common, painful, and costly mistake. Never call the number on the "For Lease" sign yourself; get professional representation.

Resources

• Pepper Lunch: pepperlunchrestaurants.com
• Connect with Troy: LinkedIn
• Mentioned Tools:
  • Site Zeus

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📲 Connect with D.J.
DJ's Email
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More 7shifts
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About Us
7shifts is a scheduling, payroll, and employee retention app designed to help restaurants thrive. With an easy-to-use app and industry-specific solutions, 7shifts saves time, reduces errors, and helps keep costs in check for more than 50,000 restaurants.

The restaurant industry is at a crossroads, with two powerful forces shaping its future. On one hand, there's the explosive growth of AI and automation, a major topic at the recent National Restaurant Association Show. On the other, there's the timeless need for genuine human connection. This episode explores both.

First, D.J. considers the impact of AI on restaurant operations. Then, he dives into a conversation with Shawn Walchef, the founder of Cali BBQ and Cali BBQ Media, who champions the power of storytelling as a restaurant's ultimate competitive advantage. Shawn provides a practical guide for using the phone in your pocket to build a community, create a loyal following, and drive business. This episode is an essential listen for any operator looking to balance the efficiencies of new technology with the irreplaceable magic of a well-told story.

Key Takeaways:

• Balancing Tech and Touch: While AI is poised to revolutionize restaurant operations, it cannot replace the genuine connection that comes from authentic brand storytelling.
• Your Story is Your Most Valuable Asset: In an increasingly automated world, the unique story of your people, your food, and your passion is what sets you apart.
• The Smartphone is Your Studio: You don't need a massive budget or a marketing team to start building your brand online; the tools are already in your pocket.
• Action Creates Momentum: The most important step is the first one. Start creating content, even if it's imperfect, to begin building your digital presence.
• Digital Hospitality: The modern guest experience is a blend of in-person service and digital engagement. Your online presence is an extension of your restaurant's four walls.

Resources:

• Cali BBQ Media on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CaliBBQMedia
• Shawn Walchef on Instagram: @shawnpwalchef
• Shawn Walchef on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnwalchef/

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DJ's Email
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More 7shifts
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About Us
7shifts is a scheduling, payroll, and employee retention app designed to help restaurants thrive. With an easy-to-use app and industry-specific solutions, 7shifts saves time, reduces errors, and helps keep costs in check for more than 50,000 restaurants.

The restaurant industry has long struggled with the divide between front and back-of-house compensation. In this archive episode of The Pre-Shift Podcast, Chef Katie Button of Cúrate and La Bodega by Cúrate in Asheville reveals how she completely transformed her restaurant's pay structure after the pandemic shutdown. Katie details her journey from engineering PhD student to award-winning chef, and explains why she took the bold step of eliminating sub-minimum wage pay, implementing a weighted tip pool, and creating transparent pathways for advancement. She candidly discusses the challenges and benefits of this transformation, from staff reactions to financial adjustments, ultimately showing how creating more equitable compensation has strengthened her restaurant team and culture.

Resources

• Connect with Katie Button on LinkedIn 🔗
• Visit: Cúrate and La Bodega by Cúrate 🍽️
• 7shifts Restaurant Management Blog 📝

Chapters

• 00:00 - Introduction to Katie Button and Pre-Shift Podcast
• 00:57 - From engineering PhD to award-winning chef (Katie's background story begins)
• 03:52 - The decision to transform restaurant compensation (discussion of sub-minimum wage issues)
• 07:20 - Understanding the front/back of house pay disparity (holiday season example)
• 08:50 - Katie's personal experience with pay differences
• 11:13 - Creating a new compensation model post-shutdown (weighted tip pools explained)
• 14:16 - How the new model affects team morale and culture
• 15:31 - Financial adjustments required to implement higher wages
• 19:34 - Comprehensive benefits package implementation (healthcare, PTO, etc.)
• 21:07 - PTO structure and fairness for new vs. veteran employees
• 22:00 - Transparency in pay and performance expectations (posting tip pool breakdowns)
• 22:48 - Using Seven Shifts software for transparency
• 23:15 - Introduction to La Bodega (second restaurant)
• 24:08 - Closing and contact information

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DJ's Email
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More 7shifts
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About Us
7shifts is a scheduling, payroll, and employee retention app designed to help restaurants thrive. With an easy-to-use app and industry-specific solutions, 7shifts saves time, reduces errors, and helps keep costs in check for more than 50,000 restaurants.